Can I wash my quilt top?
06-13-2011, 05:45 PM
#11
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Merced, CA
Posts: 4,188
I'd also suggest you finish the sewing before washing.
TWO different types of fabric in one kit? That sounds like they cheated you. Those kits are expensive as it is, should have gotten all one quality.
All of the same brand and color/pattern?
Never saw that before. I have noticed that a lot of things are getting thinner and cheaper, but they were stand alone fabrics.
TWO different types of fabric in one kit? That sounds like they cheated you. Those kits are expensive as it is, should have gotten all one quality.
All of the same brand and color/pattern?
Never saw that before. I have noticed that a lot of things are getting thinner and cheaper, but they were stand alone fabrics.
06-13-2011, 05:53 PM
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: montana
Posts: 1,362
I 100% agree with you!
Originally Posted by MTS
STEP AWAY FROM THE MACHINE.
PUT THE QUILT DOWN.
Do not wash a quilt top before it's quilted.
It's not that it will all fall apart, but it will be a mess to iron again, as the seam allowances are all over the place, and frayed.
The fact that you think some fabrics might shrink at a different rate than others won't be solved. They'll shrink, but wouldn't be stabilized by anything.
Actually, you'll have more control over the shrinking if it's washed after it's quilted.
PUT THE QUILT DOWN.
Do not wash a quilt top before it's quilted.
It's not that it will all fall apart, but it will be a mess to iron again, as the seam allowances are all over the place, and frayed.
The fact that you think some fabrics might shrink at a different rate than others won't be solved. They'll shrink, but wouldn't be stabilized by anything.
Actually, you'll have more control over the shrinking if it's washed after it's quilted.
06-13-2011, 06:29 PM
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Mena, Arkansas
Posts: 1,351
Originally Posted by MTS
STEP AWAY FROM THE MACHINE.
PUT THE QUILT DOWN.
Do not wash a quilt top before it's quilted.
It's not that it will all fall apart, but it will be a mess to iron again, as the seam allowances are all over the place, and frayed.
The fact that you think some fabrics might shrink at a different rate than others won't be solved. They'll shrink, but wouldn't be stabilized by anything.
Actually, you'll have more control over the shrinking if it's washed after it's quilted.
PUT THE QUILT DOWN.
Do not wash a quilt top before it's quilted.
It's not that it will all fall apart, but it will be a mess to iron again, as the seam allowances are all over the place, and frayed.
The fact that you think some fabrics might shrink at a different rate than others won't be solved. They'll shrink, but wouldn't be stabilized by anything.
Actually, you'll have more control over the shrinking if it's washed after it's quilted.
06-13-2011, 06:36 PM
#15
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,581
As others have said - washing it at this point will accomplish nothing positive.
However - if - for some reason it is necessary to wash a quilt top because it got something unpleasant on it - swish it in a tub or sink - do not agitate it in a machine - run water through it or something - rinse gently - roll out in towels - dry on a rack or on towels on a floor -
agitate as little as possible - there will still be annoyng fraying of the pieces, but it won't be a disaster - assuming all the fabrics were washed BEFORE cutting -
However - if - for some reason it is necessary to wash a quilt top because it got something unpleasant on it - swish it in a tub or sink - do not agitate it in a machine - run water through it or something - rinse gently - roll out in towels - dry on a rack or on towels on a floor -
agitate as little as possible - there will still be annoyng fraying of the pieces, but it won't be a disaster - assuming all the fabrics were washed BEFORE cutting -
06-13-2011, 06:59 PM
#16
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,375
Originally Posted by virtualbernie
Originally Posted by Sadiemae
I am glad I rinsed mine without asking, or I probably would not have tried. lol
06-13-2011, 07:05 PM
#17
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
Yikes!
I would not wash the quilt top, *especially* if you think the fabrics may shrink differently from one another. Fabric shrinks differently when it is washed by itself and when it is washed as part of a quilt. When washed by itself, it will shrink to its fullest extent. When washed after it has been quilted to a batting, the batting will control the amount of shrinkage. A fabric cannot shrink more than the batting shrinks.
If you simply must wash an unquilted top, the only safe way to do it is to first baste it to a foundation fabric. Otherwise you can end up with a distorted mess that has frayed seams.
Also, you never want to wash a completed quilt top in Retayne. Retayne is used to permanently set color in fabric. If one of the fabric bleeds into another fabric, you may permanently set the bleed. Retayne should only be used on single fabrics, to set any unset color.
Instead of Retayne, you would want to wash in Synthrapol. Synthrapol suspends unset dye particles in the water so they rinse away instead of settling into other fabrics. I do not prewash my fabrics (I do test suspicious fabrics for colorfastness and treat with Retayne if I find a bleeder fabric), but the first washing of any quilt I make is with Synthrapol. Any small bleeds (usually from over-saturation of dye in a fabric) will be rinsed away.
In short, I would not wash the top until it has been well-quilted to a batting (i.e., not until it is a finished quilt), and then I would wash it in Synthrapol. To me, that is the safest approach.
I would not wash the quilt top, *especially* if you think the fabrics may shrink differently from one another. Fabric shrinks differently when it is washed by itself and when it is washed as part of a quilt. When washed by itself, it will shrink to its fullest extent. When washed after it has been quilted to a batting, the batting will control the amount of shrinkage. A fabric cannot shrink more than the batting shrinks.
If you simply must wash an unquilted top, the only safe way to do it is to first baste it to a foundation fabric. Otherwise you can end up with a distorted mess that has frayed seams.
Also, you never want to wash a completed quilt top in Retayne. Retayne is used to permanently set color in fabric. If one of the fabric bleeds into another fabric, you may permanently set the bleed. Retayne should only be used on single fabrics, to set any unset color.
Instead of Retayne, you would want to wash in Synthrapol. Synthrapol suspends unset dye particles in the water so they rinse away instead of settling into other fabrics. I do not prewash my fabrics (I do test suspicious fabrics for colorfastness and treat with Retayne if I find a bleeder fabric), but the first washing of any quilt I make is with Synthrapol. Any small bleeds (usually from over-saturation of dye in a fabric) will be rinsed away.
In short, I would not wash the top until it has been well-quilted to a batting (i.e., not until it is a finished quilt), and then I would wash it in Synthrapol. To me, that is the safest approach.
06-13-2011, 07:06 PM
#18
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
Yikes!
I would not wash the quilt top, *especially* if you think the fabrics may shrink differently from one another. Fabric shrinks differently when it is washed by itself and when it is washed as part of a quilt. When washed by itself, it will shrink to its fullest extent. When washed after it has been quilted to a batting, the batting will control the amount of shrinkage. A fabric cannot shrink more than the batting shrinks.
If you simply must wash an unquilted top, the only safe way to do it is to first baste it to a foundation fabric. Otherwise you can end up with a distorted mess that has frayed seams.
Also, you never want to wash a completed quilt top in Retayne. Retayne is used to permanently set color in fabric. If one of the fabric bleeds into another fabric, you may permanently set the bleed. Retayne should only be used on single fabrics, to set any unset color.
Instead of Retayne, you would want to wash in Synthrapol. Synthrapol suspends unset dye particles in the water so they rinse away instead of settling into other fabrics. I do not prewash my fabrics (I do test suspicious fabrics for colorfastness and treat with Retayne if I find a bleeder fabric), but the first washing of any quilt I make is with Synthrapol. Any small bleeds (usually from over-saturation of dye in a fabric) will be rinsed away.
In short, I would not wash the top until it has been well-quilted to a batting (i.e., not until it is a finished quilt), and then I would wash it in Synthrapol. To me, that is the safest approach.
Edit: Sorry for the double posting. The first post hung for so long I didn't think it would go through!
I would not wash the quilt top, *especially* if you think the fabrics may shrink differently from one another. Fabric shrinks differently when it is washed by itself and when it is washed as part of a quilt. When washed by itself, it will shrink to its fullest extent. When washed after it has been quilted to a batting, the batting will control the amount of shrinkage. A fabric cannot shrink more than the batting shrinks.
If you simply must wash an unquilted top, the only safe way to do it is to first baste it to a foundation fabric. Otherwise you can end up with a distorted mess that has frayed seams.
Also, you never want to wash a completed quilt top in Retayne. Retayne is used to permanently set color in fabric. If one of the fabric bleeds into another fabric, you may permanently set the bleed. Retayne should only be used on single fabrics, to set any unset color.
Instead of Retayne, you would want to wash in Synthrapol. Synthrapol suspends unset dye particles in the water so they rinse away instead of settling into other fabrics. I do not prewash my fabrics (I do test suspicious fabrics for colorfastness and treat with Retayne if I find a bleeder fabric), but the first washing of any quilt I make is with Synthrapol. Any small bleeds (usually from over-saturation of dye in a fabric) will be rinsed away.
In short, I would not wash the top until it has been well-quilted to a batting (i.e., not until it is a finished quilt), and then I would wash it in Synthrapol. To me, that is the safest approach.
Edit: Sorry for the double posting. The first post hung for so long I didn't think it would go through!
06-13-2011, 08:36 PM
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: La Quinta, CA
Posts: 3,918
Originally Posted by MTS
STEP AWAY FROM THE MACHINE.
PUT THE QUILT DOWN.
Do not wash a quilt top before it's quilted.
It's not that it will all fall apart, but it will be a mess to iron again, as the seam allowances are all over the place, and frayed.
The fact that you think some fabrics might shrink at a different
rate than others won't be solved. They'll shrink, but wouldn't be stabilized by anything.
Actually, you'll have more control over the shrinking if it's washed after it's quilted.
PUT THE QUILT DOWN.
Do not wash a quilt top before it's quilted.
It's not that it will all fall apart, but it will be a mess to iron again, as the seam allowances are all over the place, and frayed.
The fact that you think some fabrics might shrink at a different
rate than others won't be solved. They'll shrink, but wouldn't be stabilized by anything.
Actually, you'll have more control over the shrinking if it's washed after it's quilted.
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