Olivia's Grammy

I steam everything. I press not iron and I press my blocks from top.

vjengels

I use a spray bottle to press after the dryer, steaming takes too long for me. Some one had told me that to keep your large pieces of fabric from getting mangled, fold it matching the cut ends, and zigzag it. You need to trim the ends when you cut it anyway, so it doesn't matter if you waste that little bit; Frankly I haven't tried it yet. What I have done with the bigger lengths is not unfold it, that seems to minimize the mess.

rainbowquilt

Oh Great! i live near a Hancock Fabrics here in Indy! i will put that on my "shopping list" for this weekend!

thanks! whooo hooo! :-D

RosaSharon

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.)

sewwhat85

"I won't have pulled stitches when I wash the quilt a hundred years from now. " I am hoping that I will not have to wash a hundred of years from now. They hopefully do not have washing machines in heaven.

bearisgray

I overcast the raw edges before washing.

Do not overload the dryrr. If I have a long piece, I check it every so often - it it has balled up, I unball it so the creases won't get baked in.

My dryer has a setting for how dry I want the things. I set it to "just" dry. ( don't you love that prrcise terminology?) Usually it comes out of the dryer smooth enough to fold and hand press Until I am ready to use it.

I usually iron the fabric with steam - on the back - somehow it is easier for me to spot flaws from the back -with the grain.

Stitchnripper

Welcome to the board and to the wonderful world of quilting! I am not a pre-washer and I use steam most of the time. You will get as many opinions as responses - so, bottom line, try it all ways and see what works best for you. I am hesitant to say there is no "right" or "wrong" way - just, if it works for you, or you like one way better than another, then that is the way to go, with the caveat that you are free to try something else and like that way best too!

NJ Quilter

I only purchase for projects so some of my practices would be different if purchasing for stash. If I were a stash purchaser I would probably wash/dry completely in the dryer. Then just smooth the yardage and store (ruler foled; comic boards; bins; whatever your system) until ready for use. My theory....you're going to have to iron again before cutting for quilt pieces so why do it twice.

Later, when I pulled that fabric for quilt usage, I would iron with steam and get all the wrinkles out. I would also use starch (which I use all the time). I use liquid sta-flo in a 50/50 mix. Let the starch absorb into the fabric for a bit then iron/press. I get no flaking using this process. Even if I end up going over the same area repeatedly. Then cut as necessary.

If you are worried about bugs from the starch, you likely will not have this issue if you wait to starch until you are actually constructing your quilt as you will probably be washing your quilt when complete.

Good luck and happy quilting.

Snooze2978

1st off I don't wash my fabrics but I do dip them into my home-made starch solution and hang them up to dry. Then when dry I take them down to dry iron but I do have a spray bottle to mist them a little. I find they come out better if I don't use steam here but I do use steam when I'm pressing during assembling the blocks. Also when I acquire my fabrics I check them for flaws as most of my fabrics are purchased online, then I fold them onto comic book boards and put them in their proper shelf. I might press them if I find they are very wrinkled from shipping though.

You'll find some folks wash their fabrics before using, others don't. You just have to find out what works for you. I used to wash and iron mine years ago but got out of that habit because I didn't need to go thru all that work. With starching and pressing the fabrics before cutting I find some shrinkage has already taken place plus I find out if the fabric is going to bleed when I dunk them in my starch solution. My backings are the only things I don't put thru this method so might throw them into the dryer with a wet rag to help shrinkage them before use.

rebeljane

I iron it dry straight from the washing machine