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  • Wish me luck-I'm prewashing yardage

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    Old 11-09-2015, 02:29 PM
      #11  
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    Be careful with any precut. I would put them in one of those nylons bags for washing hosiery.
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    Old 11-09-2015, 08:16 PM
      #12  
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    I've tried mesh bags but the threads actually went through the mesh and then tangled up and it was a huge mess. I thought I would have to cut up my bag!

    I'm almost done. I think I almost have enough threads to make a whole quilt if I was into weaving. lol
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    Old 11-10-2015, 07:37 AM
      #13  
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    Originally Posted by 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.
    I do the same thing.
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    Old 11-10-2015, 08:17 AM
      #14  
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    I'm really behind on my prewashing but I think it's the way to go. I don't have any reactions to chemicals in fabric now but I know that stuff can build up over time and make you BECOME sensitive to things, so I try to handle unwashed fabric as little as possible so hopefully I won't ever suffer that.

    I use gentle cycle but I don't pre-sew or pink my edges. I did some experimenting and I think I lose about the same amount of fabric whether I "eat" it up pinking or pre-sewing or I let it fray off; and to me the work of snipping the frayed strings is about equal to the work of pre-sewing or pinking so I just toss it in as-is and use gentle cycle and that works out fine for me.

    When I dry my fabric, I set my dryer to damp-dry (it has a setting for that, love it) and drape the fabric over a collapsible drying rack to finish drying. That keeps it pretty flat so I can just fold it a couple times and wrap it onto one of my comic book boards without doing any pressing. I save the pressing for when I'm about to cut the fabric.
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    Old 11-10-2015, 08:45 AM
      #15  
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    I put new fabric (smallest size is FQ) into the washer in warm water. I don't "cram" the fabric in, but I do load up the washer. I push the fabric around by hand - I don't use the agitator. I let the load sit for about 30 minutes, pushing it around a bit if I stop by the machine at any time. Then, I spin the water out and throw everything into the dryer and medium heat, take everything out as soon as the dryer stops, smooth, fold, and put everything into my stash. I never have problems with strings or tangling because I don't agitate the fabric. My goal is to remove the sizing from the fabrics before they are stored. It's the sizing that I fear could cause me to develop allergies.
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    Old 11-10-2015, 09:48 AM
      #16  
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    I like your idea, Pudge, about just sort of hand-agitating the fabric in the machine. I might try that next time...I certainly have plenty of unwashed fabric to test it on!
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    Old 11-10-2015, 07:50 PM
      #17  
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    Well I'm pretty much done. I have a giant ball of threads that is dwarfed by the amount of lint I got from the dryer screen. Funnily enough the fabric is taking more room now despite all the loss. I guess it fluffs up when it's washed. I won't bother ironing it. I may not even use some of it so I'm going to worry about it when I do use it.

    All I have left are some backings and solids that may need to be used with my existing precuts and some fat quarter bundles I haven't even cracked open that I may not keep.

    The good news is that I found fabrics I forgot I had-it's like Christmas! The bad news is that it will be nearly impossible to decide which fabrics to use. There's too many. (as if!)
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    Old 11-10-2015, 08:02 PM
      #18  
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    I'm a pre-washer, too, and for similar reasons! But now I wash fabric as I use it or as I purchase it. However, I press it when I want to use it and not a second before.
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    Old 11-10-2015, 11:35 PM
      #19  
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    I pre-wash every piece of cotton I use. Get the shrinking done now, not after.
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    Old 11-10-2015, 11:46 PM
      #20  
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    it would take me until the cows come home to wash all of my fabric. I probably have about 1000+ yards.
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