I am trying to iron fabric. I put it through hot water cycle and dried it. It won't match up selvage to selvage right and I cant iron it like I want to.

Can someone help?

Thank you, Kyia.

Iron the whole piece flat first. Then grab the two selvages together and slip them back and forth until the bottom of the fabric (where your fold will be) is hanging straight. When you start slipping the fabric left and right you'll see when it has a twist and when it's straight pretty fast! Carefully lay the fabric onto the ironing board and finish your ironing if you want to do more. Remember, don't use stem on your fold or the crease may become permanent!

Often times after I've got the fabric straight I'll just lay it on the cutting board and hand press it. Then fold it over one more time and straighten the end of the fabric.

I hope this helps.

Sometimes the fabric is just plain bonkers. It comes off the bolt crooked, is cut crooked by the store personnel, and then after you wash it, it is still crooked. Line it up best you can and take a few deep breathes. You might lose an inch or so on each end before you get it lined up the way you want to.

I've learned the hard way on ironing too...
Now, I buy a 1/4 yard more fabric than I actually need to adapt for shrinkage, crooked cuts by cutters, etc.
I went to Ben Franklins today and caught the woman shorting me on my fabric. Asked for a yard, and she was cutting 3/8 yard.
They don't have one of those nifty cutter things on their table. They measure out the fabric, then fold it and cut on the fold. Nothing wrong with that, but sheesh!....give me what I ask for and I'll pay for what I ask for. I ended up remeasuring ALL the fabric I was buying and found 3 other pieces that were short at least a 1/8 yard. Glad I checked!!

I had a similar thing happen at JoAnn's. Made the cutter remeasure, then told him he could either re-cut it, or give it to me at remnant price. I can't remember the outcome, but of the 2 things he cut for me that day, he was 0 for 2. Grrrrrrrrrrrr...........

M

Selvedges shrink a lot (which is why we never use them in quiltmaking). Try snipping through the selvedge every 6-12" and see if the piece will lie flatter. When I remember, I do it before laundering, but I usually forget and have to do it afterward. It's much more noticeable in a longer yardage.

Remember that your cut edges won't line up - don't worry about them. Hold both selvedges in your fingers and shift them until the fold falls straight below, as if you are folding a bed sheet.

BTW - I wouldn't always blame the cutter for crooked edges. When I worked at quilt stores, we were often irritated by how poorly the "top quality" fabrics were wound on the bolts.

this is something I get my students to do.

It definetely helps to have someone to help you.. fold your fabric selvage to selvage across the 45 width. One person take one end, and you the other end. HOld the fabric piece in front of you both. A hand is placed on the folded part, and the other on the selvage part... Both using your right hands first, give the fabric a little tug so that it is stretching a little across the bias.. Do the same thing then with your left hand. I do this twice with each hand.. then I reposition it and I find it folds much better most of the time.

Just remember not to stretch the bias too hard.

Hope this helps

thanks for the tips I had finaly desided I just didn't know how to iron

The cutters are notorious for short cutting at Joanns My batting was 4" too short even though I had asked for an extra 4 " over what I needed .Everytime I buy fabric I remeasure when I get home and 9 out of ten times it is about 2 to 4 inches short if I but 4 or 5 yards it is even shorter. Then they get offended if you ask them to remeasure after cutting. Going to the manager doesn't help. LOL, she was one of the ones who shorted me.

Thank you all for your help. I ironed it this weekend and the tips worked. Thank you so much!!

Kyia