martha jo

Thats what I use my older serger for

MadQuilter

I don't do anything special (no clipping, no pinking) and I just KNOW that there are strings. They are a fact of quilty life and honestly, they don't bother me one bit.

Rann

I have a front loader. I maade flanned quilts for Christmas. Even with pinning and cutting the corners, they had lots of strings except on the really expensive stuff. Probably will use the delicate wash next time.

Kas

I have bags of these tangled threads. I cut them off after washing and before drying. Then I let them air dry. My plan is to sandwich them between batiste cotton or gauze to make my own designer fabric. One of these days!

wichypoo

I know your aggravation. I hate threads too. I have tried cutting a small triangle from every corner and it does help,some. I can't imagine not washing before using. I am so afraid of bleeding. I have a friend that owns a quilt shop and she recommends washing, she says "most fabric is made in a third world country in a place with a dirt floor. Yes it is a necessity to wash your fabric. Just to be safe instead of sorry."
just saying............

danade

Doesn't address the string problem, but I just read in "Threads" magazine a hint that might help the way that long pieces of fabric tend to twist into a long nasty rope and get wrinkles in the dryer not get that way:

The suggestion was to knot two pairs of men's white socks, two knots in each sock, and throw them into the dryer with the fabric, and that supposedly solved that problem. Haven't tried this yet personally.

granky

Although I don't always wash my fabric, when I do I fold it in accordion folds so that I have a thick piece about 24 inches wide and half the width of the fabric. Then I use large safety pins and pin all layers together on the folded edge.(About 4 or 5 pins...diaper pins work nicely too!) At the cut ends I snip the about 1/4" from all four corners...and that limits the amount of raveling. I never have a mess in the washer when I do this. I DO have a front loader though...if that makes a difference.

quilterlois

To be honest I don't let the strings bother me. I keep a pair of scissors handy and as I take the fabric out of the washer I just cut the strings that are wrapped around and around other fabric. There aren't many strings after the drier.

bonniebusybee

Just run each end of your fabric through a long wide zigzag stitch on your sewing machine. Problem solved! :thumbup:

dljennings

i have to walk right past my washer/dryer when i come up from the garage, so all my fabric stops right there & stays there until i wash it.. on hot water & dry on cotton setting in the dryer.. it will never shrink after that.

i know i will have threads, so i keep a scissors on the shelf above the machines, cut the threads off btwn the washer & dryer cycles. i put all the thread in an empty tissue box that is also on the shelf... wait til spring & put it all on the deck outside for the birds, along with the dryer lint i keep in another empty tissue box

we have the most colorful nests around here!