why do pinking sheers work ?

I do not understand why pinking sheers seem to work at lessening fraying ?

Seems like they should make fraying worst but that is not the case in my limited experimental evidence robb

Reply to
robb
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The reason they work is that they make bias cuts, which do not ravel.

Try this: Take a piece of woven cotton fabric, and cut it on the bias, or at a 45 degree angle (which is the true bias of fabric). Then try to make it fray. You'll see why the constant /\/\/\/\/\/\ of pinking keeps the fabric from fraying.

Reply to
Karen Maslowski

Fraying in wovens is always worst along the perfectgrain or crossgrain, less when you get offgrain, and no fraying at all on the bias.

So what pinking does is to allow you to make a cut that's generally along the grainlines, but on a smaller scale consists of a bunch of little tiny bias cuts from the teeth.

Kay (who found out fairly early on that pinked bias ravels)

Reply to
Kay Lancaster

Be careful though! Tight weaves are fine with pinking, but on loose weaves like tweed and silk dupion, they INCREASE the fraying exponentially! ;) Can you say 'My fabric is evaporating?'

Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

I have never cared for pinking shears and far prefer an overlock stitch or, barring that , a zigzag finsh to prevent fraying.

Kirsten

Reply to
Kirsty Wursty

Good point, Kate. But then dupioni frays, no matter what you do, especially if you prewash it! The only way to keep it from happening is to overlock or overcast the edge. Some poly satins do this, too.

I'm not talking to you, Kate, as I know you already know this. I'm speaking to the OP, just bouncing off your post.

Reply to
Karen Maslowski

And a few other fabrics I've discovered, like organza and slipper satin...

:)

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Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

Dear Robb,

For me, pinking shears don't work. I've tried both right and left- handed models (I'm left-handed, but use other right-handed tools with no problem) and neither works. Maybe I'm not holding them correctly. At any rate, I've found many other ways to finish seams, and my pinking shears languish in my toolbox--unused to fifty or so years.

Teri

Reply to
gjones2938

lessening

ravel.

the bias,

Then try to

pinking keeps

Thanks Karen and thanks to everyone who responded.

I did not know that about the bias cut but that makes sense to me.

So does that mean one does *not* use pinking sheers on the true bias ?

because the pinking bias-izer would be countered by the true bias making lots of little pinked / cross grain cuts ?

thanks again, robb

Reply to
robb

It's been decades since I've pinked a seam edge, but I do use mine for edges of interfacing and such that I want to make sure won't "read" from the outside.

Kay

Reply to
Kay Lancaster

You're welcome. And no, it doesn't make any difference whether the fabric is on bias or not, because the short, diagonal cuts are what reduces fraying.

Reply to
Karen Maslowski

I use pinking shears most often for an edge that's going to be inside something where a straight line would show through.

Joy Beeson

Reply to
Joy Beeson

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