Washing fabric
11-06-2010, 05:04 AM
#22
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,376
I don't always prewash, but when I don't I wash in cold water and put white vinegar in the water. If I wash again after that in the future, the first next time I put a Shout colorcatcher in just for extra insurance.
My MIL taught me the trick about the vinegar and I never have had a problem.
My MIL taught me the trick about the vinegar and I never have had a problem.
11-06-2010, 05:58 AM
#23
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Milford CT
Posts: 37
Kosher Salt also does the trick in terms of setting color. I do alot of tie-dying at a summer camp, and we use this formula in a note sent home to the parents. We tried it on staff shirts first. It works wonders!
11-06-2010, 07:01 AM
#26
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Milford CT
Posts: 37
It's the sizing. My youngest has allergies to alot of sizings. I never prewash, unless the project is for her, or a bed quilt that's staying here. she can go thru my stash, not a problem, as it's short term. But more than a few min. it's got to get washed. FQ's are done in the sink, yardage in machine. Only damp dry them, press them dry.
11-06-2010, 07:15 AM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Chatham Virginia
Posts: 351
Originally Posted by BMP
I just read this on the Quilters World Magazine Facebook page ....Tip: Pre-washing fabrics before piecing a quilt top can make accurate blocks more difficult; unwashed fabric contains stiffeners that make piecing easier. Instead of pre-washing to reduce the chance of dye bleeding, just steam iron the fabrics instead. This will help to set the colors, while leaving the fabric stiffer and easier to work with.
This is 1 magazine I do sub too and enjoy.
This is 1 magazine I do sub too and enjoy.
I have read many things about this all of which makes me wash all my fabric before I use it.
1. The stiffeners can cause allergy reactions.
2. All fabric is stored in warehouses at some point, sometimes several. I have been in many types of warehouses, the majority use fork lifts, and have diesel truck back up to loading docks which exude exhaust into the warehouse, I am pretty sure that gets in the air along with all the dust being blown around. This then settles on the fabric.
3. Many fabrics come from overseas and they use chemicals, for pesticides, which would never ever be used in the USA, I don't want to breath that in nor be handling any of it.
4. Last but not least, I don't want to go to all the trouble of making a quilt, just to have one fabric shrink more that the other, making my quilt pucker in weird places and look like junk. (which happened to me before I started prewashing everything)
Those seem like very sound reasons to me.
As I was not appointed as Quilt Police, I think you should do what works the best for you to have an enjoyable quilting expierence, because that is what this is all about.
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