Why not to wash top before quilting.
 

I read in message asking if they should wash a quilt top before quilting because of stains, etc. Thought I would show why you shouldn't do that.
My aunt gave me this top that my mother had made back in the 50's or 60's. I could tell it had been was wash because there edges were frayed. Anyway, I bought some pretty blue, lavender and white fabric for a backing and was going to quilt this to give away to one of my family members in a drawing.
When I washed the backing I decide to wash the quilt top because it had been laying around for so many years.
Lots of strings matted in with the triangle point making pretty good size knots that would surely break a needle.


Spent a little while cleaning up the seams before ironing the top and getting it ready to quilt.

Thanks for posting. We do have a lot of new members who are new to quilting and as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

OOO, that's bad. A picture is worth a thousand words. I think this one says it all! Thanks. (lol, I guess I was thinking along the same lines as ManiacQuilter2.)

I got a crib size quilt top at an estate sale couple years back. I stitched around the outside edge before washing. It had not been pre washed before but was glad I did. It bled a little. Some fraying but not like if I had washed on normal cycle. Threw into the dryer. Trimmed away the small amount of fraying pressed and looks good. It's all preference. Like I said it was crib size.

I've washed them - but I also use the "hand wash" cycle which is a very slow agitation.

I only do this if there are "issues" and I figure it needs it. Since I inherited a bunch of my Mom's UFO's - and some have rodent stains - I want to make sure they will clean up before putting the effort into quilting them.

But then I also prewash ALL my fabric purchases - which has included about 7 bags of scraps and small yardages. They smelled smoky - and if I'd not got that out, I wouldn't have used them (BTW - I bought one bag and washed it, and when it "worked" I went back and bought the rest). Also went through a gallon of vinegar.

I did trim off all the loose threads between the washer and dryer. And I would get a quite a handful with each load.

That really did not look too bad. It looks like it held together okay.

Thanks for sharing the pics! Great reminder.

I think women in America, in my experience, are overly zealous about cleaning in general and I think, imho, think about the thing being clean before anything else that may be relevant to the situation. We should take our time and think it through. Clean may not be the most important or first thing to be done to any project. Hope your quilt finishes up well. A pretty blue and white.

Thanks for posting this great visual lesson for everyone.
peace

I agree. Although rodent stains would get a good washing in my book. I'd probably sew up a large lingerie-type mesh bag to put the quilt top in for washing.

Much as I'm a clean freak sometimes a spot clean (for anything really awful) or a good shake and airing is the go. Then finish it up and then wash.

I did the same to a top that rested in my MIL's cedar chest for a gazillion years. Let's just say that I would not have worked on it the way it was. I was super careful soaking it in the tub with oxyclean. I rinsed it carefully never agitating, and in the end, mine looks every bit as bad as yours. I don't even want to think about pressing all those seams. SIGH!

Yikes!!!! Never occurred to me to wash the top before quilting it! So glad you've shared your wisdom!

You can see I trimmed most of the strings off. I have now got it on the quilting frame and have started the quilting process. It isn't going to be a masterpiece as far as the quilting goes, but it will hold the layers together so someone will have an utility quilt for a while, and have something form Mom, grandmother, great-grandmother according who wins the quilt in the drawing I will have.

I have put a top in a pillow case before washing it and it seems to keep the fraying down.

When I buy over 1 yard of fabric, I wash it in the machine and depending on the season I either hang it outside or run it through the dryer. When it goes through the dryer there are some frays. I get out my handy dandy iron and scissors and I clip off the loose "hairs" when I am ironing, fold it such that loose ends are folded to be covered. When I am going to use the fabric, I iron the creases out again and away I go. Small pieces like fat quarters, no, I do not wash them. I have never had anything fray on me after it was sewed together. I have (excuse me and I am not sorry to say, never come across a smelly piece of fabric. Some were my mom's, some I bought by the bag at our local craft store and I don't know where they have been, but I cut and sew them anyhow and when it is done and ready I wash it. I use my color catcher and I use a Mrs. Meyer's Lavender fabric sheets (they are expensive so I only use them on new quilts) and I have never had a problem.
To Barb - I would never wash a quilt top if it wasn't complete with batting, backing, binding, tying down or machine quilted. That's why all the fraying on the top part of the quilt.

I guess it is a matter of how we are all taught, by classes, by grandmas, by mothers. It is an individual thing I guess. But I can surely see the fraying with 1/4" of hem. I wouldn't take a chance with that kind of a treasure. I'd rather do the whole thing and get it completed and then wash it. If it doesn't work out, it can be used for one thing or another.

But I am glad you kept it. A mother's work is priceless. Edie

Oh gosh! Thank you for sharing with us.

thanks for showing your experience

I tell my customers to let me quilt the quilt before they wash them. Some can smell a bit...but the fabric on really old quilts is very delicate.

Oh my, a good lesson not to wash a quilt to before quilting. What a lot of extra work for you. Some of those older fabrics really did tend to ravel a lot, as your picture shows.

I'm so glad that you posted a picture we can all learn from this I know I am the world worst about trying to figure out if I should wash or not wash the fabric and here is a perfect example.

I can't help thinking of all those now weaker seams because of all the fabric knotted on the floor.....yikes!

I did this to a red/white quilt that had lots of applique on it and the same thing happened. Still am not quite sure what to do with it. Looks like you are on the way to getting yours done.

Trim it up and quilt it.
I started quilting last night. Just trying to keep out of the corners of the triangles where there were a lot of tangles.

Wonder if the top was really in a bad way if tacking it to a piece of sheeting would make a difference. Still a lot of work any which way.

I have only used new, pre washed fabrics for all my quilts.
I haven't had any older quilts given to me nor seen any for sale. I would quilt them and then wash them. I would completely wash my hands after working on it. I'm a clean freak also, but sometimes you just have to get over it.

I watched a friend of mine quilt a top for someone else that had been washed and it was horrendous. I would have given it back to her and refused to quilt it. My friend struggled with it for days then ended up ripping out the quilting and doing it over (she's not a perfectionist). It still looked bad.

Barb, those photos say it all!

Has anyone thought to take the time to hand baste a cotton piece on the back for a temporary batting and hand-baste-quilt it at lines every few inches before washing it in the machine? It occurs to me that the fraying is from rubbing, but if it were protected by the temporary backing it might work out fine.
??? I'd try it but I don't have any UFO to work with

I could have done that, but the quilt top had been wash and time or two before I got it. I just wanted to be clean like my backing and batting so washed it again knowing I would have a mess when I took it out of the washer.