UNwashed fabrics
12-19-2014, 12:11 PM
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Washington
Posts: 855
I am apparently allergic to some of the dyes in fabric. If I don't prewash, my hands get red from handling it (and no, not dye-red ;-), rash and irritation red ). I think dyes are basically toxic, so I prefer to get them out of my house right away. Thus, I always prewash before even putting away stash fabrics.
If you want to use polyester batting and you want some crinkle, you'll still get some even if you pre-wash the fabrics. Just hang-dry them so they don't get dryer shrinkage! Once the quilt is made and washed, they will shrink unevenly around the quilting, making for a bit of crinkly effect. Yes, polyester batted quilts do give you less crinkle.
Otherwise, using washed fabrics with cotton batting gives you the effect, yes. 50/50 cotton poly might be a nice compromise. I agree with you though that certainly for a baby quilt, the lightweightedness of polyester is desirable.
If you want to use polyester batting and you want some crinkle, you'll still get some even if you pre-wash the fabrics. Just hang-dry them so they don't get dryer shrinkage! Once the quilt is made and washed, they will shrink unevenly around the quilting, making for a bit of crinkly effect. Yes, polyester batted quilts do give you less crinkle.
Otherwise, using washed fabrics with cotton batting gives you the effect, yes. 50/50 cotton poly might be a nice compromise. I agree with you though that certainly for a baby quilt, the lightweightedness of polyester is desirable.
12-19-2014, 12:43 PM
#22
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Kodiak, Alaska
Posts: 96
My reason for prewashing is not only for shrinkage but also for bleeding of fabric. If you think it won't bleed that will be the one that does. All that hard work and having to work even harder for bleeds. Another reason that I believe bears repeating (and I have seen it happen) is health and cleaning issues. I live in a warm area down by the Gulf. So it gets hot and humid and people sweat profusely. One day while shopping for fabric in a big box store a woman came from the outside and was perspiring like it had been raining. She walked up to some fabric, wiped her head and face and the back of her neck. Another woman brought it to a clerks attention. They got a security guard to usher her out. She had no intention of purchasing that fabric. The clerk with instructions from the manager took the bolt of fabric back to the cutting table and cut a good 1 1/2 yds off the bolt. There was dirt on the fabric. Disgusting! That is why (even if you can't see it) I prewash. Ever hear of imbetigo (often called infantigo) easily passed and highly contagious. And other infectious diseases. Call me a fanatic if you want but do you really want to pass it onto the person you're making it for. And yes I wash my hands after sorting laundry and handling soiled laundry.
12-19-2014, 08:35 PM
#24
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: California
Posts: 959
I bought some 80/20 batting last week and I'm thinking to try this. Thanks for the report! That makes me feel a bit more comfortable!
12-19-2014, 10:48 PM
#25
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 983
I don't pre wash before or after the quilt is completed, I do send instructions on how to wash along with color catchers and their directions, my question is...so far I have only used Hobbs 80/20, will this still give a nice crinkled antiqued look after drying it in the dryer. As you can tell I'm still new & have sent out newly made quilts for Christmas as described earlier in this post. I have made my DH a lap quilt but it hasn't been washed yet so I don't know how it will look. One more little question can the 100% cotton be quilted closer together than the 80/20 batting. Thanks in advance once again for all your help.
Jeri
Jeri
12-20-2014, 01:06 AM
#26
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Some where in way out West Texas
Posts: 3,041
UGH I can just see that now. I live where it is hot and dry, but hard to think of anyone being that gross and doing that in a store whether it is a fab. store or a clothing store. Glad she was ushered out and hopefully not allowed to come in again. I always prewash my fabric and use retayne, especially after making a queen size DWR quilt, with prewashed fabric, that bled after the first wash- it was made with greens and cream colored fabric- one of the greens bled all over and I never could get it out- the quilt was not dried in the dryer, but I tried everything and all suggestions, it is still there. I find that when handling some new fabric even if it has been washed first cues my ns to really dry out, and get very rough. I understand that formaldehyde is used on a lot of fabrics. My only guess as to why would be to preserve the dye color on the fabric. Has anyone else heard this?
12-20-2014, 06:34 AM
#28
Power Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 26,347
I don't like working with unwashed fabric, as I'm sensitive to the smells of all the 'sizings' and stuff in the fabric. I want to wash and get that all out of it first. It's the cotton batting shrinking that creates the 'crinkling', anyway, not the top fabrics.
12-20-2014, 06:56 AM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 327
I just got some white fabric that I ordered. I took it out of the box and the chemical smell was overwhelming. I immediately threw it in the wash. There was no way I could have worked with that fabric. My eyes were watering by the time I got it in the wash.
I have had allergy problems most of my life. Sometimes are much worse than others. There have been times when I could not walk into a fabric store because of the dyes and chemicals. I would have a headache and feel sick to my stomach within 10 minutes. The last 6 years or so have not been bad but that fabric HAD to be washed.
I have had allergy problems most of my life. Sometimes are much worse than others. There have been times when I could not walk into a fabric store because of the dyes and chemicals. I would have a headache and feel sick to my stomach within 10 minutes. The last 6 years or so have not been bad but that fabric HAD to be washed.
01-01-2015, 07:03 PM
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: South of Chicago, IL
Posts: 322
I have been washing the fabric as it comes into the house. I wash to see if there is dye bleeding. Another reason is to shrink the fabric and batting. I don't particularly like the crinkled look for quilts. It help stop some of the crinkling. Also, this past year my hands have cracked and peeled especially around the thumb nails. I'm thinking that there is some kind of chemical that I am sensitive to on the fabric.
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