Hi there,

I am hoping to make a quilt with vintage cotton. Some of the fabrics that I've collected have pinholes through certain areas where seams and stitching were removed. The integrity of everything is very good, so I don't have any concerns about them falling apart.

Aesthetically, I am OK with the pinholes BUT ... I want to make sure that the batting doesn't work it's way through them further down the road. I only use natural batting, so I will most likely go with cotton.

Am I safe using them as-is? Should I work around these pinholes? :?:

Any help or advice is appreciated!
- J

J--If you lightly spray the areas with the pin holes with water the threads should draw up some and close the holes. I would not hesitate to use them in a quilt and I do not think you will have a problem with batting working its way through the holes.

Have you washed the fabric? Usually that will get rid of tiny stitching holes. There are some very light fusible interfacings that you could iron on the backs. I've used them for specialty fabrics with no problems.

I haven't washed the fabrics yet. I was still trying to decide if I should even bother at all, but I definitely will now that I know. This is good to hear as I have so many great older fabrics that I am just dying to use. :D

I don't think I'll be able to machine wash as the pieces are probably too small for that (too much fraying) but I'll definitely give them all a light hand-wash and try the toothbrush trick for any stubborn spots.

Thanks for your help!

When I use vintage fabric I always wash it first, gets rid of any residue or dirt and it is easier to see any weak spots. The pin holes should close nicely when washed, and you will find most vintage fabric brightens up considerably after a gentle wash.

OK, my question is -- how do you wash them??

Yes ... that would be helpful to know as well!

I don't think I can machine wash as the pieces are small and would probably fray too much. Regardless, it would be good to hear both machine and hand washing methods. Particularly, how much (if any) detergent to use?

First question I would have - what do you plan to do/make with the fabric?

One could always just soak the fabrics in a basin or dishpan of warm/cool/cold water with soap/detergent/cleaning agent of your choice.
One could swish the fabrics around once in a while.

***I would wash like colors together at first to see if any of the fabrics bleed dye.*** If you see color in the water, then you can do a little more checking to see which one(s) are the culprit.

Many people have used things that I'm not personally familiar with.

Then rinse - put the pieces in a colander to drain - and then spread the pieces out on a towel to air dry.

There should be minimal fraying if one handles the pieces gently.

That sounds easy enough. All of the fabrics that I'm using are blue/white shibori (like a Japanese tie dye) cotton. They have clearly been washed in the past, so they should be colorfast.

I'll give it a try some morning and set the towel near a warm window.

Do you have any suggestions for cleaning agents ? Is a tiny spot of laundry detergent OK for this kind of thing?

I hand wash using a phosphate free "earth friendly" washing liquid. I tend to use cool water and gently agitate with my hands and rinse under cool running water. You can remove excess water by rolling in a light or white towel and dry flat out of direct sunlight.

If I am lucky enough to have found a big piece I use the same liquid and wash on the gentlest cycle of my machine.

I like to be able to use the things that please me (Sorry Nan...I do use that china you had stashed in that cabinet untouched for decades). So, I would not use a fabric that was overly fragile or not able to stand up to a little wear.

Your fabric sounds beautiful....when you quilt are you going to use a Japanese style (Sashiko) or blend the Japanese fabric with American style?