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Hi Ladies~
I am new to quilting and confused as to how I should wash my fabrics. I want to work on a quilt for my son while he is at church camp this week. Not wanting to ruin any of the fabric, Jack and I are turning to our new mentors for help. What colors should I wash together, and what colors should be by themselves? Thanks bunches! Amy & Jack (our Lab) These are the fabrics [ATTACH=CONFIG]217779[/ATTACH] Closer and clearer [ATTACH=CONFIG]217780[/ATTACH] Jack wants to make sure I do it right! [ATTACH=CONFIG]217781[/ATTACH] |
My personal technique, when I do wash fabric, is to wash each fabric separately in the sink (unless we are talking yards and yards, in which case, I throw that into the machine on extra low, together with a white wash cloth. That way, I can tell which fabrics are running, if any. If one does run, then I will either soak in white vinegar, or possibly use some retayne, or, depending on how important keeping the color intense is to me, I might just rinse until the water runs clear.
If you are using premium quilting fabrics, the chances of running and significant shrinking are low, and more and more quilters are skipping that step. If however, you are using a mixture of lines and qualities, or some of your fabrics are older, then washing is a good idea. And reds are notorious for running, so I will often wash them, specially if there are light fabrics in the finished project. RST |
I would wash all together except the white/cream, which I would wash separately. I would put all in the washing machine with laundry detergent but no fabric softener.
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I would wash the reds separately, and the creams separately.
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same rules you would with clothes.....darks with darks and lights with lights and mediums somewhere between.
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All the fabrics are new and from a quality quilt shop. Same weight and feel to each. I am concerned about the batik...which group should I place that in? It is only 3 yards and the accent colors are less than a yard each.
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That makes sense. Thank you :-)
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The only one I usually get scared of are the reds. If I have reds to wash I wash with as many red clothing, towels, etc. Others I just sort as reg. would be done. If I'm putting my clothes in the dryer with a dryer sheet, then I dry my fabric separately.
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Originally Posted by sewcrafty
The only one I usually get scared of are the reds. If I have reds to wash I wash with as many red clothing, towels, etc. Others I just sort as reg. would be done. If I'm putting my clothes in the dryer with a dryer sheet, then I dry my fabric separately.
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I do each fabric separately in the sink as well. No soap, just hand-hot water and rinsing until the water runs clear. Most don't run at all. I dry in the dryer, since that's where the most shrinkage takes place. If you trim the cut edges with pinking shears, they won't ravel.
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With these fabrics, I'd wash the batik with all the reds, and the dark stripes and the other dark fabric. Everything else except the cream in another load, and the cream separately.
Vinegar will help set the colours, and a Shout Colour Catcher is another great product - throw it in the wash, it will gather up extra dye. Cutting a corner off an edge will also help keep fraying in check. I usually put in a bit of detergent, about half what I would put in a normal load - the fabric isn't dirty, but might be dusty from its journey to you. No fabric softener. When the fabric is damp-dry, press and starch. Then you're ready to cut! LOVE the batik - your fabrics are gorgeous - what pattern are you making? |
Originally Posted by LindaM
With these fabrics, I'd wash the batik with all the reds, and the dark stripes and the other dark fabric. Everything else except the cream in another load, and the cream separately.
Vinegar will help set the colours, and a Shout Colour Catcher is another great product - throw it in the wash, it will gather up extra dye. Cutting a corner off an edge will also help keep fraying in check. Thank you so much for the advice. I am going to make Swirly Girls "Brickworks". I will use the the batik for the small squares and the others as the rectangles. Haven't decided the border yet. May keep the black stripe for that? My son, 14 yrs, chose the fabric with a little guidance from the shop ladies ;) I hope to have enough finished to surprise him Friday night when they return from camp. I usually put in a bit of detergent, about half what I would put in a normal load - the fabric isn't dirty, but might be dusty from its journey to you. No fabric softener. When the fabric is damp-dry, press and starch. Then you're ready to cut! LOVE the batik - your fabrics are gorgeous - what pattern are you making? |
adding vinegar is simply a waste of vinegar- unless you need to (freshen) your water---
vinegar only sets acid dyes--- acid dyes are only used on wools and silks so don't bother with the vinegar. i pre-wash like colors together--reds together/ blues-greens together=== all (lights) together- i use my regular detergent and warm water- toss in a color catcher if i think something might run/bleed no fabric softener (if you plan to use any fusable product or marking product fabric softener can effect how it works) i toss my fabrics into a hot dryer- i want most of the shrinkage to be done- i want any color running done- then i lovingly iron my fabrics with starch before cutting. |
Originally Posted by Holice
same rules you would with clothes.....darks with darks and lights with lights and mediums somewhere between.
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Have you used color catchers? They are in the laundry soap aisle. Add that to your wash and you won't have trouble with colors bleeding.
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Had a housefire and the cleaners cleaned my stash. I have no idea how they did it but I'm guessing it was a commercial machine. They did not treat it gently.
I want any new fabric to act the same as my existing stash. I toss it into the machine after machine-basting the non-selvage edges. If not for the fire & cleaners I wouldn't be this hard on my fabric but I couldn't see myself keeping the old separate from the new. I also know that however my quilts are treated they will be OK. (Baring accidents with critters & kids) All this to say anything you do will work. Just be consistent in the way you treat your fabric. |
total non sequitor but aren't labs the best? My yellow loves to "help" and the chocolate thinks she's helping by laying under the sewing machine table!
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Ditto from what others have said...you and Jack make quite the team....
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The 'Shout' sheets MAY help - but they don't stop colors from bleeding. I've had some fabrics that continue to bleed after 3 washings with Shout sheets. At that point - I use Retayne. Probably should have used it after the first try. The biggest surprise - it happens more often with YELLOW!!! Red usually gives up after the first wash.
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