I found out about my formaldehyde allergy in my zoology class. It was unfortunate that the course was required (the hives cleared miraculously after it was over). Be careful, formaldehyde is a very common industrial chemical. It will often "out-gas" as things age i.e. insulation, carpeting, fabric dyes.

Invest in a pair of pinking shears. I always prewash and never pre-iron because I iron just before cutting anyway. I have had good luck with small loads, drying in the dryer until completely dry when I'm really lazy and don't want to hassle but I really like using my "solar dryer" (a clothesline) for drying uncut fabric on large loads.

My mother actually thought I had something high tech when I told her I was using a solar dryer. Got to love that part. :lol:

I clip the corners too when I wash. And I dry the big pieces of fabric separately because they do get wrinkly. I don't iron them though, I fold and smooth the best I can, I iron them when I'm ready to use them for a project because I'm usually cutting off sections of a piece, not using the entire piece.

And yes, they do use formaldehyde, as well as sizing, in fabrics. Fabric is generally stored in warehouses before shipping and the formaldehyde kills any bugs that eat their way through the storage material the fabric is wrapped in. Bugs loooooooooove fabric. It's also a great preservative.

I am also allergic to fabric. I wash mine only once and this does the trick. I make sure my fabric is completely unfolded before I put it in the washing machine and make sure you get all the knots and wrap arounds lose before you dry it. I take mine out a little damp,then iron. I wash up to 4 yards at a time,anything else and I get wrinkles also. This may take awhile to do but it is well worth it.

What about organic cotton? I find US manufactured cotton has less formaldehyde than Chinese manufactured. Organic has none.

Often the formaldehyde forms as dyes decompose. Organic is a term used to how cotton is grown (hubby's family are cotton farmers). There are a few genetically enhanced cotton strains that are colored but are very limited in color.

Unfortunately for consumers, formaldehyde is usually not listed as an ingredient because it is used to synthesize a different chemical. Kind of like using LEGOS to build something like a LEGO house. You can call it a house but when you decompose it the thing turns back into LEGOS. This isn't the greatest explanation but my excuse is the late hour. I ususally explain organic synthesis when I can draw pictures on the board.

thanks LF

So sorry to hear about your delima, but looks like somthing that can be worked around. thank goodness !! little fab softner sheets in the dryer and not on the highest heat setting, flop to straighten before going in the dryer helps too. or has worked for me.
Good Luck !! :)

Clip corners, wash on permanent press with no dye no perfume detergent, clorox 2, dry until dry, press, square up cut edges, fold, re-iron before cutting usually using starch.

Works everytime for me.

IMHO, this posting alone should convince folks to wash before sewing because allergies can and do happen 'overnight' so to speak, for those sewing and theise receiving.

Mom had that too. She couldn't even go into a fabric store because the the smell from it made her deathly ill. Since she was a quilter my sisters and I did her shopping for her and prewashed everything before we gave it to her. Perhaps you have some friends or family close by that could come help you. I usually wash, dry, fold and press before I use. I know it's a pain but wash as many as you want at a time---make sure your dryer is only about 1/4-1/3 full and they'll come out less wrinkled.

How horrible being a quilter and all. That means that someone else in the family has to wash/dry your fabric for you. (Ha, ha???) Hopefully you have someone that can and will do that for you.

I was on a gentle wash cycle shortly after I get the fabric. I too clip the corners of my fabric before I wash them. You could try pinking shears but I'm too lazy. I either cut the thread resulting from the unraveling when I fold and store or leave it until I am ready to use the material for a project and iron it at that time. If I have bad wrinkles, I may spritz with water and sometimes I have sprintz the fabric with water and put it in a ziplock bag and store it in the frig for about 1/2 hour before ironing. Now I am going to be using starch since I will be doing more foundation piecing.

I just put my fabric away without ironing until I am ready to use it. I now use the ruler method that I saw of this board and it takes up a lot less space and I don't think it will leave as many creases. I try to fold it so that I do not have the same folds as the bolt folds.

Hope the blisters heal quickly and that you can find someone to help you out with the washing.