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Old 05-23-2008, 08:11 AM
  #17  
patricej
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Southeast Georgia, USA
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the pre-treated sheets in a pack are at least twice as expensive as treating the fabric yourself.

get yourself some nice 200-ct muslin and a bottle of bubble jetset. you can also print on the bargain muslin from walmart but the results are much better on 200-count. (if you have an HP printer, buy the BJS made especially for HP printers.) just treat the fabric according to the instructions on the bottle. it's super easy and safe. although they're recommended, i don't even wear gloves and have never had the least little problem.

either iron the treated fabric to freezer paper or to repositionable sticker paper. if you use the regular full-sheet lables, your picture will get all stretched out of shape when you peel it off the label. run them suckers through the printer and - yes - print directly onto the fabric.

make sure you give the printed sheets of fabric their first wash before you sew them into the quilt. if you've printed on an HP printer, lay them face down on the wash water, then push them in. don't just wad them up and toss. wash them a second time any old way you want. the color left is permanent. (i have never tested the HP BJS, but the manufacturer is very honest so if they say it will give better results i know it will.)

if you have a canon printer that uses the pixma inks you can rinse your printed sheets in plain water! no matter how you wash/rinse them, you'll barely be able to tell the difference between a fresh print and after rinse.

you don't need to buy bubble jet rinse. woolite or any mild detergent will do nicely.

once washed the first time, they feel "normal".

the fabrics in this "block" were printed using BJS.
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