Washing fabric
08-25-2010, 09:47 PM
#71
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Santa Cruz, California
Posts: 195
I wash all my fabric before I use it . I use a sheet of color catcher by shot and it does a wonderful job of any fabrics that want to run.
I know the problem of not knowing which fabrics that you have washed and haven't. So I have gone through all of the bins of fabric and serged the raw edges and then I washed and ironed and folded on plastic fgolding boards.
Now it is easy for me to sort all the fabric out.
I have to admit it was a heck alot of work and I ended up with some killer back aches. Also the fabric that I haven't gotten to yet isn't serged yet.
I have decided none is going into my cabinet until this has been done. And so if I cut some off the end it will not be serged but it will be back in the cabinet.
Hopefully this will keep me organized.
kjym Kathy
I know the problem of not knowing which fabrics that you have washed and haven't. So I have gone through all of the bins of fabric and serged the raw edges and then I washed and ironed and folded on plastic fgolding boards.
Now it is easy for me to sort all the fabric out.
I have to admit it was a heck alot of work and I ended up with some killer back aches. Also the fabric that I haven't gotten to yet isn't serged yet.
I have decided none is going into my cabinet until this has been done. And so if I cut some off the end it will not be serged but it will be back in the cabinet.
Hopefully this will keep me organized.
kjym Kathy
08-26-2010, 02:42 AM
#74
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Pflugerville, TX
Posts: 230
Two solutions for washing fat quarters: 1) put them in a laundry bag - the kind used for washing hosiery, or 2) after washing them, put the fat quarters in your salad spinner, spin it and they are almost dry. Have used both and they work!
08-26-2010, 07:21 AM
#76
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Clemmons, NC
Posts: 1,055
Originally Posted by TX GMimi
Two solutions for washing fat quarters: 1) put them in a laundry bag - the kind used for washing hosiery, or 2) after washing them, put the fat quarters in your salad spinner, spin it and they are almost dry. Have used both and they work!
Boy what we quilters can come up with.
08-26-2010, 09:21 AM
#77
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 148
I use Retayne to soak my batiks and colors that I think will run.
That way I have never had a problem. The directions say to use
1 tsp per yd of fabric but I only use 1/2 tsp per yd and soak the fabric
in hot water for 45 mins. I then put it through a cold rinse in my
washing machine and then dry it. This works really well for me.
I am a slow quilter and would be devastated if fabrics bled
after I was done. Also, I give a lot of quilts away and so I want
to be sure they don't run since I am not the one washing them.
Judy
That way I have never had a problem. The directions say to use
1 tsp per yd of fabric but I only use 1/2 tsp per yd and soak the fabric
in hot water for 45 mins. I then put it through a cold rinse in my
washing machine and then dry it. This works really well for me.
I am a slow quilter and would be devastated if fabrics bled
after I was done. Also, I give a lot of quilts away and so I want
to be sure they don't run since I am not the one washing them.
Judy
08-26-2010, 12:19 PM
#78
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Palmdale, California
Posts: 657
Originally Posted by martapr
Originally Posted by costumegirl
Many of my friends do not pre-wash and have not had problems but I definitely do pre-wash now all the time. The only time I do not is when using jelly rolls.
I have had a few problems in the past. One was with uneven shrinkage of fabrics where after washing a finished project, some fabrics did shrink alot while others in the piece were very little or did not - it produced an uneven puckering effect. I have also had fabrics bleed after a project has been completed - what a mess and all that work almost ruined! Thank goodness for color catchers, Retayne and Synthropol!
I have had a few problems in the past. One was with uneven shrinkage of fabrics where after washing a finished project, some fabrics did shrink alot while others in the piece were very little or did not - it produced an uneven puckering effect. I have also had fabrics bleed after a project has been completed - what a mess and all that work almost ruined! Thank goodness for color catchers, Retayne and Synthropol!
08-26-2010, 12:55 PM
#79
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Seguin and Universal City Tx
Posts: 1,969
I ALWAYS wash my fabric first! I spent months on a red, white and blue quilt which became a red, PINK and blue quilt after the first washing! That was in 1994. My daughter's dogs slept on it for years!
08-26-2010, 03:41 PM
#80
Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Horicon WI
Posts: 72
I wash my fabric and iron it and then mark if with colored safety pins as to how much is there. Green pins are 2 yds red 1 yd etc.
I do not alway wash my fabric for a quick wall hanging as that will rarely get washed
I do not alway wash my fabric for a quick wall hanging as that will rarely get washed
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