Quiltingboard Forums - Another Reason To Wash Your Fabric!!!!

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I use to wash fabric when I made clothes but I will go back to washing with quilts now.

I don't usually prewash except fabrics for baby quilts, I think you may have changed my mind. Most of the fabric from overseas has to be fumigated before entry to the US and I don't make baby quilts with it without washing first.

I almost always pre-wash my fabrics, whether it is new fabric from the store, older fabric that has been in totes for a while, and I think would just smell fresher while I'm working on them; but then finding "critters" in fabric is another good reason to pre-wash fabrics. To avoid confusion about whether fabric is washed or not, I cut the corners on all 4 sides, that way I know it is washed.

The only fabric I prewash is flannel, but all my quilts get washed before use.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Poodles (Post 5913609)

Double eeeewwwww!!! I would not go back to that store. I called a couple of shops here and they had NEVER had such things. I even called a shop I used to go to in FL and asked them....
I no longer wash and won't because I spent almost more time washing and ironing my fabric than sewing and I decided to liberate myself.
I know you are in a tropical area but I used to live in FL also and never had anything like that. I know the big box stores have truckloads come in and sometimes the goods are not stored in sealed, a/c areas.

I know I never thought about this either & I have been buying fabric for over 40 years. It may be a small, small number of times that this could happen...I just wanted y'all to know that it COULD happen. Or maybe something was in the bolt next to the one you picked up. The bolt I was buying was a batik from Indonesia but I routinely wash everything anyway. As a matter of fact I have 2 bolts of Home Dec fabric that is dry clean only & it is driving me crazy NOT being able to wash it. I only bought it because it goes so well with my family room, I want to make drapes with it. And like I said the store is clean & well taken care of..they can not help what comes inside the folds of the fabric. This fabric was a recent delivery.

I'm a washer of everything except pre cuts and this is just another reason to do so!

Better safe than sorry. You never know what will bleed. Reds aren't the only faders. I always wash.

Is there any problem with thread? Is it stored and shipped under similar conditions? How would we ever wash it? What about yarn? Notions, patches, buttons, etc. It's so much to worry about.

I pre-wash and wash after my projects are completed, so at least my cloth is clean. I also spritz my ironing board with vinegar and go over it with a hot iron, then let the fan blow on it each evening to try and keep it fresher between washings.

My name is Sandy and I am a washer! I can't help it! I wash my fabric because of colors running, shrinkage and not knowing who or what has touched it! At least when it goes on my shelves, I know it's clean!

I prewash everything but thanks for the reminder.