Fabric allergy
 

During the last couple of weeks I have been working with some Moda fabrics that I bought from Craftsy and didn't think about this until I went to the Dr. as I was feeling terrible and they told me it was probably an allergy. The snow is barely gone and no pollen yet to bother me and the only thing I can think of is an allergy to whatever treatment was done to this fabric. I know others have commented on this and I'm wondering if you have hay fever type symptoms---sinus pressure, lack of energy, coughing/sneezing, etc. Would sure like to know as that is the only thing I can think of for my reaction.

It could very well be the fabric. I've had some difficulties with fabric that I've bought from others and from stores. It all depends upon where and how it has been stored. Another reason for washing all fabric as it comes into house. Do hope you solve your problems and you're feeling better soon.

quick, wash it! Twice!

I usually pre-wash larger pieces of fabric but this was layer cakes and a 3yd fabric and just never thought of prewashing the larger fabric and usually never pre-cuts. Never had this problem before and seeing posts about how fabrics are treated I can't help but think it was the fabrics causing the problem. Just never had such a reaction before. Now to get through putting it together and washing the quilt.

Hard to do now that it is all cut into 2-1/2" pieces---from the layer cakes and the one larger piece. But will certainly wash after it is finally quilted and bound.

Wonder if wearing a mask and/or lots of wet wipes close by to keep your hands clear would help[ ease the process of working with it?

I would think if it was a true allergy just touching the fabric would cause a rash, if something in the fabric you are allergic to. I break out in hives when I touch something I am allergic to, If it is nasal allergies it is something in the air, that you are breathing it in and causing lots of sinus issues.

I always wash my fabrics right away because it burns my eyes and nose. I know I have that reaction to a mildew repellent that they put into fabrics. I have had my hands turn red and itch after rubbing new fabrics before it was washed. I had a clerk in a fabric shop tell me she had to go to the emergency room after work one night after unpacking and stocking some new fabrics because her hands turned red and started breaking out in very painful blisters. I hope you find out what your problem is and feel better soon.

If I were you, I would wash all fabric as soon as you bring it home from now on. In the mean time, Try the masks while working on this quilt & maybe even gloves. Or be sure to wash your hands good after handling the fabric. If you don't have access to a mask, you can use a cotton tea towel tied your face like a robber would use. Hee, Hee. I have that problem when they crop dust around here & I live in a small farming community. When I hear the planes buzzing, I stay inside & if I have to go out for some reason I always use a mask & keep a few in my car just in case. If I don't within just a few hours of breathing this in I will end up with bronchial Pneumonia. It hits me that fast. All allergies don't cause a rash. They can have a different affect on different people.

It may not be the fabric. As soon as the snow starts melting, decaying of leaves etc. kicks in. I start to suffer with allergies each year as that season hits (well before tree pollen begins). It's the mold/mildew effect for me and time to get on Zyrtec for a couple of months.

I met a lady who was an excellent quilter who developed a fabric allergy.sneezing and wheezing .she gave up her hobby. Could it be washing powder if it's a new one or company have changed its ingredients.
In the last few weeks have you purchased any new items.
It can be quick and stop as quickly. I went to flower arranging and was sneezing all the time. At the interval I just stopped but restarted again as soon as I entered the main room. why it must have been one of the tropical flowers I had never met before as only hyacinths effected me
Keep thinking about any item in the house

I have allergies - and use 4 different medications every day to fight them. The allergies are pretty much confined to nasal passages, sinuses and eyes.

It could be the sizing that is used to finish the fabric. I knew a quilt shop owner who loved fabric, but was allergic to the sizing. It definitely caused a problem.

It is the sizing on the fabric that you're sensitive to most likely. When I worked in a fabric shop I had the same symptoms and that's what I was told. Just wash the fabric and it should be fine.

Another good reason to take to the laundry room and toss right into the washer for a good pre-washing. Mine recently purchased fabric goes straight to the washer. Does not meet up with my other prewashed fabric til done. Any sizing in the fabric or whatever it's made of can be an allergen. How often do you think that fabric rolls around on the floor before the stores get it? How often have you gone into a store and see fabric laying on the floor and people walk right by it. Anyone know how many people walk on those floors before they get mopped/cleaned? Some allergens will trigger a migraine and I'm done for atleast 2 days in bed and weak the rest of the week. If it still smells coming out of the washer or dryer wash again. New fabric get the ammonia, Dawn dish detergent and Arm and Hammer washing soda/flakes treatment before it meets my other fabric. Sometimes twice.

I always check the containers for dye and fragrances. Whether sizing, Fabreeze, dryer sheets, starch (reg or spray)etc. I have a Jeep so I throw the fabric to the very back in a tote with a box of Arm and Hammer baking soda. If I'm going to be running all day after fabric shopping the tote keeps everything contained. If you have a trunk put it in there.

This is something that you should look in to. I have been tested and am allergic to molds but I have allergies all year long.

I haven't purchased any new fabrics for a while but both my husband and I are feeling the effects of something in the air. Our eyes itch and we've been sneezing like crazy. We've had a wetter year than normal so it could be the mold, etc. Hope you find an answer to your problem soon.

given the time of year, and the fact the snow has been sitting on the ground for so long, it may very well be mold or spores that are releasing as the snow melts and the ground is exposed. I ended up miserable when I went to university every spring as the snow melted. The doctors saw it every spring and were used to people lining up at the clinics in town with with they affectionately nicknamed "snow mold" allergies. It was bad for people with reduced immune systems as it manifested as bronchitis, pneumonia, and a hospital stay.

First thing, my fabric goes from the bag I brought it home in right into the washer. I don't have the symptoms you described but my finger tips get painful if I handle fabric that hasn't been washed when sewing. Hope you are able to determine what is causing the problem.

I sneeze if I stay in the Fabric store to long! I do wash my fabric when I purchase so I don't have the problem at home.

I tend to sneeze and cough in the fabric stores also---I have an email friend that also says she coughs a lot when she goes into them. It may be the lint or whatever coming from the fabric that is bothering me. This is the first time in years of living in Alaska that this has happened and the only thing new in my life is this fabric. If it isn't the fabric than it is an odd coincidence.

You say that this fabric was a "private" sale and not from a store. Could it be that the fabric came from someone who either had pets (dander is basically invisible and that is the stuff on pets that cause allergies) or someone smoked around the fabrics. Just a thought. Wash the fabric as soon as you can. The small pieces can be put in a mesh bag or pillow case and either hand washed or put into your machine on gentle. You shouldn't get too much fraying this way.

I get cracks in my thumbs (by the nail corners) when I handle a lot of fabric. I think this is because of the sizing/dyes. Sometimes I will wheeze when in fabric stores or even clothes stores. I've always attributed this to the dyes and I make sure I carry my inhaler.

Hope you are feeling better! Here in the northeast we've had a winter to beat all winters (extreme cold and tons of snow). Now we have rain and mud. Lots of molding leaves in addition to budding plants = lots of allergies up here. Sometimes I hate spring...

I just saw last week a pattern to make your own Cloth face masks like the toss away ones... cute fabrics they used... can't remember where I saw it but saved it somewhere on my Computer LOL.

I'm thinking not the fabric, either, unless you've had problems before. I'd guess trees or something that doesn't appear to actually be out yet. Did you check for pollen in your area? Kenai doesn't have the cold weather that the center part of the state does, so I'd guess spring might arrive earlier than farther north. I'd assume something in the air unless you've had problems before.

I've had problems this year with birch. Started 2 weeks ago on Monday afternoon. It was weird. I thought it was a cold until finally on Tues. afternoon I happened to think, "Is this an allergy" since it came on in such a strange way. Sure enough, I checked and the birch trees had started releasing their pollen on Monday in our area (Warsaw, Poland). I've rarely had problems with allergies, so it was a real surprise to me.

But I suppose you could develop an allergy to fabric finishes...I don't think we are too old to do so and maybe even may get one where we didn't used to have one.

I also had problems with new fabric and my doctor said there is lots of chemicals in fabric for shipping from overseas to prevent bugs and whatever with the main one being formaldyhide and to always wash as soon as we bring into the house that is for new clothes from overseas as well especially underclothes

I have a friend that is highly sensitive to the sizing in fabric and washes everything--and tries to stay away from those of us that don't. But I also just read that the "polar vortex" that hit our part of the country very hard this year is also causing a "pollen vortex"--not to mention the mold allergies. Our household has been hit hard--my 27 yr old son even spent a week in the hospital with respiratory problems--infection that kicked his allergies and asthma into high gear, big time. So it could be either or both for you.

I have a serious problem from the formaldehyde on new fabrics- last month my hands got severely burned--- blistered and peeled from unpacking a tote of fabric... Usually its just allergy symptoms but not this time! My fingertips are still tender.

I posted before about the possible side effects of taking a small child to a fabric store. My granddaughter's eyes started burning when we walked into a fabric store. I've seen many infants pawing their eyes when around the fabric bolts. Many posters replied that was silly. I still say never take an infant or small child to a fabric store until they are old enough to talk. I've been in some fabric stores and my eye would water.

Had the same problem with some outdoor fabric I was working on this past winter. Everyday I came down to work on it I would start sneezing continually, head all stuffed up, just dragged out. Was never so glad when I got the project finished the the leftover fabric stored away. I still have some sneezing when I come down to work with cotton fabrics but I won't give up my hobby. Same goes with the kitty as I also sneeze around her too. Won't give her up either. There are some things we just won't do without due to our love for it.

I am absolutely allergic to some of the finishing and dying chemicals used in some fabrics. There have been times I walked into a store selling fabric, started to clog up and claw at my eyes and walked right out. This was a store I regularly bought fabric from.

Come to find out, they had just put out a new shipment of cloth.

One more thing. Not everyone shows allergies in the same way. You and I may be allergic to the same thing. You may develop a rash or start to itch. I may have my nose start to run and sneeze.

Achoo. Sniff.

P

I'd wash that fabric in a flash, at least once and I really hope you are feeling better soon.

dust mites are some times an issue or basement mold can be partly to blame. I moved to a lake house that had been closed for almost a year; the basement was my downfall for a while . I had to wash all walls and cabinets three times before I had relief. I have fabric that lived there too and at times when I dig into my stash that was in that house I get a annoying runny nose. Guess I still need to prewash it all again.

I have encountered sneezy, achy, runny nose, headache problems with some fabrics. I do have lots of allergies but have had them under control for a number of years; however, I keep my nasal spray and inhaler everywhere, like, the car, purse, sewing tote, bathroom...
Remember these fabrics are from overseas, in warehouses, containers on ships, in trucks, on floors, wrapped in plastics, full of dyes and all types of chemicals, etc, etc, etc...

My worst season when I lived in the North was after the snow melted but before the trees budded. My doctor told me that even before you can see the trees bud they emit substances that some people are sensitive to so it may or may not be the fabric. My eyes watered, sneezing, wanted to lay my head down all the time.

In the past, I've had problems with breathing and chest pains from new fabric, so you're probably on the right track that you're allergic to what you brought home.

Ditto !! I usually end up losing my voice for 3-4 days also. My students were very good about it. Can you imagine??

As soon as I start sewing, my nose starts to run like a faucet. I know its from the raveling's and small pieces that are floating around in the air. I keep a box of Puffs near by If I'm going to sew for any length of time I take an allergy pill.

The fabric did not come from a "private" sale I bought it from Craftsy as a kit. After living in Alaska for 36 years this is my first spring with these symptoms. My Dr. did tell me there is a "Pollen Vortex" now. Who knew?? Anyway, steroid nasal spray is helping a lot.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions and help.