hairquilt

OMG-I sure feel for you girl!! Never thought about the chemicals in fabric causing my hands to dry out & peel. I'm going to buy mesh bags from now on to use! Thanks for the info. I learn So much from all you guys!! That's why I'm at my computer way too long with my morning coffee & The Board!

lfletcher

I use the delicate, extra light cycle on my machine and I don't have much of a problem with fraying.

dunster

Hi Kelly - sorry you're having this problem. I was lucky in that I decided to pre-wash everything within a few months after I started quilting, so washing my existing stash was easy - I had very little. If I had to do it now it would be a huge problem. When I'm washing new yardage I usually just set the washer on gentle cycle and let it go, then partially dry in the dryer. I'm not overly concerned about the strings and either cut or rip them off. I have found that most of the raveling occurs in the agitate cycle of the washer, so if I'm washing smaller pieces I set the washer for the soak cycle only, with the lid up so it won't agitate, and then when it has soaked long enough I send it directly to spin. I repeat the soak/spin once more to rinse the detergent out of the fabric. That seems to eliminate most of the tangled threads. If I'm going to iron it within a day or two I dump the fabric into a basket, loosely stacked so the air can get through it, or if it's larger pieces I either put it in the dryer or lay it out on the balcony railing to dry.

mckwilter

"For pieces 1 yard or more in length, I would accordion fold (about 12" per fold) and then safety pin the edges together."

A friend who is also a quilt pattern designer, quilt teacher and works in an LQS does this with all her fabrics. She unfolds the fabric so that it is full WOF, then folds and pins both top and bottom. She uses the largest pins she can find and likes diaper pins the best. She also pins parallel to the edge of the fabric. When the fabric comes out of the washer, she hangs the pieces with a pants hanger that has clips by clipping the safety pins. When the fabric is dry, she takes out the pins, folds it and puts it away.

Grammahunt

Now I wash all quilting fabric as soon as it gets home. This way I know whether or not it is washed. I (now) always use the handwash cycle. this has cut down on strings so well I no longer pink or cut the corners, or anything else. It is basically a soak and spin wash without a lot of agitation. No pun intended. Works for me.

ManiacQuilter2

WOW, I guess I am lucky. I never have had to wash my stash because it was so difficult to get it done and ironed. That was taking time away from quilting. Now I have to pay $2.25 a load and being cash poor, I couldn't afford it at this point in my life. So sorry that all of you have reactions to chemicals. There always seem to be nemesis stuff that we have to deal with in our daily life. I am suppose to cut down on my sodium. WOW, there sure is a lot in everyday food !! YIKES !!

AliKat

I know some fabrics and thread used to kick up my asthma. I cannot imagine the discomfort with skin allergies with fabric.

Do you have a really nice quilting/sewing buddy nearby. Maybe that person could machine zigzag the edges of the material for you. If not, would you be able to do the edges yourself wearing nonlatex gloves or would that otherwise bother you?

I agree with using the mesh bags [or making some] for little pieces when washing.

Skratchie

I'm sorry to hear of your problem, but I agree with whomever said they would wash all NEW fabric as it came into the house and just wash the stash as you decide to use it. Maybe wear some gloves when you need to handle old stash, and keep the old separated from the new?

ghostrider

Exactly!! I wash all my fabrics on gentle cycle and snip off any long threads before putting them into the dryer. It takes a little bit of time (not much, really), but there are no tangles, threads, or knotted up fabrics coming out of the dryer and I can fold for storage right away. I don't iron until I'm actually going to use the fabric and the remaining short threads get cut off when squaring up the fabric at that time. This way has worked for me for more than 15 years.

Jeanette Frantz

I started running the fabric through the serger to stop the thread tangle. I try to do that to all the fabric that comes in, if it's to be prewashed (which is almost everything). No ravels there!

Jeanette