laurilli

I just bought 2 108" backing fabrics. My question is how do you wash & dry them? And the bigger question is how do you iron them?? Thanks for any help :lol: :lol: laurilli

Charlee

In the washer and with an iron? ;) Sorry...couldn't resist....it was just there!! :lol:

I used to just wrestle with them until I learned about safety pinning selvages...with the wide backings I now pin them with the same folds they come to me with...for the length of the fabric. Wash and damp dry...and then I wrestle with them to iron! :lol: (I still only have a small, regular ironing board)

Moonpi

One great tip I picked up here - forgot who posted it - was to baste the ends together to make a tube. It works great to keep the backing in order when washing and drying. I do it in a wide, loose zigzag, so it just takes a couple minutes to un-do.

laurilli

charlee- you're soooo funny!! but it looks like you and moonpi agree, I need to sew it into a tube. I will give it a try. I need to get these quilts done. Thanks alot. L

dkabasketlady

When I iron them, I leave them folded and then open up and iron the seams out.

Rebecca VLQ

I agree about not drying it all the way, then using the iron to "steam" out the wrinkles. I'm gonna have to try that tube-thing. Big pieces of fabric ALWAYS get all twisted up on me!

justwannaquilt

If you have one of those large plastic folding tables lay a couple old blankets or batting over the top and then lay a flat sheet over that, it becomes an ironing board. Then keep it folded in width wise, and then go to town on it.

I help my mom iron several days a week. She owns a drop off laundry business and she does laundry (wash dry iron) for a local party rental place and they rent out table cloths (120x120) and back drops(flat out huge pieces of fabric) and this is how we do it.

baste the edged and only drying until damp and then getting someone to help you fold them as need as you can possibly get them folded is going to help A LOT! Good luck!

Oh, another thing, if you have reallllllllly long cuts that you are afraid will not fit into your washer you can baste them at home and then for a couple bucks take them to a local laundry mat and wash them in a larger washer then bring them home to dry.

bearisgray

I've found that washing and drying the big/long pieces in the big front loading equipment at the laundromat was worth the effort of going there and the expense of using the machines.

There were a lot less wrinkles in the fabric when I used the big dryers.

laurilli

Thanks everyone for the ideas, I did wash & dry them and found out I need to get some of that Retayne(sp), I washed them twice ( 1 black, 1 red) with 2 colorcatchers each time and it's still losing color. After I rewash them I will try the long table- I actually have one!! Thanks, Laurilli