Thread: Preparing fabric for Quilting: a few questions

But if the quilt is to be only ever washed in cold or warm water, why do you prewash in hot water? Won't cotton shrink in warm water? And isn't prewashing in warm water emulating how the quilt is to be cleaned during its' lifetime? When I was a veterinary nurse I was taught that the best temperature to remove blood stains and so forth was cold water, and most stain remover products are also compatible with cold or warm water washing so why would you use hot water on a soiled quilt? Hot water can set some stains/dirt I thought?

Originally Posted by Farm Quilter

Thanks for the education! I live on a farm with a septic system and never even considered the chemicals I'm putting into it!! Could you possibly use Retayne or Synthrapol in your bucket and dump the bucket with that stuff in it away from your aquifer? I'm a city girl not used to the interesting, different systems we have here on the farm, so I'm always up for learning!! Is it a specific brand of batiks that is bleeding so much? Different brands seem to react differently - I think some over-dye the fabric. I don't want any bleeding on a quilt I have invested so much time and money on either, so I'll be obsessive/compulsive with you

We are also on a septic system and the soil is basically clay--which causes some lateral field issues. While I am cautious of what I put into the drains, I have never worried about chemicals that are in fabrics--ALL fabrics, whether cut goods or clothing come with chemicals and we wash our clothes, right?My "honey wagon" man says just don't flush things that would clog the filtering system--like tampons, Kleenex or egg shells--none break down. Unless its a blizzard outside, I also compost vegetable scrapings, etc. to minimize the stuff that goes into the drain.

A friend that owned a quilt fabric shop said all fabric should be tested for dye issues by rubbing a swatch of whitepaper hard on the fabric-if you see ANY color,then you have to wash until none rubs off.

If I wash--either because my bleed test failed or the fabric is from smelly source--then when its out of the washer it gets dried one of 2 way--either I really shake it out hard and put into dryer or, my favorite method, is to hang it on the clothes line to dry--very few wrinkles this way. Problem is not many folks have clotheslines anymore!

I don't press until I'm ready to cut-and then use steam(which if I haven't prewashed will deal with some shrinkage) or if that doesn't get out wrinkles, then Best Press. About the only time I use a heavy starch is after I cut any bias cuts(like on the Tri Recs ruler) and then I will spray some in an old pie pan and holding a stack of the fabric pieces needing starch, will just "paint" the edges of the whole stack.

I am a novice at anything domestic. When I used starch on my fabric I just bought the cheapest starch I could find.
I probably over-sprayed but I always ended up with some white starch spots.
I finally tried "Best Press" unscented and it works perfectly.
I also use "Retayne" and presoak my fabrics in hot water. I rinse them to get the Retayne out and then line dry in the
good months, followed by minimal dryer time to take the wrinkles out.
I'm sure there are many ways of prepping fabrics but this has worked for me so I haven't experimented further.

I wash, then air dry all newly added fabric. I have learned not to iron until I'm about to make use of the fabric. I don't starch - have you tried sewing or quilting once there's starch on the fabric? egads! Talk about needing pliers to pull thread through! If you're one who sends out quilts to have binding put on, due to no fault of your own for not liking the binding part, think of the poor soul who has to put that binding on once starch has been used....it's a crime I tell ya, a crime!

[QUOTE=rj.neihart;7236685 have you tried sewing or quilting once there's starch on the fabric? egads! Talk about needing pliers to pull thread through! If you're one who sends out quilts to have binding put on, due to no fault of your own for not liking the binding part, think of the poor soul who has to put that binding on once starch has been used....it's a crime I tell ya, a crime![/QUOTE]
hahahaa I starch the limp right out of mine and put on my bindings and I'm good. Some of my fabric can stand on it's own Toni