Fray Stop for holes silk chiffon?

[Maudelynn]

I have 2 dresses that have tiny holes in their silk chiffon. They are not terribly noticeable now so I was wondering if a little bit of fray stop on the edges was a solution.

If not, any tips that might help would be wonderful!

 

[sheeplady]

It could work, however, I would worry about two things:
If it would show on silk (I've only used fray stop on cotton)
If it would show after laundering.

For those reasons, I might try dabbing a bit of fray stop on the inside of the hem and laundering the item. Fray stop is pretty much amazing stuff- I used it on our cloth wipes (for the baby) which are surged and they have not frayed a bit. And they get washed three times a week twice and been in rotation for a year almost. So I can speak to how tough it is in regular washing machine cycles (both hot and cold) and in the dryer.

The other thing I've done is to use a small piece of interfacing or stitchwitchery to close holes. If the hole is small, I will back it with the interfacing. If it is big enough to see the interfacing, I use a small piece of heavily laundered similar fabric (content and color) and use the stitchwitchery to meld the two. I've never had a problem with either one, but I'd wonder if backing the fabric (with interfacing or another layer) might cause it to "hang" differently. You'd have to test it to see. I'd probably advise against using the interfacing if it is chiffon, but the stitchwitchery might work, depending upon the size of the patch. I mainly use these types of patches on moth holes and similar issues.

So, long story short: I think fray stop would be great. But test it first.

 

[VintageBaubles]

If Fray Stop is the same as Fray Check (and I assume it is), I've successfully used it on silk. BUT, you would want to apply it first to the small end of a toothpick and dab it around the edges of the holes, working from the inside of the fabric. I found that if you apply it directly from the bottle tip, there is too much applied and it spreads on the fabric. With care, it won't show up at all, and if it does show, it's so minimal as to be really not noticeable if the holes are tiny, as you say. If there's a lining under the chiffon, that should make both the holes and fray check all but impossible to notice.

I've also applied it with the end or edge of a straight pin on very lightweight, delicate fabrics. I know some people hate Fray Check and advise not to use it, but if applied sparingly and with care, it can be a repair-woman's dream!