Flannel Rag Quilt Lint and Fuzz!
 

How do you all get rid of the lint and fuzz that is stuck to the flannel rag quilt after washing it? A lint brush helps a little bit, but I mostly use a fabric shaver. I am making about 10 of them for Christmas and I am wearing down the batteries in the fabic shaver. I am making a few cotton ones also...they are easier, because there is no lint stuck to them.

Any other way to de-fuzz?

I have not had much problem with lint, but I have never made a rag quilt with all flannel. I usually use denim or cotton for the top an flannel for the back. Did you use fabric softener, that should help some. I can sympathize with this, it would be a real pain to have to "shave" each quilt.

I did not use fabric softener in the wash or dryer sheets in the dryer. I will try that next time. I might be making 1 or 2 more for Christmas.

I've made probably 20 flannel rag quilts and have never had that problem...wash it once in hot water and dry it and its done...just had to clean out the lint filter on the dryer every couple minutes...teaching a class on them tomorrow night

I washed (cold water) and dried mine twice. I used a regular cycle, not gentle. Do you think a gentle cycle would help? fabric softener?

I am getting tired of shaving every square both front and back.

Are you talking about loose threads or the little fabric pills? Loose threads I get with the sticky kind of fabric roller. Pills usually occur on poorer quality flannels but not always. If it's pills, keep shaving.

The loose threads come off easy with the lint brush. It is not fabric pills, but more like lint balls that are stuck to the flannel. Some squares are ok, and others are worse.

Try using nylon netting in the dryer. It's a bit scratchy and seems to remove the lint as you dry the quilt. My customers that make alot of rag quilts say this works. good luck.

[QUOTE=gotta-sew;4764716]Try using nylon netting in the dryer. It's a bit scratchy and seems to remove the lint as you dry the quilt. My customers that make alot of rag quilts say this works. good luck.[/QUOTE

Do you mean like the nylon netting bags that you would wash delicates in?

I read somewhere to place the quilt into a bag - like a large pillow case to wash it in. I'm working on my first one right now and now I'm wondering if I'll have the same issue! Sure hope not

Check your dryer vent system, if your lint colection area is clear, maybe somithing got backed up in the exhaust and is filtering back into your dryer, I had this problem several years ago some one pushed my dryer all the way back to the wall and crushed part of the dryer hose.

I had this problem with the dark lint sticking to the light colors, on some, not all out of the 12 rag quilts that I have made. I think it was part due to the dark flannel that I used. After the first 6, I started using a better quality fabric in them. I used a Fuller Brush Lint brush, but it is not really a brush, it has a fabric that if you swipe it backwards the lint comes off and forward it gets the lint balls. It worked really good, and made the quilt look nice for gifting it, but it took a little work on my part.

I'm wondering if it has to do with the quality of the flannel, as to how much lint, and fuzz there is.. I used flannel from high quality shirts, and had no fuzz.. I also used flannel from Joann's, in the same quilt, and it's embarrassing me..
Barri

I take my finished rag quilts to the laundromat, wet them, then put them in a large dryer without any heat. That reallu rags the edges well! Of course others think you have 'broken' whatever you put in as you are continually reaching in to remove arms full of thread. At the end, then dry the quilt in the dryer.

This way my dryer doesn't have to work overtime.

ali

I think those would be too soft. Regular nylon netting is available at JoAnn's and is the scratchy stuff that pot scrubber balls are made out of (and a lot of wedding veils, although some are made from a softer netting).

I wash my rag quilts 3 times with no fabric softener and put them in the dryer after each wash. Then I tell whoever gets the quilts they should wash the quilt by its self a coulple times. To make sure they don't get lint over other items in dryer. There has been alot of ideas mentioned that I going to try.

i was glad to see this thread. i am making my dh and dm rag quilts for christmas. i was dreading washing and drying them and see all the fuzz and pills. i was my dh's today and sure enough there was fuzz. i went to bed, bath and beyond where i had seen a fabric shaver. it worked GREAT! i was so happy. it is an evercare giant fabric shaver for $12.99. worth every penny! it took less than 15 minutes to go over the front and back of a 9 row by 13 row rag quilt. be sure to empty the fuzz every several rows. now i won't dread washing my dm's rag quilt.

john flynn quilt frame maker used a weed eater on his back porch in the video that came with it .I guess it fluffs up the ravels. he makes place mats to practice on his frame. anyway my sister said it is a weedeater and I called him and ti was so if I make a rag quilt I will have my gs to weed eat it bignan