MASSIVE shrinkage - beware
#11
Power Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 17,827
aaaaaaaaaaah the old question resurfaces .... why wash in hot and dry on hot?
For me ....... the answer is ..... I abuse it as much as I can up front.
I know the shrinkage is dealt with.
I use the Colour Collectors to know the bleed status ... and re-wash or treat with retayne until that is under control.
Yes, abuse ... however, a far better feeling, knowing that I have done so, and minimize disaster AFTER I make a quilt.
I sure as H**** do NOT want to put all the work into a quilt, and then have it ruined when it is accidentally washed in hot water ......... or one fabric shrinks more/less than the other ......... or someone forgets to toss in a Colour Collector ............
That, Ladies and Gents, is why QuiltE pre-washes in HOT water ... and probably why many others do too!
For me ....... the answer is ..... I abuse it as much as I can up front.
I know the shrinkage is dealt with.
I use the Colour Collectors to know the bleed status ... and re-wash or treat with retayne until that is under control.
Yes, abuse ... however, a far better feeling, knowing that I have done so, and minimize disaster AFTER I make a quilt.
I sure as H**** do NOT want to put all the work into a quilt, and then have it ruined when it is accidentally washed in hot water ......... or one fabric shrinks more/less than the other ......... or someone forgets to toss in a Colour Collector ............
That, Ladies and Gents, is why QuiltE pre-washes in HOT water ... and probably why many others do too!
#12
And I am curious why is shrank that much maybe washing and drying on hot??? I hope you can figure out a good solution for the backing now. I think I would contact Henry Glass and let them know what happened and if they have had others have the same issue with that particular fabric.
i have to ask too....why did you wash it in hot water? did you have a (bleeder)? were you going for maximum shrinkage?
i purchase and pre-wash wide backings all the time- some shrink a bit more than others- but i don't wash anything in hot water unless i want it to shrink as much as i can possibly make it...
i bet if you check their website and check the (care instructions) for that fabric line it probably tells you to wash in cold water or maybe warm water- i've never bought a quilting fabric that when checking the care instructions says to wash in hot water....
i purchase and pre-wash wide backings all the time- some shrink a bit more than others- but i don't wash anything in hot water unless i want it to shrink as much as i can possibly make it...
i bet if you check their website and check the (care instructions) for that fabric line it probably tells you to wash in cold water or maybe warm water- i've never bought a quilting fabric that when checking the care instructions says to wash in hot water....
On the hot/hot issue: I prewash all my fabrics this way to rule out any potential color loss or shrinkage problems - especially when the final product is for a paying customer. And yes, I go for maximum shrinkage intentionally. In this case the fabric is dark red, and has what feels like a pretty normal density for a backing fabric - not as tight as you'd expect for "top" material, but closer weave than basic muslin. Since I cannot control what the recipients do with the quilts I make (even though I always give care instructions stressing cold wash and line dry) I try to make them as bullet-proof as possible before I hand them over! Usually shrinkage is in the 1-3% range, with perhaps a little distortion to the lie of the fabric.
I have NEVER had shrinkage like this, even with flannel, and since I "pretreat" all of my fabrics the same way I feel this is (fortunately) an outlier.
I won't contact Henry Glass because I am not expecting to be compensated: I am sure that their care instructions do indeed say "cold wash, low temp dry by blowing gently across the fabric with slightly puckered lips on a warm summer day", and that my kamikaze approach contravenes all of their instructions. Also, almost all of the sites I come across do say that "up to 10% shrinkage" is possible - I've just never had it happen before! I was posting more to show that that "up to 10% shrinkage" is a real possibility...something all the non-prewashers may want to know (she says, stirring up the wash/not-wash controversy yet again.)
Alison-Recovered-From-Her-Dismay-And-Embracing-The-Idea-Of-A-Pieced-Back
Edit - I see that Quilt E has just made many of the same points I have - sorry for the repeats!
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,832
Alisonquilts and QuiltE
I agree. After I've put in $ and hours making a quilt, I don't want any surprises. So I prewash, usually on warm wash & normal dry, everything before it's put into my studio. I even like to get fabrics like dark blue that might bleed (into my faded jeans). or red into my faded red cloths.
I agree. After I've put in $ and hours making a quilt, I don't want any surprises. So I prewash, usually on warm wash & normal dry, everything before it's put into my studio. I even like to get fabrics like dark blue that might bleed (into my faded jeans). or red into my faded red cloths.
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Bosque County, Texas
Posts: 2,709
Considering all the information on the news this fall and winter concerning the epidemic of bedbugs, I think that having all of your bedding washed and dried in hot temperatures is just plain good health sense. Thank you for the heads up on this fabric. Do you remember when the news stated that bedbugs could be spread by the usage of the vacuum cleaners by maids? They warned everyone to have their housecleaning services to not bring the vacuums into the house, use only the ones provided by the houseowners. And forget about traveling and bringing them home attached to your suitcases.
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,832
I also meant to say, maybe the manufacturer didn't realize the amount of shrinkage and needs a heads up. I've always thought Henry Glass was a reputable manufacturer, but after this comment my opinion has dropped several notches. I'd think Henry Glass would like to maintain their reputation and would like the opportunity to look into this issue.
#16
I also meant to say, maybe the manufacturer didn't realize the amount of shrinkage and needs a heads up. I've always thought Henry Glass was a reputable manufacturer, but after this comment my opinion has dropped several notches. I'd think Henry Glass would like to maintain their reputation and would like the opportunity to look into this issue.
Alison
#19
Come on. Isn't it enough that we constantly 'debate' whether or not to prewash fabric, now we're jumping on each other for washing in hot water?? And yes, I wash fabric, quilts, socks, and underwear in hot water...but not together, except for the socks and underwear. Guess I missed the memo that said it was forbidden.
Last edited by ghostrider; 02-06-2013 at 05:43 PM.
#20
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 4,134
And even on the very, very rare occasion that I did prewash something, it just gets tossed in with the current load - I wouldn't think twice about using hot water.
@alisonqults - Normally I wouldn't care about the shrinkage (makes me laugh) but I can totally understand the frustration since you bought it specifically for that size and purpose.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post