I have done this. I use FrayCheck by Dritz. It works well to seal edges of fabric. I often have to trim down nicely serged pieces of fabric, so I have raw edges and hate having to get the machine set up. I no longer have my sewing/craft room. Every time I use FrayCheck, I look toward Heaven and say, "Thanks, Dad!" because he was on the nylon tean at duPont and was there the day that they invented it...FrayCheck contains nylon polymers.

ok, it was a thought i had while i was at the store the other day, instead of stitching my 18 adia fabirc on the edges why not just glue them so they dont move, easier and faster

This doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I had a bad experience using fray check.

However, you can experiment. Take two small piece of your excess fabric maybe 4" square. Stitch an area of maybe 1" wide by 3" on each . Then use the liquid glue or other product and match it so that the stitched areas are together. See how you like the finished look.

Adam, I hate to tell people to use GOOGLE to search for something. I like being able to tell them exactly where to find it. However, I don't have time to do the searching.

Last year I GOOGLED something like LARGE CROSS STITCH. I came across some very large finished projects. They were amazing. The finished works were room sized. They were stitched in sections and then sewn together. If you can find it you might get some ideas about finishing.

If you can't find it I will do a search later in the week for you

In the meantime. Keep On Stitching

yea, the two largest patterns are both of paintings, what i was thinking, that the edge so they dont fray, use the liquid stitch, so that way there is no risk of the fabric ever coming undone, i know they stitched the peices together and thats partly what i want to do, but your still gonna have a tone of excess fabric behind the picture, so i wanted to use the liquid stitch to just keep it from getting frayed and undone, not putting the liquid stitch directly on the work i did, just on the edges

I am going to be a "devil's advocate" and say I'm concerned that by gluing two panels together that it will leave a "valley" or "crease" showing between each edge of the panels, therefore a crease between the stitches as to where one panel ends and the other begins, where you glued them together. I agree that experimenting with some small panels that are already COMPLETELY STITCHED would be the order of the day to analyze if you run into a problem when you glue together.

Maybe I am misunderstanding. Do you want to use fray check only on the edges of the fabric, not the part will you will be connecting the pieces together?

If so, I personally, still would not use fray check.

Two ideas:

#1 -- once you have two panels sewn together the raw edges shouldn't present a problem. (notice I said shouldn't not it won't prevent it.

#2) This is what I would do. You would need a sewing machine. I like to stitch a tight zig zag around the perimeter of each piece. Of course, in your case this in itself would be quite an undertaking.

Doo you know a seamstress or a tailor who might be able to look at your panels and give advice?

Adam -- buy a pair of pinking shears. They cut the fabric in a zig-zag and reduce raveling. I forgot all about them until I cut several pieces of AIDA this afternoon.

I know of a seamstress in the local area that I could check when I get panel#2 done, the reason why I am asking this is because I have a distance of 5 count stitch on 18 adia fabric, the 5th being THE EDGE, a little close for comfort, since I have it in a scroll and off to the side where nothing will interact with it hasn't even started to fray, my first panel has atleast an inch before the edge on the left and right side,

I used 15"x18" and cut it in half so I got two 7.5"x18", the stitched part is 6&1/5" x 12&2/5" but when I went and placed my first stitch it wasn't exactly in the middle on the 2nd one.... poor planning on my part, the first one has that 3/4" on the left and right side and that's plenty to me, the 2nd... well... poor planning, I got too excited getting the first one done

I am planning on going to Jo-Ann's soon and getting them to cut me 8"x14" pieces, or just get enough for 10 panels, and cut it myself, and just go every 10 and get more so not to overwhelm myself idk what would you guys and gals do? OR

ECS!! could always get me the 10 panels I need

OH NO ADAM. You have done something that most all of us, if not all, have done. That is not allowing enough room for finishing. Your second panel is off center and you are stitching dangerously close to the edge.
If you have read some of the other posts you might have seen recommendations that you allow four to six inches of wiggle room in each direction. (width and height). Two reasons that the wiggle room is necessary - #1) extra fabric for framing or other finishing #2) Just in case you get off center you will still have enough room to finish your stitching.

You have only allowed yourself one inch of wiggle room. Definitely not enough. Don't beat yourself up about this. Like I said -- we all done this.

You said that you started with a piece of AIDA that was 15 x 18 inches. I'm guessing that you bought it in a tube. You now know you should not try to same money by skimping of fabric.

You said that you might go to Joann's and have them cut pieces to your measurements. Does that store sell Aida on the bolt? The stores in my area don't. Even if your store carries it on the bolt it is unlikely they will make custom cuts.

Follow some advice from Miss C -- Order your fabric by the yard. You can do this from Everything Cross Stitch. If you don't like what they have there are other sites you can check out.

You are investing a lot of your time and effort into this project. Don't try and cut corners. You won't be happy.

If you are cutting your own fabric be sure to have a good pair of sewing scissors. Use these scissors for cutting fabric only. Don't use them to cut paper.

Hope I'm not getting too long winded. I don't want to bore anyone to death.

lol with such a large project it is gonna be truly impossible to frame, what I was gonna do was cut the fabric down to roughly 5-10 stitches from the edges, use the liquid stitch to keep it together on the edges of the fabric, and use a thin transparent fishing line, and use a tight whip stitch, or a backstitch to sew the panels together so it would look something like this...

XXXXXXXX(pattern meeting)
()()()()()()(whip-stitch or backstitch)
~~~~~~~(overcast stitch)

think it would work? i have some excess fabric I'm gonna try it out in the morning, liquid stitch a cut edge see how it holds, if it holds well then try whipstitch on one side and backstitch on the other and see which holds best