Wash before or after binding?

I have always sewn on both sides of the binding and then washed my quilts to
get some puckering. A couple of my quilting friends are washing their
quilts before they attach the binding at all. (My fabric and backing are
already prewashed, but not the batting.)

I am curious what you all do.


--
Barb Quilts aka Barb C
..
..

I do the same as you, Barb, and cannot imagine taking the chance that
the edges of the sandwich would come out of the wash all gnarly. I'm
assuming that your friends are not trimming the edges until they are
washed and dried, but what could be their reasoning for this? Perhaps
to avoid a puckered binding? Having recently watched demonstrations on
TV of chenille and rag quilt techniques, I'd be weary of putting a raw
edge in the wash.

--

KCK ( in Texas)
Take out the DOG before sending email

Website: http://kckintz.home.att.net/


"BarbQuilts" wrote in message
...
I have always sewn on both sides of the binding and then washed my
quilts to
get some puckering. A couple of my quilting friends are washing their
quilts before they attach the binding at all. (My fabric and backing
are
already prewashed, but not the batting.)

I am curious what you all do.


--
Barb Quilts aka Barb C
.
.

In this same vein, I was wondering how to wash my quilt. Can it be put in
the washer??? Will the seams break if it is spun dry..How about the dryer.
I sure wouldn't relish getting it all done and then messing up.
I prewashed all my material, but not the Warm and Natural. Should I have?
How about when it gets dirty...how do you all do it?
Carla
"BarbQuilts" wrote in message
...
I have always sewn on both sides of the binding and then washed my quilts
to
get some puckering. A couple of my quilting friends are washing their
quilts before they attach the binding at all. (My fabric and backing are
already prewashed, but not the batting.)

I am curious what you all do.


--
Barb Quilts aka Barb C
.
.








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KCK wrote:

I do the same as you, Barb, and cannot imagine taking the chance that
the edges of the sandwich would come out of the wash all gnarly. I'm
assuming that your friends are not trimming the edges until they are
washed and dried, but what could be their reasoning for this? Perhaps
to avoid a puckered binding? Having recently watched demonstrations on
TV of chenille and rag quilt techniques, I'd be weary of putting a raw
edge in the wash.

I sometimes wash my quilts before I bind them. I trim the edges, zigzag
stitch all around (I'd serge if I had a serger, but I don't) and then wash
in the washing machine. My washing method to wash quilts in the washer,
then dry in the dryer. Don't have a heart attack. I've never had a
problem. And even if I did, I'd just make another one to replace it! (Of
course I only machine piece, machine quilt, and intend my quilts to be used
and loved and eventually worn out).

Oh, I'm all for washing simplicity. I wash my quilts in a machine and
put them in a fairly hot dryer before I give them away, so the
recipients can be assured that there won't be any surprises.

I'm more curious *why* someone would want to wash the quilt prior to
binding it. Is there an advantage I'm not thinking of? Won't the quilt
get washed at some other time following the binding anyway?

--

KCK ( in Texas)
Take out the DOG before sending email

Website: http://kckintz.home.att.net/


"Tracey" wrote:

I sometimes wash my quilts before I bind them. I trim the edges,
zigzag
stitch all around (I'd serge if I had a serger, but I don't) and then
wash
in the washing machine. My washing method to wash quilts in the
washer,
then dry in the dryer. Don't have a heart attack. I've never had a
problem. And even if I did, I'd just make another one to replace it!
(Of
course I only machine piece, machine quilt, and intend my quilts to be
used
and loved and eventually worn out).

I, too, prewash all the fabric. I don't prewash the batting, I like the
looks of a sort of crinkled quilt. I wash and put the quilt in the dryer
after it is finished and while it is "doing its thing" there, I usually make
the label. But then, I've never made anything but quilts that will need
washed in the future. I want people to use them...on the sofa, on the floor,
wherever they need to.
Martha in IN
"C. Mathews" wrote in message
...
In this same vein, I was wondering how to wash my quilt. Can it be put in
the washer??? Will the seams break if it is spun dry..How about the
dryer.
I sure wouldn't relish getting it all done and then messing up.
I prewashed all my material, but not the Warm and Natural. Should I have?
How about when it gets dirty...how do you all do it?
Carla
"BarbQuilts" wrote in message
...
I have always sewn on both sides of the binding and then washed my
quilts
to
get some puckering. A couple of my quilting friends are washing their
quilts before they attach the binding at all. (My fabric and backing
are
already prewashed, but not the batting.)

I am curious what you all do.


--
Barb Quilts aka Barb C
.
.








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http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

I usually wash after binding but feel it is a personal choice. To the
subject line however, I recently washed my Spring Sue quilt and found that
the calico backing and background has wrinkled unbelieveably. Even after
ironing it is still very wrinkly. Is this a common thing or do I just have
a dodgy batch? It was fine before washing.

--
Sharon From Melbourne Australia (Qof DU) (getting ready to get out the spray
starch)
http://www.geocities.com/shazrules/index.html
Member of the Houston 2004 Party Animals
"BarbQuilts" wrote in message
...
I have always sewn on both sides of the binding and then washed my quilts
to
get some puckering. A couple of my quilting friends are washing their
quilts before they attach the binding at all. (My fabric and backing are
already prewashed, but not the batting.)

I am curious what you all do.


--
Barb Quilts aka Barb C
.
.

Sharon,

All the newly made quilts we see in those pattern magazines and at quilt
shows are pristine, have perfectly flat bindings, and give us the
impression that our quilts are supposed to look like that too. We spend
all that time on our quilt tops, pressing along the way, making sure
that every seam is flat, the whole time, falling in love with this
"unnaturally" flat creation. We put the sandwich together, quilt it,
and then apply the binding (oh, how lovely the binding looks, like a
perfect satin ribbon surrounding our treasure), but all of a sudden,
following a baptism in the washing machine, it's all wrinkly, crinkly,
puckery, or whatever.

I think what we're seeing out of the wash is the way it's SUPPOSED to
look! It's a quilt! We don't expect the seams on our denim jeans (do
you call them jeans over there?) to remain as flat as the day we bought
them once they've come out of the wash.

Nuff said....however, I'm still not convinced that I'm doing it
correctly.

--

KCK ( in Texas)
Take out the DOG before sending email

Website: http://kckintz.home.att.net/


"Sharon Harper" wrote in message
u...
I usually wash after binding but feel it is a personal choice. To the
subject line however, I recently washed my Spring Sue quilt and found
that
the calico backing and background has wrinkled unbelieveably. Even
after
ironing it is still very wrinkly. Is this a common thing or do I just
have
a dodgy batch? It was fine before washing.

--
Sharon From Melbourne Australia (Qof DU) (getting ready to get out the
spray
starch)
http://www.geocities.com/shazrules/index.html
Member of the Houston 2004 Party Animals
"BarbQuilts" wrote in message
...
I have always sewn on both sides of the binding and then washed my
quilts
to
get some puckering. A couple of my quilting friends are washing
their
quilts before they attach the binding at all. (My fabric and
backing are
already prewashed, but not the batting.)

I am curious what you all do.


--
Barb Quilts aka Barb C
.
.

Hi

Some creations you see in magazines use unwashed fabrics and battings.
I think the reason for this is that if you make a quilt then wash it
and it goes crumply it doesn't photograph well. If many of the quilts
in the magazine look crumpled they will be less appealing to the
potential maker therefore selling less magazines.

A quilt made before any washing (top, batting or backing) makes for a
wonderfully smooth quilt that photographs beautifully.

The crinkling is due to cotton shrinkage. Average about 5% in the
first wash. So if you want minimal shrinkage crinkle, wash before you
sew and the includes the batting.

....Fran...

PS. I don't wash before for magazine projects, but always for
personal things.

_______________________________________________

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 15:14:05 +1000, "Sharon Harper"
wrote:

I usually wash after binding but feel it is a personal choice. To the
subject line however, I recently washed my Spring Sue quilt and found that
the calico backing and background has wrinkled unbelieveably. Even after
ironing it is still very wrinkly. Is this a common thing or do I just have
a dodgy batch? It was fine before washing.

"C. Mathews" wrote:

In this same vein, I was wondering how to wash my quilt. Can it be put in
the washer??? Will the seams break if it is spun dry..How about the dryer.
I sure wouldn't relish getting it all done and then messing up.
I prewashed all my material, but not the Warm and Natural. Should I have?
How about when it gets dirty...how do you all do it?
Carla


I have no worries about washing any of the quilts I have made: I have a
front loading washer with an excellent wool program. That, a good
quality washing powder combined with an excellent spot pre treating
spray, and an extra spin for getting the excess water out, and it will
be fine. Not sure I'd tumble dry... Have to think about that one!
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!