Originally Posted by
NCfleur
Hello All:
Brand new to the board and a relatively new quilter. I took my first class at my quilt shop a year and a half ago and fell in love! Never sewed before so I do have lots of "basic" questions.
I should also say, I'm pretty obsessive so this question may sound silly.
I have been acquiring fun fabrics for my stash and thought it was time to wash and iron them and store them for projects. My quilt instructor is a "no steam" kind of lady but I've talked to other quilters who do steam. I have not used steam when quilting because I really respect my instructor's advice.
My problem is, particularly for big pieces of fabric (like a few yards) they get all spiraled in the dryer and getting those wrinkles out with a dry iron is a real challenge! I don't want to get my fabric stretched or messed up which is what I've been told happens if you use steam.
Can folks share their thoughts on whether they dry iron or steam iron their fabrics before they begin their projects?
The only reason I don't use steam is because I think it wears out the iron faster. All steam irons start leaking after time. I know irons are cheap to replace, but if I have one I love, love, i want it to last for the rest of my life which in my case isn't all that long. lol. So I use a spray bottle, and am trying to find a good way to make my own wrinkle release to spray instead of plain water.
I have read where starch attracts a certain little bug -- kinda like moths to wool. So, I don't starch.
I pre-wash my fabric. I don't use detergent, set the washer on gentle cycle and rinse only. Most of the shrinkage happens with pounding in the dryer. (and the dryer heat.) Since fabrics shrink at differing percentages, this way I won't have pulled stitches when I wash the quilt a hundred years from now.
To keep the fabric from all that tangle in the process of washing and drying, I baste the non-selvedge edges together. They still fray, but won't get all twisted with each other. Some fabric really won't even need ironing when I take them out of the dryer, except for about an inch around the edges. Fast, easy, and I don't worry about any shrinkage after the quilt is made. Since I donate them to the Women's Shelter, I assume they get washed often. (I don't wash mine after I am through quilting because mine never touch the floor as I QAYG - don't smoke or have pets.)