I was thinking mesh bags. It may take several to wash a full load. Lots of suggested solutions, all of them time consuming but then so is washing your entire stash. I will caution you, if handling the fabrics is causing an allergic reaction of that severity, be careful inhaling around such a concentration as that may cause problems also.

Madamekelly: so sorry to hear about your awful reaction to your fabrics! I don't prewash my fabric and find that when I have been sewing for a while, my thumb skin splits on either side of the nail. I wonder after reading your post if this is caused from the chemicals in the fabric???

As to washing your stash, I would try the basting/sewing the cut edges to cut down on the fraying. Really small pieces I would use a mesh bag for.

Good luck! Wish I lived closer, I'd come over and help you wash the stash! Hope you feel better and washing the fabric helps clear up your hands.


Anita

I have heard that some people use a serger, BUT, that would mean handling the unwashed fabrics. Since I don't want to touch the unwashed fabric, I just throw the fabric in the washer and just live with the strings. I just don't worry about it. I always buy extra fabric so I can cut off the raw edges when I'm done washing and drying it. No biggie.

Cutting off the corners never worked for me either.

For pieces 1 yard or more in length, I would accordion fold (about 12" per fold) and then safety pin the edges together.

For smaller pieces (1/2 yard or so) I would invest in some mesh bags and put one in each bag. (Check the Dollar Store first for these.)

For fat quarter sized pieces I would be tempted to use mesh bra containers like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Woolite-W-8243...dp/B004K6L83I/
although I bought mine at Walmart. They are great for machine washing bras and panties, and I think would work well for a fat quarter in each side.

You could probably save money by making your own mesh bags -- purchase a couple of yards of mesh, wash it (should not ravel the way cotton fabrics do), then sew bags. Instead of zippers I would just make a 3-layer bag (similar to how one would make a pillow cover without a zipper, overlapping the flaps on the back) and safety pin the mesh bag closed before tossing in the wash.

The mesh bags take up very little storage room and can be used for future fabric purchases too!

"For pieces 1 yard or more in length, I would accordion fold (about 12" per fold) and then safety pin the edges together."

I agree with this and for smaller pieces I pin like colors together or roll my pinking blade over them. I use gentle cycle in washing machine and my dryer doesn't seem to "shred" them as bad as some dryers. I have soaked charm squares and strips in my kitchen sink and dryer them in a mesh bag. But you need to be careful with these. Perhaps not use precuts and just wash other as needed.

I do think that serging or overcasting the raw edges is sorth the effort

Could you get someone to do that for you?

My DIL and I went through this same problem year before last. The skin would literally peel from her hands. Luckily, I was able to serge all the beds for her. Maybe you too can find someone to do this part of the process for you.

I overcast my edges on my sewing machine, but don't know how big your stash is. If you have a serger it will go faster. I only do it for embroidery stuff so don't know if I would do it for a large stash as it is time consuming

I think fabric shouls be unfolded before washing to minimize possible fading along the fold line. You might want to double check those folds fr fading, anyway.

Well, I have decided not to wash my stash unless I'm making a baby quilt with flannel. Knowing that baby quilts will be washed a lot more than other quilts. Red fabrics can also be a problem which I try to stay away from. There you go, solved the problem at my house!