Originally Posted by
feline fanatic
Alice PD, I prewash flannel in hot water and tumble dry in the dryer until just barely damp if I remember to check the dryer. But a lot of the time I forget and it ends up drying all the way. I use soap as I want to get all the nasty chemicals used to treat fabric for shipping (formaldehyde) and manufacture out of it. My goal is to subject the fabric to any treatments it might get as a completed quilt. Normally I wash in cold but I never know if the quilt is gifted how the recipient may launder it so I err on the side of caution. Plus I want as much shrinkage as possible the first go around.
I soak my fabrics in hot water -
wash them in cool to warm water - and dry them until "dry" but not "cooked". It helps to fold the pieces as soon as they are dry.
Most of the fabrics turn out fairly smooth - but once in a while I get one that wrinkles a lot.
I also soak like colors together - so in case one of them is a bleeder or has excess dye - it won't do much damage. Dark greens with dark greens, etc. My aim is to be able to dump a wet dark green, blurgundy, (or any dark color) with white or pastels in the wash and the white or pastels will be the same color I take out.
Because I prefer the flat as possible look, I also wash the battings that are washable before using them. Read the packaging to see if theycan tolerate washing before using them. In my zeal, I have managed to turn what looked like batting into mush a couple of times. A real bother to get all that "stuff" out of the washer.
Warm and Natural washes up beautifully. I don't know how old mine is now, but that cream colored (with the flecks) warm and natural batting turns the water very yellow when soaked and washed.
I give my fabrics "room" to slosh in the washer and "room" to tumble freely in the dryer. I feel that it is the crowding/cramming of the fabric in the machines while washing and drying that makes a fabric look "used".