Washing fabric
04-14-2011, 06:43 AM
#32
Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1
Hi All,
I just now today stumbled on this site through a Dear Jane group. As I was trolling around the pictures and comments I thought, 'I'll just bookmark this so I can look around and see if I want to join at a later date.
Then I came across the pre-wash question which lit up my buttons!
I am an avid washer after spending numerous hours on something and having it run. I also have noticed some fabrics shrink at different proportions so you may have one fabric shrinking greatly while it's neighbor that you have pieced to doesn't shrink at all. It makes me manic!
All fabric goes to the laundry room after purchase. If it gets to my sewing area that means it's pre-washed.
Pre-washing is just a term. If you are using a washing machine the agitation will really be harsh and you will get lots of raveling fabric. To avoid agitation I do this. I have a huge white bucket in my laundry room sink. I turn on the hot water and fill the bucket with the hottest water and put the fabric in. Lights with lights, reds separate, darks together ... you get the picture. After about 20 minutes I go back to see if there are any bleeders. If not I then pull the fabrics out and squeeze to get much of the hot water out. Fill up trusty bucket with very cold water and plunge in to the cold water and let sit about 20 min. Remove fabric, squeeze much of the water out, dry in a hot drier, remove and fold and bring to sewing area.
Not only are you pre-shrinking and removing all that chemical fabric sizing you are also identifying bleeders. You are leveling the playing field by shrinking so that all the fabric in finished quilts now behave the same if they get laundered.
Bleeders identified in the hot soak---> Remove the offending fabric, squeeze excess water, dry in a hot drier. Treat this dry fabric with a product called retayne. Follow product directions. I usually go a step further by adding a small teakettle of boiling water to my super hot tap water to the bucket with the retayne water.
As I said, I'm pretty manic about the pre-wash topic. Looking forward to participating in this group. Hope I haven't pushed anyone's buttons in a bad way by my strong response. And it is my first post!
I just now today stumbled on this site through a Dear Jane group. As I was trolling around the pictures and comments I thought, 'I'll just bookmark this so I can look around and see if I want to join at a later date.
Then I came across the pre-wash question which lit up my buttons!
I am an avid washer after spending numerous hours on something and having it run. I also have noticed some fabrics shrink at different proportions so you may have one fabric shrinking greatly while it's neighbor that you have pieced to doesn't shrink at all. It makes me manic!
All fabric goes to the laundry room after purchase. If it gets to my sewing area that means it's pre-washed.
Pre-washing is just a term. If you are using a washing machine the agitation will really be harsh and you will get lots of raveling fabric. To avoid agitation I do this. I have a huge white bucket in my laundry room sink. I turn on the hot water and fill the bucket with the hottest water and put the fabric in. Lights with lights, reds separate, darks together ... you get the picture. After about 20 minutes I go back to see if there are any bleeders. If not I then pull the fabrics out and squeeze to get much of the hot water out. Fill up trusty bucket with very cold water and plunge in to the cold water and let sit about 20 min. Remove fabric, squeeze much of the water out, dry in a hot drier, remove and fold and bring to sewing area.
Not only are you pre-shrinking and removing all that chemical fabric sizing you are also identifying bleeders. You are leveling the playing field by shrinking so that all the fabric in finished quilts now behave the same if they get laundered.
Bleeders identified in the hot soak---> Remove the offending fabric, squeeze excess water, dry in a hot drier. Treat this dry fabric with a product called retayne. Follow product directions. I usually go a step further by adding a small teakettle of boiling water to my super hot tap water to the bucket with the retayne water.
As I said, I'm pretty manic about the pre-wash topic. Looking forward to participating in this group. Hope I haven't pushed anyone's buttons in a bad way by my strong response. And it is my first post!
04-14-2011, 07:19 AM
#34
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MN / GA
Posts: 1,435
Originally Posted by cjomomma
I don't prewash anything unless it was bought at a thrift shop or yard sale. It's a process that I don't like. But that's just me.
04-14-2011, 09:05 AM
#35
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Central New Jersey
Posts: 1,013
Hi,
Since I am fairly new to quilting, I was told that you wash all your fabrics. After doing this for several quilts, I got tired of all the STRINGS - now I use the steam setting in my machine, and steam the fabrics, since steam is hot, I believe the sizing and chemicals are released from the fabric, they come out damp, so I throw them in the dryer for 10 mintues. I then press them with a hot iron. Recently was told about using spray starch, made a baby quilt this week, and all I can say is "What a difference in sewing the seams" a little startch can make.
NormaBeth
Since I am fairly new to quilting, I was told that you wash all your fabrics. After doing this for several quilts, I got tired of all the STRINGS - now I use the steam setting in my machine, and steam the fabrics, since steam is hot, I believe the sizing and chemicals are released from the fabric, they come out damp, so I throw them in the dryer for 10 mintues. I then press them with a hot iron. Recently was told about using spray starch, made a baby quilt this week, and all I can say is "What a difference in sewing the seams" a little startch can make.
NormaBeth
04-14-2011, 09:28 AM
#37
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Enid, OK
Posts: 8,273
always, always, always prewash...even the tiny bits that are precut!
just buy you a salad spinner a good one nothing cheap...
hand wash your fabric in the sink with ivory dish soap, rinse gently, wring out on a towel to gently squeeze the water out...then spin a few at a time in the salad spinner, press while still damp!
DONE...
just buy you a salad spinner a good one nothing cheap...
hand wash your fabric in the sink with ivory dish soap, rinse gently, wring out on a towel to gently squeeze the water out...then spin a few at a time in the salad spinner, press while still damp!
DONE...
04-14-2011, 09:29 AM
#38
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Enid, OK
Posts: 8,273
Originally Posted by Normabeth
Hi,
Since I am fairly new to quilting, I was told that you wash all your fabrics. After doing this for several quilts, I got tired of all the STRINGS - now I use the steam setting in my machine, and steam the fabrics, since steam is hot, I believe the sizing and chemicals are released from the fabric, they come out damp, so I throw them in the dryer for 10 mintues. I then press them with a hot iron. Recently was told about using spray starch, made a baby quilt this week, and all I can say is "What a difference in sewing the seams" a little startch can make.
NormaBeth
Since I am fairly new to quilting, I was told that you wash all your fabrics. After doing this for several quilts, I got tired of all the STRINGS - now I use the steam setting in my machine, and steam the fabrics, since steam is hot, I believe the sizing and chemicals are released from the fabric, they come out damp, so I throw them in the dryer for 10 mintues. I then press them with a hot iron. Recently was told about using spray starch, made a baby quilt this week, and all I can say is "What a difference in sewing the seams" a little startch can make.
NormaBeth
04-14-2011, 09:31 AM
#39
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Enid, OK
Posts: 8,273
Originally Posted by donnakay
Hi All,
I just now today stumbled on this site through a Dear Jane group. As I was trolling around the pictures and comments I thought, 'I'll just bookmark this so I can look around and see if I want to join at a later date.
Then I came across the pre-wash question which lit up my buttons!
I am an avid washer after spending numerous hours on something and having it run. I also have noticed some fabrics shrink at different proportions so you may have one fabric shrinking greatly while it's neighbor that you have pieced to doesn't shrink at all. It makes me manic!
All fabric goes to the laundry room after purchase. If it gets to my sewing area that means it's pre-washed.
Pre-washing is just a term. If you are using a washing machine the agitation will really be harsh and you will get lots of raveling fabric. To avoid agitation I do this. I have a huge white bucket in my laundry room sink. I turn on the hot water and fill the bucket with the hottest water and put the fabric in. Lights with lights, reds separate, darks together ... you get the picture. After about 20 minutes I go back to see if there are any bleeders. If not I then pull the fabrics out and squeeze to get much of the hot water out. Fill up trusty bucket with very cold water and plunge in to the cold water and let sit about 20 min. Remove fabric, squeeze much of the water out, dry in a hot drier, remove and fold and bring to sewing area.
Not only are you pre-shrinking and removing all that chemical fabric sizing you are also identifying bleeders. You are leveling the playing field by shrinking so that all the fabric in finished quilts now behave the same if they get laundered.
Bleeders identified in the hot soak---> Remove the offending fabric, squeeze excess water, dry in a hot drier. Treat this dry fabric with a product called retayne. Follow product directions. I usually go a step further by adding a small teakettle of boiling water to my super hot tap water to the bucket with the retayne water.
As I said, I'm pretty manic about the pre-wash topic. Looking forward to participating in this group. Hope I haven't pushed anyone's buttons in a bad way by my strong response. And it is my first post!
I just now today stumbled on this site through a Dear Jane group. As I was trolling around the pictures and comments I thought, 'I'll just bookmark this so I can look around and see if I want to join at a later date.
Then I came across the pre-wash question which lit up my buttons!
I am an avid washer after spending numerous hours on something and having it run. I also have noticed some fabrics shrink at different proportions so you may have one fabric shrinking greatly while it's neighbor that you have pieced to doesn't shrink at all. It makes me manic!
All fabric goes to the laundry room after purchase. If it gets to my sewing area that means it's pre-washed.
Pre-washing is just a term. If you are using a washing machine the agitation will really be harsh and you will get lots of raveling fabric. To avoid agitation I do this. I have a huge white bucket in my laundry room sink. I turn on the hot water and fill the bucket with the hottest water and put the fabric in. Lights with lights, reds separate, darks together ... you get the picture. After about 20 minutes I go back to see if there are any bleeders. If not I then pull the fabrics out and squeeze to get much of the hot water out. Fill up trusty bucket with very cold water and plunge in to the cold water and let sit about 20 min. Remove fabric, squeeze much of the water out, dry in a hot drier, remove and fold and bring to sewing area.
Not only are you pre-shrinking and removing all that chemical fabric sizing you are also identifying bleeders. You are leveling the playing field by shrinking so that all the fabric in finished quilts now behave the same if they get laundered.
Bleeders identified in the hot soak---> Remove the offending fabric, squeeze excess water, dry in a hot drier. Treat this dry fabric with a product called retayne. Follow product directions. I usually go a step further by adding a small teakettle of boiling water to my super hot tap water to the bucket with the retayne water.
As I said, I'm pretty manic about the pre-wash topic. Looking forward to participating in this group. Hope I haven't pushed anyone's buttons in a bad way by my strong response. And it is my first post!
04-14-2011, 11:41 AM
#40
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 180
I prewash and dry everything that I'm going to use in quilts that I know will be washed and dried along the line. I've had fabrics bleed that I didn't expect to--light oranges, yellows--and certainly purples and blues as well as reds. Oftentimes when I've put the pieces in to soak it doesn't look like they're going to bleed until I squeeze them out and then huge amounts of dye are released. I'm talking about even 5-inch squares.
My feeling is: I like to start out putting my quilts together being pretty sure that nothing is going to bleed into its neighbors and that none of my pieces are going to shrink differently than others when they are eventually washed and dried. Quilting is too much work to waste the effort on something that I might not like the results of down the line. This is strictly IMHO, of course.
My feeling is: I like to start out putting my quilts together being pretty sure that nothing is going to bleed into its neighbors and that none of my pieces are going to shrink differently than others when they are eventually washed and dried. Quilting is too much work to waste the effort on something that I might not like the results of down the line. This is strictly IMHO, of course.
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