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Do You PRESS or IRON your Yardage before starting to cut for piecing?

Do You PRESS or IRON your Yardage before starting to cut for piecing?

Old 06-13-2012, 06:26 AM
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I haven't pre-washed my fabric ever since I started sewing back in 1968 but now you guys are scaring me to death. I don't want to have the ragged edges and thought that once the fabric was sewn into a quilt it would stay put but now I'm worried. I don't want to give or sell a quilt that would change shape. What do you all think about my predicament?
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Old 06-13-2012, 07:16 AM
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Originally Posted by BellaBoo View Post
I cut the amount of fabric I need in 1/4 or 1/2 yards. I starch my fabric very stiff before cutting. I cover my ironing surface with white muslin. Any bleeding fabric will show immediately and get pre washed.
what a great idea.
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Old 06-13-2012, 07:28 AM
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I wash, dry and fold if I'm not ready to start cutting. I press before I cut and use starch.
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Old 06-13-2012, 08:44 AM
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I never prewash my fabrics. When I am ready to use something, I spray with sizing and press the fabric, then iron. I have never had a problem with off grain pieces or shrinkage.
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Old 06-13-2012, 11:49 AM
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I always wash my fabric before using it. If it's piece that I am not planning on using right away, I wash and fold it, then use Best Press and iron before incorporating it in any project. The ironing on the fabric I am just going to store depends on how much other work I have to do that day.
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Old 06-13-2012, 12:29 PM
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I seldom wash (maybe red before using), but I always stiff starch and press before cutting.
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Old 06-13-2012, 01:54 PM
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BellaBoo, that is great advice!!! Never thought of that. I had that question in my mind, too, so now it's answered. That is why I love this board!!
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Old 06-13-2012, 02:26 PM
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I Iron everything. Prewash, Iron, fold, put away. Get out, cut. sew. iron. Only time I Press is if I finger- press a seam that will be crossed with another seam before I iron it cause I am too lazy to get up and iron it. Or if I am working with 60 degree angles. I usually finger press those. I found it interesting that so many here said what they did but not so much "why". It seems to me that pressing takes longer and can cause tucks along the seam line if you aren't careful. As long as I iron with the grain (the direction the threads run) the pieces don't stretch. And yeah, I stay away from steam while piecing, but after washing that steam sure helps get out the wrinkles. Magic Sizing is better than starch for removing wrinkles. The starch just stiffens the fabric so it doesn't stretch when working with triangles. That is the way I see it anyways.
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Old 06-13-2012, 09:02 PM
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I wash and dry my fabric, then fold it away until I'm ready to use it. At this point, I starch and iron it. I don't see any point in ironing it before storing it, then having to iron it again before I cut it.
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Old 06-13-2012, 09:46 PM
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Originally Posted by CoyoteQuilts View Post
Iron on new fabric, and I attempt to press my blocks, but am not always successful. I don't like to stretch my seams.....
That's what I do. To me, "ironing" is moving the iron all around on the fabric (like on a shirt). "Pressing" is more just lifting the iron up & down on the piece to be pressed (does that sound right?). I iron my yardage but once it's sewn, I only press it.
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