String Quilt foundation - dryer sheets?
 

What are the pro's and con's of using dryer sheets as a foundation for string piecing?

I will Not be hand-quilting this, so that's one issue I can avoid.

Thanks

I would never personally even try it! Unused dryer sheets would get chemicals on your fabric, and used ones come out of the dryer wrinkled so ironing them would be necessary (time consuming even if they didn't stick to the iron!)
Yes, paper has to be removed, but I've been pleased with pages from old telephone books. One project needed lots of string blocks of near- and off-white, and I had no ink from the pages on the fabric.

I use them all the time. I use unscented ones several times and take them out and smooth them while still warm. No problems so far. I am making blocks with scraps and will put together as soon as I get enough.

Quilting Cat ... thanks for your thoughts. I'm one of those rare people who enjoys ironing. Seriously ... I plug in a good book and "zone out" with the iron!! As for using phone books .... I would, if I could find a phone book! I've not seen one years!!

Terry & Tartan ... thanks for your thoughts. Thanks Tartan for the additional hack of using them for turn-under applique. I think I'm going to try that technique.

The question is - will you leave the dryer sheets on the string blocks when you make the quilt?

Con: Dryer sheets are highly flammable, so if your intention is to leave them on the blocks, well, not a good idea.

Con: Scent is another issue, as some people cannot tolerate artificial fragrance.

How about trying it with a paper towel that you can easily tear off when each block is complete? I have never done that, so, if you try it, let us know how it works.

I use old dryer sheets all the time both for foundation piecing and for applique. After a run through the dryer they have no scent. They're not difficult to iron - just set the iron on low and one swipe takes care of any wrinkles.

I make it easy on myself and use Stable Stuff by Ricky Tims. I don't quilt to recycle or make something new out of something old.

I also like Ricky Tim's Stable Stuff... But I also use the dryer sheets. The size of the sheets limits the size of the block, but other wise I really like using them. I have never had any issues with them but then my mantra is that I do not quilt for profits, prizes, or posterity. I want my quilts to be used and enjoyed

I would be afraid of the stuff they are made of. I always wonder what it would do to the fabric over the years.

This was something that I worry about, too.

Years ago when I was a baby quilter, I tried this. My goal was to make turning under some applique leaves and petals easy on myself by sewing the fabric to a dryer sheet, then cutting a slit in the dryer sheet, flip the fabric through the slit to the right side, and then press the edges and voila! the applique edges are turned under and ready to go.

Well. By the 10th or 11th leaf, the scent from the used dryer sheets was making me nauseous, and I am not sensitive to chemicals and scents. I abandoned the dryer sheets and went with a wash-away product.

The national brand dryer sheets use to last by 4-5 uses. Now I am lucky to do one load with them. They are now very flimsy after one use. I only use them in the dryer to keep down static electricity.

I don't use them like the above people do.

I had the same experience. And I was using the unscented ones too. There was/is some chemical in them that made my hands slick and feel funny. It wasn't an experiment I'll try again.

I had trouble with my low-water washer unexpectedly and randomly depositing black stuff on clothes. Turns out, one of the best remedies was discontinuing dryer sheets, as they contain a surfactant that deposits a fatty substance on the fabric that can stay in through multiple washes. Between the surfactant on the fabric and the water/soap combo that lingers in the lines after using the washer, gunky stuff built up until a heavier load shook it loose.

I think dryer sheets could surely be used as stabilizers, but you'd need to be sure the coating was truly out of there. They don't recommend them as cleaners for irons for nothing. Warm the iron and the oily stuff helps dissolve the gunk.

hugs,
charlotte

I've used (used) dryer sheets in several string quilts and love the results. Plus, I like the recycling idea.

I make lots of string quilts and use Easy Pattern or Pattern Ease ( which ever one is in stock). It is used to trace multiple pattern sizes so you do not destroy the original. I feels similar to a dryer sheet but without added fragrance or chemicals. It is 45" wide, inexpensive, does not need to be removed after sewing strips, washable and lightweight.

For all of our charity string quilts we use old sheets as our foundations. They stay on, are thin, doesn't matter if they have a hole or two, works great. Endless supplies in thrift stores.

Use an old well washed sheet, or get some thin fabric and you can just not worry about it.

I've made lots of string quilts with used dryer sheets. I'm sensitive to chemicals so I hand wash the used sheets with a dab of Dawn dish detergent. It just takes a few seconds in the bathroom sink and then spread them to dry on the counter. They dry in a few minutes and no ironing necessary.

I am committed to recycling and am using dryer sheets with applique. I have been saving some ends and pieces for a string quilt and am anxious to try them as a foundation. I do recommend using them MORE than once before recycling though. You want to be sure all the fabric softener is out of them. Any remaining chemical could leave a spot on the fabric.

Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to wash a bunch of them in the sink with Dawn and rinse in vinegar to make sure all the chemicals are gone - mostly because I don't want lingering chemicals to stain the quilt down the road.

Not too worried about the flammability aspect as the quilt will stay in my home - not a gift - and as we don't smoke in the house I can't imagine it will be a problem. But I will certainly keep this in mind if I ever decide to make a string quilt as a gift for anyone.

I've been saving loads of them in my used Tide-Pod's containers. It's time to dig them out and use them!!

Don't get me started on those laundry and dishwasher pods. I have so many friends who have had to pay repairmen to come repair their machines because those pods don't dissolve completely, and they gum up the works. I'm sticking to liquid detergents.

Good to know, haven't tried them yet, now I won't....
Interesting topic on the dryer sheets, I have always used muslim as a backing, something new to try...

I had no idea that dryer sheets would be flammable outside the dryer. I used to recommend using them, but now I'm not so sure.

I have made string quilt blocks without any foundation at all with good success, as long as I iron them well after adding a string or two. I really hate removing paper from the backs.

I prefer lightweight non woven, non-fusible interfacing for applique (and would use it for string quilts if I made string quilts) because it is made for that purpose. I am a re-cycle,r but, I think using used dryer sheets is just a bit too far for me. There are just too many unknowns about the chemicals they contain when it comes to latent effects.

Just a note on using dryer sheets in the dryer. Make sure you clean your lint trap (the screen which catches the lint) religiously. Clean out the lint and WASH the filter well. The chemicals and scents in the sheets leave a residue on the lint trap which prohibits the flow of air through the filter. The build-up of the chemicals can cause a dryer fire. Dryer fires can burn your entire house down, so please take the couple of minutes to wash your trap. BTW, I never leave my dryer running if I am not at home as an extra precaution.

Peckish, you bring up a good point about concentration. After a while, the impact of many sheets could be too intense. (I put bounce sheets in my car to prevent mice while it is stored for the winter, and in spring...whew! I smell like a laundry mat when I drive it for a while!)

I would think the poster is hopefully talking about the used ones? That way the smell is a non-issue?
Unsure....

I have been saving dryer sheets and finally decided to try one for a string block - and it will be the last one I use for a quilt. They may be OK for a wall hanging but waaay too stiff for a quilt.

I use cheap muslin and leave it there.

Ah but you missed that tidbit in my post - I was using used dryer sheets, and the smell was still definitely an issue.

I just had a new dishwasher installed, and the installer (who is also a repairman) said to use the pods - specifically Finish or Cascade. This was also the recommendation from the manufacturer. He said the liquids or powders leave a film on the inside of the machines and on the dishes. Maybe it depends on which brand you use. Or maybe the repairman is just making business for himself. Haha.

Finish makes a liquid detergent too... :thumbup:

So glad I read this today! I have a bunch of that I can use for the blocks for the plaid shirt quilt. Thanks!

I use Pattern Ease for foundation all the time and like how easy it is to use - the one I buy has a light grid printed on it. It can be left on the block, is washable, unscented and inexpensive. Some ladies use it for a light stabilizer behind their embroidery work.

Another option is using the fabric that makes up a white bridal aisle runner - the texture is like a Pellon interfacing product. - is extremely long and not expensive for the amount of fabric. I still have the one from my daughter's wedding and it will last me forever - heavier than the Pattern Ease but easy to remove from blocks.

I think I would try using the "tail end" of print rolls from the newspaper producer. I can get them very inexpensively for what I want to use them for.

I'm with you, Mkotch. I don't like to use foundation of any sort in my string quilts. I just add a strip, press, and add another strip. I tried using backing papers, but that's just too much work to remove the bits of leftover paper.

I use them, but only after they’ve been used in the dryer.
There is a basket on top of my dryer for the used ones and I
Just give them a quick pressing along with my strips. I also use
them as backing for appliqué.