New Quilter! How important is it to wash fabric before sewing? Are Charm packs washed?
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New Quilter! How important is it to wash fabric before sewing? Are Charm packs washed?
People have lots of different opinions on this topic. Usually I don't, but for my son's wedding quilt, which will mix batiks and regular quilting cottons, I will be pre washing is Retayne and Synthrapol to set the dyes and prevent bleeding later. Usually, though, I just use the Color Catchers the first time something is washed.
I have never pre-washed. Especially with charms. I think they would come apart. I don't think fabric fades, shrinks and such as much as it used to.
I prewash all flannels but would never prewash charm packs or any precuts, I don't prewash my cotton yardage either.
I wash all of my fabric except precuts and flannel. I like to use flannel for rag quilts and it frays better if not prewashed. I never had any problem with colors bleeding, so far!
You will get lots of opinions but I think we will all agree on not pre washing precuts.
I never prewash the precuts, like charm squares. I rarely prewash at all, but I did prewash the yardage for some children's quilts. In my mind, I wanted to make sure the fabric wouldn't run and that it would hold up to washing, as a child's quilt probably gets washed more frequently. If I have some dark colored fabrics, and I want to make sure they won't bleed, I will snip off a piece, put it in a jar of water with some detergent added. I shake it up and then leave it in the jar for about 30 minutes to see if there is any bleeding. I have never used color catchers, but I will be trying that when I wash my grandson's quilt.
I prewash all fabric except pre cuts.
I don't pre wash anything, ever. That said, if I decided to mix an old fabric with a new one then I would wash all just because shrinkage would probably be different.
Terri
I never prewash good quilting fabric. i do prewash Joanne or Walmart fabric for curtains or whatever. It is the feel of the material.
I wash nothing until it is finished. Including flannel. I've only had trouble once with some black off brand fabric and color catchers took care of it.
I am from the old school, I wash all fabric when I get home. I love the feel of softer fabric, and I can always use the Best Press if I need the crispness for some pieces. I usually always order yardage, but have gotten fat quarters, and they go in the wash also. Just iron all the stuff when it gets out of the dryer. I do not usually get the pre cut fabric.
NEVER. And that's from Jenny.... ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by MargeS
I don't prewash the smaller pieces but I have hand-washed some fat quarters because I didn't like the smell. I usually don't wash fabric I purchase in my LQS. However, if I buy fabric in estate sales or eBay I always wash the fabric immediately because I do not know where, when or how it was stored. Perhaps I am overly sensitive to orders, but if I feel the smell of the fabric disturbs me then I know it will disturb the recipient of the quilt.