Prewashing large cuts of fabric?
 

I know I read a thread about this before but have not been able to find it. I am about to start a couple large sized quilts and the fabric is all over 3 yards of each piece. How do you wash these to stop the twisting and knotting? I have washed up to 3 yards but I always end up with strings that bind around the center of fabric. Any tips would be appreciated!

One thing would be to cut the large piece in half and finish the edges (serge or pink the cut edges)

I've washed larger pieces and not had this problem to any great account.
If so, then just cut the strings and it'll soon be apart ... and toss in the dryer.

I wouldn't cut the pieces down, to avoid wastage.
If you do, make sure you don't need the length in a continuous piece. eg. borders.

If you zig zag or serge the ends of the material, they won't ravel, so there's no strings to get tangled. Then they wash just like sheets.

Some people accordion-fold the yardage and pin the edges together.

I have accordion folded and pinned across the top (safety pins) and made sure the cut edges are folded inside. I have had good luck with that.

Try a gentle cycle if you have a top loader that tangles your clothes. All the fabric really needs is soap and water, not necessarily strong agitation.

Jan in VA

My DH zigzags the edges for me so they don't fray. I always wash my fabrics before using them. I have no problems with 3 plus yards of fabric. Whatever you try, I hope it turns out well. :):):)

I zigzag edges also and have not had a problem with large pieces.

I have pinked the edges with good success.

Fan fold in about 1 yard wide and pin the selvedge edges together. I put it in the washer on delicate and dryer on low this way. I do try to straighten it out before the dryer if it gets twisted up. It's much easier to handle large amounts of yardage this way. I did an 8 yard piece, but folded into about 2 yds wide instead. It was easier to pin because of the thickness of the fabric.

I just wash and go and deal with the twists. Like someone else said, kinda like sheets in the washer. You might want to consider pulling from the dryer while still damp though and doing your pressing then, makes the wrinkles less stubborn in my opinion.

zig-zagging the edges helps but when I dry mine I through a couple of old towels in with them and the towels seem to help keep them from twisting and wadding up.

Don't agitate. My machine has a gentle cycle that works well. Perhaps yours does too.

I zig zag or serge the cut edges on the fabric to keep it from raveling. I untwist it before I put it in the dryer. I prewash all my fabric. I don't want any surprises later on.

Thank you all! I have just cut the strings before throwing in the dryer before on smaller pieces and they just re-knot in the dryer. I will definitely try these. I usually do baby quilts for friends but I am attempting some larger projects soon so it is nice to know. Also, what does Pinking the edges mean?

Pinking shears blades cut little zig-zags and have traditionally been used in garment sewing to prevent seams from fraying. I've used all methods mentioned above and they all work just fine.

I just washed an 8 1/2 yard piece. Here is what I did to keep it under control.

1. open fabric all the way on a big flat table or floor

2. You are going to accordian pleat the fabric back and forth in about a one yard width along the whole length of the yardage. the selvage edges will be one the outsides and you flip the fabric back and forth.

3. take large basting pins or safety pins and along the selvage ends on both edges pin seven or eight pins securing all the layers together. You will pin through the selvage layers along both edges of the fabric layers.

4. Now you have a nice tidy layered pile of accordian pleated fabric. place this into a pillow case and pin it closed with several pins. more is better.

5. wash on gentle cycle. I added several towels to balance the washer. I have a front loader.

The fabric came out of the washer the same way it was after i pinned it all together.

I did double spin it to remove as much water as possible and then put it in the dryer the same way.

It was damp dry when removed and in one pretty bundle ready to remove the pins and iron dry.

It worked fabulously. I had my DH help me handle the yardage and even he was impressed the way it worked.

peace

EDIT: I did pink the two cut ends just in case of fraying:D

I also saw this idea somewhere and tried it and it worked great.

Judy in Phx, AZ

Kaye Wood has a snippet on You tube on how to do this. It is on the same show as Golden Threads. You fold it and pin it.

I overcast the edges on my last piece no problems

I have a front loader (grrrr...don't go there) which does have the nice feature of "rinse and spin." I don't get much ravel effect when I do large pieces. I figure the rinse and spin is enough to get the dust and extra dye out (using a Color Catcher for that) and then any shrinkage is taken care of with the dryer. Plus the whole thing will be completely washed when it's finished. Works for me!

You'll get dozens of dirfferent 'tricks and tips', most of which take quite a bit of extra time, put 'agitated' pin holes in your brand new fabric, waste thread and machine time, and/or don't work.

I pre-wash everything, mostly yardage from 3 to 6 yards but sometimes up to 10, and don't do anything special to it at all before it goes in the washer. I wash the unfolded fabric on the gentle cycle with plenty of water and only with other fabric, never with regular laundry. After washing, I trim any long 'thread trash' with the scissors that live on my dryer, shake any kinks out and toss it into the dryer. It comes out completely knot free, pretty much wrinkle free, and never ravels more than a scant quarter inch. :)

I've been washing tons of yardage this way for over 15 years and have NEVER had any of it wind up in knots in either the washer OR the dryer. People never believe it works, but that's their loss, not mine. :D

I serge both cut ends of the fabric. Magic--not loose threads and no lost yardage.
SandyQuilter

A small diagonal cut at each corner stops the raveling.

I washed about 12 yard piece of unbleached muslin in my front loader a few years ago and it came out just fine. I did not do one blessed thing but unfold and throw it in.

I use a rotary cutter wavy edge blade, works for me :)

I zig zag the cut edges to prevent raveling, but I also cut the corners off--just a small snippet. Then, if your fabric ravels, it will run just across the fabric once because you cut the corners. I would not cut the fabric any smaller; you will need the very piece you cut too small. Murphy's Law works well in fabric.

how about using a lingerie bag or putting the fabric in a pillow case?

I have used pinking edges (with my rotary cutter pinking blade) and it really helps

I accordian pleat my long fabric pieces in about one yard folds and then I safty pin all layers together in about 8 places. It takes large pins. It goes though the washer and dryer like this. Sometimes it is necessary to move the pins around about half way through the drying process so that you will not have any wet spots.

iF THERE ARE ANY HOLES I STEAM THE OUT WHEN I PRESS

I have stared surgeing my ends after reading about it here and it works great. I am sure zig zagint the ends would work too. And make sure when it goes into dryer you make sure it is not already tangled up from the washer.
Have washed my fabrics for 50 years and the surging best idea ever.

I have done this and it works great.

I wash all my fabric by hand in very hot water. I let it soak until the water is cool. This takes care of shrinkage and bleeding. I fold it accordion style into the water. When the water has cooled I hand squeeze it then hang to dry.
I'm lucky to live where we get lots of sun. Queensland is called the Sunshine state.
I always wash my quilts when I'm finished so that takes care of cleaning the fabric.

Prewashing fabric
 

I have washed pieces much larger than 3 yards, I hate to cut it as I would probably end up needing the larger piece. The trick to not getting tons of threads is to make a small triangular cut on each corner of the fabric. For some reason it seems to keep the fabric from shredding the pieces. I almost always prewash my fabric, I just like to be safer from fabric bleeding. Since we have to pay for each load of wash, I will sometimes rinse the fabric in the sink and I have been surprised when a lighter fabric is the one that will bleed - a good reason to prewash.

I also use the "snip the corners" method and it has always worked for me. I pre-wash everything, and after this last backing, I am even more inclined to do so. I lost a ful 10" on a 108" backing...not very happy, but at least it shrank before I attached it to the quilt.

I have always cut about 1 inch diagonal off of each corner too - never have problems with the tied up strings . . .

I would serge/zigzag the edges. I fold mine and put it in a large mesh washing bag. I use 3 color catches with darker fabrics. I do not tumble dry large pieces - for me that is when they turn into monsters. Someone told me to go to a laundrymat and put each large piece in a separate dryer - the tubs are bigger and there is less knotting. Never tried it that way. I wash in warm water, and wash and dry my quilt after binding - never had any issues - but I like puckering.

I was watching a Kaye Woods episode and she had a tip on washing big yardage (up to 15 yards) without it getting roped up in the wash.
You are suppose to open it up so the fabric is its full width then accordian fold it down the yardage so when you're done it's all kind of stacked up on itself about 12" wide I guess. Then using lots of safety pins, pin in the selvedge areas on both sides then wash it.
I don't understand how the snip the corners are suppose to work. I've never done it - but then I've also never done this Kaye Woods suggestion. I'm planning to try it out this week. I've got some yardage to wash ;)