lscho4jm

How do you care for digitally printed fabrics? Are they washer/dryer safe?
Do these prints last as long as regular (?) fabric?

Onebyone

I have read the color pattern will eventually wear away. ? I don't know if any quilts made from it are old enough to find out yet. Time will tell. It does make beautiful fabric.

quiltsfor

I would treat them like regular quilting fabric as far as washing/drying. I'm hoping that the color pattern will hold from repeated use/washings. If not, we'll going to get to the point where quilts are no longer going to make it through time as family heirlooms.

cindi

Funny you should ask this. While I can’t respond on fading, my friend Peggi (Peckish on this board) and I had a long conversation about this fabric, albeit mostly from a longarm quilting perspective, but also from a piecing perspective. These fabrics are notorious for white “runs” when sewing because the fabric is not printed with color all the way through. When sewing or quilting, the needle turns the thread, showing the white back of the fabric. So each stitch can produce a run, ruining the fabric. This can be worse on certain sections of the fabric, depending on color and tightness of the weave, The tighter the weave, the more likely it will run.

Bethanne Nemish did an entire series of posts on FB about this problem from a longarm perspective, as it is becoming more and more common. She has found the best way to avoid this while longarming is with a #16 light ballpoint needle with Sewers Aid applied to the needle along with a longer stitch length and “silkier” threads such as Glide, silk and Isacord. I suspect the same will need to be done for piecing, too. Prewashing digital fabrics is also essential to minimize runs, and different colors from the same line will behave differently. Not all will run, but it will more than likely happen at some time when piecing or quilting with digital fabric.

However, in our conversation we determined that because of these run problems it will probably result in LA quilters adding a clause in their contracts that they cannot be responsible for runs resulting from digital fabrics and many may stop taking quilts made with digital fabrics altogether.

With these fabrics becoming more and more popular, fabric companies need to assess this and come up with some type of solution to the “run” problem. Right now there is no way to 100% avoid these runs. It’s a “buyer beware” situation that the fabric companies seem unconcerned about.

aashley333

The hot pads that I made from Spoonflower, which is digitally printed, are washed a lot with no fading! I backed my last quilt with digital fabric with no problems "running". I love it! And am awaiting 2 pieces for backing!

lscho4jm

With these fabrics becoming more and more popular, fabric companies need to assess this and come up with some type of solution to the “run” problem. Right now there is no way to 100% avoid these runs. It’s a “buyer beware” situation that the fabric companies seem unconcerned about.[/QUOTE]


Wow, what food for thought! I appreciate the information. Thank you

pbraun

Cindi, thak you so much for the explanation fo the run issue with digital printed fabric. Not all new inventions are the best thing. I hope that quilters here share their experiences. pat

lscho4jm

That’s great news!

peaceandjoy

Gosh, Cindi, I have had those white "runs" when piecing and hadn't even thought about the long arming! This would be more obvious on darker areas.

You've shared some important information. Thanks for helping us.

cindi

It’s also much more noticeable along seam lines, where the fabric is tighter and has less stretch.