Originally Posted by
rosimone
I just completed a kit that used Moda fabric and I understand it is excellent quality but I had a sewing room that looked like a Colorado snow storm in August. I starched as much as I could but as it was pre-cut strips for the most part I could not pre-wash. Has anyone else had this issue and any suggestions? I think the pre-wash and then starching must tighten the threads. What do you think?
The phrases "pre-cut strips" and "Colorado snow storm" caught my eye here, because I just had the same experience.
Jelly roll strips shed a lot. The long pinked edges are the cause - all these little points lose fibres since the fabric isn't starched, and I suspect whatever cutting method they use doesn't involve super sharp blades. Cutting the same number of strips from yardage of the same fabric will produce much, much less fluff, so I'm pretty sure it's the cutting, not the fabric at fault.
I've only bought a couple commercially-cut jelly rolls, but I learned with the first one to give it as good shake/brush off over the garbage bin when I start, and to expect to vacuum a couple times during the project. Actually, vacuuming the sides of the roll before unrolling might work, if you have a small, clean vacuum.
In my experience, starching will reduce lint during cutting. Starching jelly roll strips won't do much, though, because the fluff is already there from the cutting done at the factory. All pre-cuts with pinked edges do this, but it's most evident with jelly rolls because each strip has such long cut edges. Unfortunately, it's a feature of the production process; the only way to avoid it is to not buy them.