QuiltingHaven

Okay, I am getting ready to do the Lattice Quilt in the "Block" and I spent the day washing all the charm packs to make the quilt. Now, I know a lot of people have said "don't wash pre-cuts" but I didn't want to get the quilt done and then wash it and have it shrink. So, I opened the 4 packages of the several charms that I have purchased over the past couple years from several companies including Missouri Star Quilt Co. I sorted them into darks and lights, and then put the darks in 3 nylon mesh bags with a color catcher in each one and the lights in 3 nylon mesh bags with a color catcher in each one. I did two loads, one dark with my other laundry and one light with my other laundry in warm water with standard detergent. When done, I had slightly color catchers with shaded blues and blacks and reds, nothing on the lighter colors. I took them out of the bags and gently spread them out, made a damp pile of them, put a used color catcher on the pile and put a detergent container on top of each pile to pre-press them the easy way. Left them for about an hour and then I took them to the ironing board. I sprayed them with starch and pressed them. Some only lost about 1/8th or 1/4th of an inch (usually on one side only) in the washing process and most were still exact 5 inches. Whew!!! I had already washed the lattice material and didn't want it to not play nice with the other. Just letting you know, we can wash them before quilting with very little damage to the final quilt. Will post a picture once I get the 156 pieces put together.....I must have lost my mind!!!