What do you do with new fabric?
 

Hi All,

I am new to quilting and have just bought some lovely fabric.

I was wondering what you all do with new fabric - do you iron it and trim the edges so that it is all neat and ready to use?

Am interested to find out what you all do!

Thanks!

I fondle it, gaze at it lovingly, find fabric to go with it, take pictures to show my friends the wonderful new fabric, occasionally I actually use, but usually it goes into my stash.. I will take it out once in a while and smile at it, trying to remember just what in the heck I was planning to do with it!

I wash it, press it, fold it, and put it on the shelf.

Pretty much this is me too. I don't pre wash it or trim it, I just fold it onto comic boards and put it in my stash. Unless I have a project planned and want to start it right away, in which case I starch and press it to get ready for cutting.

Cari

I wash it first, to get the excess chemicals out. Then I press it and either fold it around a comic book board (if it's a yard or less), or 'ruler fold' it if it's longer than 1 yard. Then I store it on the shelf.

Or maybe I leave it out on my work table for a while and see what else goes with it.

I may 'pet' it and admire it for a while before it goes on the shelf.

After much admiring, I normally fold mine and store in my stash cupboard but I recently decided on a different approach. I like to pre-wash my fabrics to avoid shrinkage problems once the quilt is complete and I sometimes get confused over which fabrics have been washed and which haven't. So my new plan of action is to pre-wash all my fabrics before folding and storing. I don't do any triming because when I use my fabrics, I trim anyway to square them off and having to repeat this process (due to storage creases, etc) would only waste fabric. P.S. I do remove the threads that result from washing though.

I rarely buy fabric without a plan in mind. So mine goes into a bag or box (I like the bakery boxes from Safeway that 9 muffins come in) where I can add to it until I have everything I need for the project. Then it sits on my project shelf until I'm ready to start. I don't prewash or starch.

I wash it, iron, and cut it out and sew it up. I don't buy much fabric without a plan to use it and I try to be ready to use it and not just sit it on the shelf. I try to keep a small stash. I don't have room but that being said I do have some fabric pieces hanging in the closet calling to be used.

I wash, iron and fold until I decide on a project.

I wash it, take it out of the dryer promptly, fold it and add it to my stash. I don't iron or starch it until I'm ready to use it.

I gaze at it, think of all the amazing things I'd make with it, run my hand over it lovingly, then sigh and put the bolt back on the shelf ;) my stash is too big and I'm trying to convert to a project-based fabric buying system but it's so tough...

I do the same. Never knew who handled it before you and how they handled it.

I put it on the shelf until I decide what to do with it. Some of my lovely new fabric is years old. LOL

I am one of those who wash every piece of fabric before it goes in the stash so I never have to worry about dyes bleeding or shrinkage. I can just pull from my stash and never, never, never have to worry about the fabric. Bad fabric is eliminated before it makes its way into the stash.

1. I use pinking shears to trim the cut ends. This prevents fraying when washed.
2. Wash, no fabric softner and dry in dryer or outside.
3. Fold and put in stash until ready to use.
4. When ready to use cut the amount I want off the yardage. Starch the back side of fabric, let it soak in a few minutes and press that piece. The rest goes back in the stash.
5. Cut the parts I need from the piece I starched

There are so many ways people handle fabric. With all the info out there, you will find what works for you and different projects can handle different treatment. I do make it as simple as I can for myself, make everything ready to use without questions.

peace

This is what I do as well. In washing I add vinegar to colored fabric - no softener.

I fold it and put it in my stash. Sometimes I immediately find a use for it. I never cut off the selvedge until ready to use, it's helpful to have the information in case I need to purchase more. Often the only place it can be found is the internet and it's easier to do a search if I have all that info.

It goes in my stash or I play with it if I have a pattern in mind. Sometimes, I pull fabric from my stash to see what I have that will go with it and make a complete mess of my sewing room, but it's fun. I don't prewash until I am ready to use it and then I wash all the fabrics selected for that project at the same time. Sometimes as I'm ironing my selections, I will change a fabric out.

I put new fabric in like color groups and zig zag the edges to prevent fraying. I do one piece at the beginning of each sewing day, and when I have enough for a load, I wash, dry, hand press, fold and put on the shelf. If I've bought a bunch of fabric for immediate use, I'll just do it all right away. Nothing goes on my stash shelves until it is washed.

I don't have much of a stash as I like to use precuts so I don't have to try to figure out what fabrics go together. I never prewash either. I just fold and put in my stash til I use it. To me, there's no sense in pressing before stashing as it will need pressin again when I get it out to use.

I wash, rinse with vinegar and toss in the dryer. No dryer sheets. I then clip the strings, iron, and starch. I roll on my small cardboard bolts and store, ready for use.

I do this for everything except pre-cuts. When I pull a piece of yardage out, I know that it's preshrunk and ready to go.

I pile it all up on all available surfaces in my sewing room. I'll grab something to add to projects I'm working on, but mostly I enjoy looking at it. When it gets too out of hand, I'll fold it nicely and add to my stash.

Yep, that would be me also :p

I use pinking shears and cut the raw edges, (I leave the selvages on) wash the fabric with like colors, use color catchers in the wash, warm water, cold rinse. Put all the fabric in the dryer with 6 woolie balls at low temperature for 10 minutes and then hang the fabric up, kind of making sure it is hanging nicely. When total dry, the fabric is separated by color, fold up and put away. When ready to quilt, I take the fabric I want to use, spray starch it and iron it with steam iron and then begin cutting the fabric as needed.

On my budget, I only buy fabric for a new project so I may wash and starch it, then go right ahead and use it!

I usually wash all new fabric and that I buy because I don't want to have to do it when I decide to use it. And I don't iron it until I am ready to use it because I don't want to do it twice. It just seems to be a waste of time. I will even wash pre-cuts but only when I am about to use those so they stay together better.

I don't prewash, so I just press it and start cutting!

I wash color like fabrics together as soon as I get it home and hang it outside to dry. Run it thru the dryer for few minutes and then fold it up and put it with my stash. I don't iron it until I am ready for a new project.

Ditto for me too! :)

Ditto! I do the same.

I fold it on comic boards and put it in my stash until I'm ready to use it.

Rob

I do the same! I am a fabric petter!

I wash, dry in dryer (no fabric softner or sheets) iron, fold and put with rest of fabric. Then the fabric is ready to use.

I never pre-wash the fabric as I always use fabric from the same company. When I buy fabric, it is going to be cut immediately and sewn into a quilt. The left overs go into my stash bags (2 grocery bags) where they are used for table runners, place-mats, etc. The only fabric I buy that isn't used immediately are fat quarters that match/replace the fabric in my stash.

New to this and sorry to be so stupid, but what the heck is a comic board??

Comic book boards are cardboard boards used by comic book collectors to keep their comics from getting bent. They're a convenient size for wrapping fabric around. https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Comic-S...ic+book+boards

I buy what I love, if not for a project, it will just sit on my shelf (organized by color) until I need it. I DO NOT wash my fabric. I used to years ago but really, there is not much shrinkage in fabric anymore. I will test for bleeding (if it looks like it might) but really haven't had many problems with fabric bleeding. I like how crisp and bright the fabric is without washing and I find it much easier to work with right off the bolt. Its really personal preference but washing and ironing is just too much work before sewing the quilt.

I agree! :) I love the crispness of fabric right off the bolt!!

I just add it to the collection until I need it. Never wash, but will iron when and if needed to get good cuts. Been quilting for about 5 years, made plenty of them and have never had a problem. Tempting fate maybe. I will wash and dry if I intend to make garments - that's different. I do almost always buy known brands.