20th Mystery Quilt Train Ride
#461
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Maine
Posts: 873
Anngel Anne, I don't worry about that. I wash on gentle so it's not beat to snot, then take them out and pull off any really long thread globs. I've found when the thread is wet, I can break them without a mess, so I stopped using scissors. Sometimes I'll have quite a handful after washing if the fabric was cut off grain, and sometimes I'll have very little. I don't wash precut strips, but do wash layer cakes and charms.
As I am taking the fabric out of the dryer, I take out one piece at a time and make sure it is fully open and not twisted before tossing in the dryer. I have a pretty large washer without a center agitator (works better than when I had the old one with the agitator) and can wash 10-14 yards of fabric at one time (this is most oftem 3-4 peices, though I do color sort). I think the largest I did was 10 yards of extra wide backing as one piece. That was a lot to untwist out of the washer, and I did have to unroll it a couple of times during the drying cycle. I have DH help me fold the big stuff up - glad I have enough room in the house to do that.
I buy mostly for my stash so loosing a bit isn't a problem. I loose very little to fraying, I "loose" way more to shrinkage. I prefer to wash out excess die and other processing chemicals before I handle the fabric. I don't use starch as I prefer to work with soft fabric. I sewed lingerie for several years so bias or stretch is not an issue for me.
I dry until just dry. Some driers don't have an actual low heat setting. My old dryer had hot/cook/incinerate even though it was labeled Cool/Medium/Hot. I toss a nice big cotton towel (dry) in with the fabric as it seems to dry with less wrinkles that way. I take it out immediately and fold it. That helps to smooth out wrinkles. Unless I have something really bad, I don't iron until I am going to use the fabric. With lower heat, short dry times and the towel, I rarely have wrinkle problems.
BTW - I rough fold out of the washer, but I do make sure I get the center fold correct and the fabric laying smooth. Then as I have time I unfold it (not the center fold) and ruler fold it to put in my stash. When I am ruler folding, I'll trim off any longer threads that are still hanging off the edge.
As I am taking the fabric out of the dryer, I take out one piece at a time and make sure it is fully open and not twisted before tossing in the dryer. I have a pretty large washer without a center agitator (works better than when I had the old one with the agitator) and can wash 10-14 yards of fabric at one time (this is most oftem 3-4 peices, though I do color sort). I think the largest I did was 10 yards of extra wide backing as one piece. That was a lot to untwist out of the washer, and I did have to unroll it a couple of times during the drying cycle. I have DH help me fold the big stuff up - glad I have enough room in the house to do that.
I buy mostly for my stash so loosing a bit isn't a problem. I loose very little to fraying, I "loose" way more to shrinkage. I prefer to wash out excess die and other processing chemicals before I handle the fabric. I don't use starch as I prefer to work with soft fabric. I sewed lingerie for several years so bias or stretch is not an issue for me.
I dry until just dry. Some driers don't have an actual low heat setting. My old dryer had hot/cook/incinerate even though it was labeled Cool/Medium/Hot. I toss a nice big cotton towel (dry) in with the fabric as it seems to dry with less wrinkles that way. I take it out immediately and fold it. That helps to smooth out wrinkles. Unless I have something really bad, I don't iron until I am going to use the fabric. With lower heat, short dry times and the towel, I rarely have wrinkle problems.
BTW - I rough fold out of the washer, but I do make sure I get the center fold correct and the fabric laying smooth. Then as I have time I unfold it (not the center fold) and ruler fold it to put in my stash. When I am ruler folding, I'll trim off any longer threads that are still hanging off the edge.
Thank you so much for explaining this so well. I helps me a lot and makes me not dread it so much now. Well explained. And Judy....I will have to give that a try, it if works I'm all for it. XX
#463
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 4,835
Thanks everyone for the kind words about my quilt. Carol, yours looks lovely and I too like the wider border.
Audsgirl, I used a favorite method to get the double sided skinny border. After I sashed the blocks together and did the same width as the sashing around the top, I layered the quilt and quilted it. Then I "grew" it by adding the skinny border (red on the front and pink on the back), inserting the batting for this border and then doing a single stitch line through that sandwich to secure the batting within the border. I did opposite sides and then the other two sides. After that I repeated the process with the wider border of the feature fabric front and back. This is a quilt-as-you-go technique I learned online somewhere. Before the additional borders, the quilt was less than 42" wide so this method allowed me to back it with a piece of my feature fabric that was not pieced. Additionally, quilting was easier on my DSM than it would have been if I waited to sandwich and quilt until the top was completely pieced. This method also allows wonderfully precise pieced back and front borders.
Audsgirl, I used a favorite method to get the double sided skinny border. After I sashed the blocks together and did the same width as the sashing around the top, I layered the quilt and quilted it. Then I "grew" it by adding the skinny border (red on the front and pink on the back), inserting the batting for this border and then doing a single stitch line through that sandwich to secure the batting within the border. I did opposite sides and then the other two sides. After that I repeated the process with the wider border of the feature fabric front and back. This is a quilt-as-you-go technique I learned online somewhere. Before the additional borders, the quilt was less than 42" wide so this method allowed me to back it with a piece of my feature fabric that was not pieced. Additionally, quilting was easier on my DSM than it would have been if I waited to sandwich and quilt until the top was completely pieced. This method also allows wonderfully precise pieced back and front borders.
Leslie
#464
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Valley of the sun, AZ
Posts: 1,070
#465
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Valley of the sun, AZ
Posts: 1,070
it’s flimsy time!
I think I need to add a 4” border / crust to my 20th mystery quilt train ride - Berry Cobbler Quilt.
It will give it another several inches width and height. If the 13 year old doesn’t approve of it, my husband has a cousin who has had cancer return after loosing the ability to walk without falling (the leg issue has been a mystery for about 3 years, or they just don’t want it discussed) she is in a wheelchair and I think this size quilt would work well if she doesn’t mind the free scrappy gift.
Thank you Judy for my first train ride! [ATTACH=CONFIG]602965[/ATTACH]
I think I need to add a 4” border / crust to my 20th mystery quilt train ride - Berry Cobbler Quilt.
It will give it another several inches width and height. If the 13 year old doesn’t approve of it, my husband has a cousin who has had cancer return after loosing the ability to walk without falling (the leg issue has been a mystery for about 3 years, or they just don’t want it discussed) she is in a wheelchair and I think this size quilt would work well if she doesn’t mind the free scrappy gift.
Thank you Judy for my first train ride! [ATTACH=CONFIG]602965[/ATTACH]
#466
I'm enjoying seeing everyone's creations. I finished the flimsy this morning. It measures 64" square, a perfect charity size. Now to finish #18, which has been languishing in the UFO tub for way too long.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]603155[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]603155[/ATTACH]
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