I've tried this, and notice a crease in the center opposite the seam...I don't do this anymore. I don't zigzag the edges, just do a 1/8" seam down each cut edge of the fabric before washing, and it works fine for me. If the fabric frays and I end up cutting it free from each other, then it frays, but I'm a huge fan of pre-washing so I just deal with it. I had a MUCH SMALLER STASH when I first started quilting, left over from babydoll clothes making days, so I spent one weekend prewashing everything and now I prewash everything as soon as I bring it in the house. I smooth it out but don't iron it, rather I iron it before cutting, so there's no question whether it's been prewashed or not. I would use gloves (latex?) when handling the fabric while preparing to wash it. Good luck, and remember not to wipe your eyes, face, or other parts of your body while handling unwashed fabric!

Thank you so much for all of your suggestions. I just washed the second load on the gentle cycle, and very few strings. I did not want to cut all those corners off! I did add some Oxyclean and not all of it washed out, so I am re-washing the load, and will not put any in future loads. I guess I don't really need any soap since I am just rinsing chemicals out, not any kind of dirt....

If you don't have mesh bags, what about loosely packing pillow cases, pin them close, then use the gentle/delicate cycle and low or air dry in the dryer.

For the longer than 1 yd pieces I open them up to full width then baste the ends together. Could you use your lime colored gloves to do this? Wish I was closer so I could help you. Hang in there. Have you discussed with your doctor whether or not you should sew in the same room with lots of unwashed fabric?

Hope you can deal with this soon and relatively easily. Joyce in DE

[QUOTE=Prism99;6611367]Cutting off the corners never worked for me either.

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

For smaller pieces (1/2 yard or so) I would invest in some mesh bags and put one in each bag. (Check the Dollar Store first for these.)



I've used the safety pin method and the mesh bag and it does work. I've also been know to put some fabric in an old pillowcase and safety pin it shut and put it through the wash. Everything came out just fine.
I used to get dizzy and sick when I went into a fabric store or a clothing store. I guess all the dyes made me feel like that. It doesn't happen anymore. I hope your hands get better.

Sorry I have no other suggestions other than possibly use the delicate cycle on your washer? Agitation is usually less intense on that cycle and might prevent some tangles???? Good luck.[/QUOTE]


This what I was thinking as well.

This works very well. It also prevents twisting and tangling of long pieces of fabric. I also sometimes use the serger to serge each end instead of sewing the ends together.

The delicate cycle seems to be doing the job. Thank you all for the suggestions. I do not sew in the room my fabric is stored in.

I understand the mess of threads when washing a bunch of fabric. We had a flood in the basement, and everything was wet and some was moldy. So, any sewing of edges was not an option.

I've purchased some hand-made batiks with zigzagged and others serged, so I was going to suggest that. But the baste the ends together sounds like that may work, too, and it would be faster than zigzagging. I'd wear gloves to do it. It doesn't have to be a perfect seam, so any loss of sensitivity from the gloves wouldn't matter. You can buy the gloves that look like plastic bags in the food service section at Sams/Costco. Then there are the surgical gloves, and if you're sensitive to latex, there are latex free surgical gloves.

I Fold my fabric in half twice and sew a seam about 1/2 inch in. After its washed and dried I cut it open on the seam line. That gets rid of all the threads bother.
MaruKatherine

This sounds like a very big project. My response is to wash a load every day and deal with that load and then go on to something more rewarding. I'm not sure if your body responds negatively to touching the fabric or if you would get the same response to fabric stored in a stash. I keep most of mine in closed containers to keep them clean (no dust) and to protect from the light. If you store in closed containers you could wash just what you need for a project. Systematic approach to getting them the way you need them will allow you to continue to quilt. I do think we all need to be aware that fabrics do have chemicals that we need to deal with. I am always amazed at the amount of fabric stuff I find on my glasses every day as I work with fabric.