Wow - fabric shrinkage.
#61
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern California
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I made the same quilt that is in your lovely avatar! I made it out of Quilt shop quality flannels - those really great ones that look like men's herringbone suits. I washed and dried the flannel on hot TWICE, as I was advised it would shrink a lot. It went from 42.5 wide to 39 wide!!
I have always been an advocate of pre-washing, but that experience really sealed the deal for me.
I have always been an advocate of pre-washing, but that experience really sealed the deal for me.
#62
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern California
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Originally Posted by cheryl rearick
I went back and started wshing all fabic I had... however do you wash FQ's.... What a mess. So many tangles.... I wonder if pinking shears would help. :)
#64
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Originally Posted by Stacey
I always prewash. Even FQ's. And I never wash the completed quilt before gifting it.
#65
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Does anyone have a steam option on their dryer that they use? I'm wondering if that is sufficient to get the chemicals off and take care of the shrinkage? I only use 100% cottons and have quite the time getting the wrinkles out without warping the fabric after prewashing and drying my fabrics. I'm truly challenged when it comes to ironing. Thankfully pressing is much simpler!
#66
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Enid, OK
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Originally Posted by aeble
Does anyone have a steam option on their dryer that they use? I'm wondering if that is sufficient to get the chemicals off and take care of the shrinkage? I only use 100% cottons and have quite the time getting the wrinkles out without warping the fabric after prewashing and drying my fabrics. I'm truly challenged when it comes to ironing. Thankfully pressing is much simpler!
#69
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: northern California
Posts: 1,098
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Ok, don't or do prewash according to whether you like the crinkly look or not?????????? The first quilt I made I did not prewash and one of the colors ran horribly!!! I used a color grabber and ran it through the washer several times until it was more or less under control.
Now I prewash everything as soon as I bring it home. I begin with putting suspecious fabrics (deep reds, or other very dark colors) into a bin of very hot water. If it bleeds badly I soak it in cold water and salt. No more surprises for me, thank you. Some of you people are very daring.
Now I prewash everything as soon as I bring it home. I begin with putting suspecious fabrics (deep reds, or other very dark colors) into a bin of very hot water. If it bleeds badly I soak it in cold water and salt. No more surprises for me, thank you. Some of you people are very daring.
#70
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: northern California
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By the way, my washer died a few months ago and I got a front loader. It has a spin and dry cycle so after soaking a fabric I can spin and "dry" it in 12 minutes and put it into a hot dryer. Front loaders are sooo much nicer to quilts!
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10-23-2011 01:29 PM