How would you wash this?
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Virginia
Posts: 238
How would you wash this?
I'm in the midst of hand quilting a queen size quilt. Part of it brushed against the fireplace hearth and got a smudge on it. I wiped it off the best I could with a damp washcloth, but there is still a faint dark stain there. Now what? I don't typically launder my hand quilted quilts, as I think the stitching is more vulnerable than machine quilting. So I would rather not have to wash the whole thing, but am not sure how to get the stain out without leaving a watermark or having issues with getting soap out of it. Any ideas?
#3
Power Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Mableton, GA
Posts: 11,314
I have hand quilted several quilts. One queen size and then smaller ones. I wash them in the washer in cool and dry in the dryer. I’ve never had a problem with them. Funny story - the oldest grandson was a little boy and came to visit and I covered him with that queen size quilt and told him I made it and hand quilted it. I don’t think he knew what that even meant. He said “wow grandma - it looks boughten” which I decided to take as a complement. He is almost 21 now.
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,820
I am a hand quilter and use my quilts on a daily basis. They do not get rough treatment but they are not overly protected either. I put them through the washer and the dryer and they are holding up quite well. I would spot that stain with Dawn, let it set for a few minutes and put it in the washer if it were me dealing with this. If there are oils in whatever that is, Dawn will address that. I would not take it to a dry cleaner. How would you have handled this stain if it had been on a piece of clothing made from the same fabric? The fact of hand quilting is an aside--my opinion. It's all thread, just applied in a different manner. (I'm assuming the quilt is made of "cotton", not a delicate fabric such as silk or velvet.)
PS--I do not use fabric softener on my quilts--neither liquid or sheets. I'd rather rinse everything out of them and leave them "clean".
PS--I do not use fabric softener on my quilts--neither liquid or sheets. I'd rather rinse everything out of them and leave them "clean".
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 669
Quilts I make or own are actually used and loved (not hidden in a drawer) and get washed (sometimes on delicate) in the washer and dryer. Unwashed bedding is unsanitary. Dry cleaning is expensive and smells bad. If your hand piecing won’t hold up to being washed every now and then you need to work on your technique or upgrade your fabric and notions. The only bedding I own that doesn’t get washed at home is a bulky down comforter that won’t fit in my machines. That gets laundered (not dry cleaned) at the cleaners. I just washed and dried a hand-pieced and quilted quilt made in the 1950s by one of my Mom’s relatives. It did just fine. I held my breath a little, but it did just fine.