Can someone tell me if you wash your flannel before sewing when making a I Spy Quilt?

If you do wash it, I would serge the edges--it can fray horribly.

I personally don't prewash, but I'm a rebel and don't prewash anything unless I think it might bleed.

Rose

I would overcast the raw edges

I would measure it

Soak it in hot water until the water cools to room temperature

Gently wash it in the machine in cool to warm water

I use the "dry until done" regular setting (I think there are a couple of people on this board that dry their fabric on the hot/normal setting)

I would measure it again to see if the above had been worth the effort.

I also would use at least 3/8 inch seams


It all ends up being personal preference. I make things to be used - I expect them to need washing - I want them to hold together with minimal puckering and I want the seams to be sound

If you are making something that is going to be washed a lot, prewash it, and seam the edges!!

I wash my flannel before using it. I am not a washer of my regular fabrics but do the flannel cause it shrinks so much and differently.

I don't prewash any of my quilting fabrics except for flannel. Flannel I wash and dry *twice* before using it! This is because flannel can shrink so dramatically.

If the flannel pieces are 1-yard or more, I wouldn't bother overcasting the edges. I just cut off the strings and knots as I remove the fabric from the washer. For smaller pieces, putting them in individual delicates bags helps if you don't overcast the edges.

After washing and drying, I starch flannel heavily to stabilize it for cutting and piecing. To starch, I mix a 1:1 solution of Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch and water, lay the fabric on my kitchen island, "paint" the starch on with a large wall-painting brush, toss the saturated fabric in the dryer, and iron with steam. Believe me, this is worth doing! The flannel will come out about as stiff as cardstock and be totally stable so that you don't get any distortion when you cut or sew. Wash the quilt after binding to remove the starch.

I wash and dry flannel twice too. It reminds me of 100% cotton tshirts...they shrink quite a lot during the first 2 washings.
I also starch them pretty heavily...I find them much easier to work with then too :D :D :D

I think I am regretting not washing (and drying) the flannel I am working with right now for a Christmas gift. uh oh.

Rose Hall

I am working on a New York Yankees quilt for my DH. He has been asking for it for 5 years. I don't have a prayer of finishing it before Christmas, but he won't care. I hope to have it finished by next years' World Series. haha
Rose