Sierra

Oh, I had to laugh at how inept my letter was to some.

"I have never prewashed fabric that didn't unravel." And I have never had an unraveling problem! Are you using a "hand wash" or "delicate" setting on your washing machine?

Reds were mentioned as a "running" problem; I just washed a blue African print shirt 3 times and finally decided it will just have to go into a "blue only" laundry load. I've had greens and blues and browns as well as red fabrics, regular and batiks, bleed like crazy. We all make up our minds of what level of risk we are willing to take.

"If I had to wash my fabric, I'd never get any sewing done." It has saved me hours of "fixing" later!

"If you want to spend your time washing and ironing fabric...." The point was NO IRONING!

"Shrinkage is your friend and the batting has a lot more to do with shrinkage than the fabric." Then washing the fabric before hand doesn't hurt those who like the shrinked look.

I think my problem is my letters are too long for busy people to read. Also, I experiment with all sorts of fabrics. Perhaps those of you who make your quilts all with one company or designer don't have to be so careful. But, anyway, if my ideas on this helped anyone, I guess it was worth it. Have a good day, all....

ghostrider

I'm beginning to think prewashing discussions should be treated the same way political and religious discussions are... I'll do it my way, you do it your way, and we'll agree not to try and convert each other. Period.

Tashana

I learned just recently that pre washing may not be such a bad idea. I made pillowcases with flange(I think that is what it is called) and I made more than a few. I popped them in the washer/drier and when it was time to iron them I noticed that the pillowcase itself was quite a bit smaller than the flange, so now it looks like it has a ruffle. Why did this happen you ask? Well it seems that the flange fabric was a blend. Not 100% cotton and it does not shrink. If i just prewashed it this wold not have happened. Thank you for your post. It was very clear and more than helpful.

Sewnoma

Pre washing is such a chore, but I do it anyway unless I'm doing a wall hanging that won't ever go into the wash anyway.

Pre washing has saved me money before...I don't allow myself to put quilting fabric into my stash until it's been washed and my self-imposed rule is that I need to wash it the day I buy it, and some days that just sounds like so much work that I've passed up fabric I would have otherwise bought on a whim. It's kind of a test, I guess...if I'm too lazy to wash it, I really don't NEED it!

I like the tip on hanging/draping the fabric when it's not quite dry. I use a lot of Kona solids and boy, when that stuff gets a hard wrinkle set in, it does NOT want to come back out! I'll have to try this tip and see if I can save myself some headache.

Rumbols

I always wash because of allergies and the fabric being dirty if left on shelf too long uncovered at LQS. Once got fabric in the mail and as soon as I opened the box, my allergies started. My husband had to take the fabric and wash it immediately before I could touch it. Once I wash, if I am not going to use the fabric, I just fold it up and put it in tub. If I am going to use the fabric, I usually make the staf-flo starch (1/2 starch and 1/2 water) and spray the fabric until very damp. Then I roll it up, put in a plastic bag and into the frig until I am ready to iron. My fabric is stiffer than store bought and much easier to use on biases.

Thanks for the info on the drier, I am going to try that. You have lots of good info.

And just an fyi, the quilt will have the wrinkled antique look when washed because the batting shrinks wrinkling the fabric. I always wash my quilts twice to make sure the are livable for whoever I make them for and to remove all the marks of quilting.

debbieumphress

Ditto.....this topic can go from nice to not so in a second.......Agree to disagree.......

AlienQuilter

I think you should decide on washing or not washing based on who the quilt is going to and how it will be handled.

If I plan on using fusible interfacing on it, then I wash without fabric softener and dry without a dryer sheet so the fusible will fuse. I had to learn this the hard way!

About the wrinkles, a friend of mine who used to work in the fabric industry, told me to spray the fabric with a mixture of water and white vinegar before ironing. The smell dissipates after a while. It really does work. Especially on those fold lines when it's been on the bolt.

Oh yeah, I always wash flannel before using it, sometimes more than once - that stuff really shrinks but feels so soft afterwards.

Don't feel like you have to justify your method - when all is said and done - it's your quilt - you're the boss. And if you make a mistake, carefully make another like it and say it was intentional - I believe I got that bit of wisdom from Liz Porter!

quiltingweb

As a quilter, I like pre-washed fabrics better to quilt on. The needle passes through the fabric more smoothly. I like sewing with pre-washed fabrics also. I don't like the stiffness some new fabrics have. I've also found, if I pre-wash my fabric right away, I can get a better idea of how the fabric will be in a finished product. And I LOVE taking my new fabrics out of the dryer after they've been washed. I think they look better and feel better and then I know they're all ready to go.

I guess it's whatever you're used to and personal preference. Oh, and I never wash my quilts before giving them...maybe because they fabrics already been washed? I've started giving my clients a little sample sandwich that's been washed and dried with instructions so they know what their quilt will look like when it's been washed.

I've been doing a lot of Quilts of Valor quilting and am surprised at how few people pre-wash their fabrics...all those red, white and blues...I'd hate for them to fade or run in the wash cycle, but once it's pieced, there's not much that can be done.

quilter2090

I,too, wash all the fabrics that come into my home. I have serious allergies, so everything,fabric and any clothes that I purchase, go directly go into the washer and dryer. I was talking about pre-washing with one of the owners of my nearest LQS,and she told me that very few people pre-wash anymore. I held up a bolt of fabric to her and told her that the fabric has a odor and I have to get rid of the smell. She agreed that for me,it's my only option, but that most people don't have my allergy problems. So, to each his/her own. For me, it's not even a question,pre-wash for me.

batikmystique

I had to laugh at your reply...although I'm sure you were serious. No disrespect, it was just funny to read after reading the whole thread. Seems like there are a lot of topics that just can't be debated anymore. I can go either way on whether to pre-wash or not to pre-wash, depending upon the project's purpose and overall desired end look...except when it comes to batiks. For those who have used these you KNOW what I'm talking about. These are a MUST for pre-washing unless you are just going for that "I purposely wanted my colors to bleed all over each other kinda look"...