gale

I've recently started to have a lot of itching hands and sneezing/headaches when working with unwashed fabric, so I'm in the process of washing my yardage and fat quarters. I know some zig zag the sides, pink the edges, cut corners, etc but I don't have the time or the vast amounts of thread to sew every side and cutting corners never worked for me. My pinking shears are missing.

I just threw in a huge load of yardage. Got my scissors ready to trim all those thread balls before I put it in the dryer. The last time I did about half a load of fat quarters and full yards and got a softball-size lump of threads off of them.

Lord help me.

dunster

I hope this cures the itching hands and sneezing/headaches. You're treating your fabric the same way I treat mine. If you did the zig-zag or pinking you would be handling the unwashed fabric more, and that doesn't sound like a good idea since it's bothering you already.

KalamaQuilts

I've never done any of the 'stop the threads' ideas, and have been happily prewashing my fabric for (oo oouch, I Really am old). I never do them in the wash machine though, just a good rinse in hot water at the kitchen sink, a quick wring and into the dryer they go. I'd have to rethink the sink if I ever bought more than 2 yards of fabric, but i don't, 1/3 to 1 yard is plenty for me.

good luck, your body will thank you. I did have to rewash the whole stash once when we had a roof leak. I just did it over a couple of weeks.

M.Elizabeth

I don't have the itchy hands problem, but I wash EVERYTHING that comes into my home new - fabric, clothes, undies, etc. etc.

gale

I got about a tennis sized ball of threads so far-I only cut off the ones i thought would misbehave in the dryer. I put another load in. With every load I do I'm more happy about doing it. It'll be so nice to just grab and sew and not have to worry about whether I should wash it first or not. I need to get my precuts and companion yardage used up so I don't have to deal with that anymore.

quiltingcandy

Since it sounds like you are washing a large amount, but what I do is put the smaller pieces in mesh bags (I have a few large ones) and I also bought a cheap salad spinner that I keep in my sewing room, so if I have small pieces like a charm pack that is what I use. Just a small amount of Woollite to help the chemicals release from the fabric then rinse it well, then spin it to get a lot of water out. I don't always put it in the dryer but if I do I use the mesh bags.

I can relate to your problem, it happens to me too. It took me forever to figure it out. I thought it was the paper we used at work and after reading the newspaper. It seemed to come and go, then it started more when I got deeper into quilting (before I did embroidery with unwashed fabric) and the condition was more constant. Hope the washing solves your problem.

Bree123

If it's good quality fabric it shouldn't fray too much. Just make sure to clip any tangled threads before putting in dryer. I pre-wash everything & usually it doesn't fray too much if it's nice LQS fabric. I am thinking of asking Santa for one of those pinking blades for my rotary cutter, but so far I've been fine with just clipping and frayed threads before drying so you shouldn't really need luck.

PaperPrincess

I got a domestic front loader machine about 2 years ago. There's a quick wash cycle on mine. I've washed lots of FQs without much fraying at all. Do you know someone with a front loader you could visit???

ghostrider

Use the gentle cycle and don't 'pack' the washer, you won't get nearly as much thread trash. It's the agitation that creates that stuff and it's not necessary for removing the chemicals from the fabric.

Very smart of you to go with the least complicated way as a first choice. I've been prewashing that way (in a top-loader) for at least 10 years now. Love it!

QuiltingHaven

Okay, I have been washing the fabric since I started quilting 5 years ago. I wash the fabric in warm water, use 2-3 color catchers (in nylon bags) and in the bags I put clothes pins holding the color catchers slightly flat out. I don't put the fabric in the bags, just put it in with the bags. I wash with warm water and have started using the the Purex No Sort (can only find it on Amazon, not in our area) using warm water. When the fabric is done in the washer, I shake it out and put it in the dryer with the woolsie balls for 10 minutes on low. Then I hang the fabric up on my plastic hangers, hand pressing the edges so that they aren't crinkled up. After they are dry, I iron them using starch/Best Press depending on what I have. Then they are ready to use. The backings are washed the same way. Then, when I am ready for the batting, I get 5 wash cloths wet and put them in with the batting for 20 minutes in the dryer on low. Gets the wrinkles out of the batting and the batting then has been dried somewhat with the wet cloths. Hope this helps.