Laundering fabric

How many of you launder their washable fabrics before cutting out their
projects?
I am curious because many years ago I had a class in sewing and it was
recommended to wash all material before starting your projects. We were
told this would show the nature of the fabric, ie bleeding, fading,
shrinkage before putting our 'heart & soul' into something that could
end up not quite as good as we hoped and through no fault of our own.
Thanks for the comments.


Cindy

On 8 Apr 2006 03:17:56 -0700, "
wrote:

How many of you launder their washable fabrics before cutting out their
projects?
I am curious because many years ago I had a class in sewing and it was
recommended to wash all material before starting your projects. We were
told this would show the nature of the fabric, ie bleeding, fading,
shrinkage before putting our 'heart & soul' into something that could
end up not quite as good as we hoped and through no fault of our own.
Thanks for the comments.


Cindy

I launder 99% of the fabrics I bring home. I have a tendency to make
purchases for my stash rather than a specific project so they go to
the laundry room before the sewing room. That way I know that the
fabric is ready to sew when I begin a project. I do it for the reasons
you listed.

" wrote:

How many of you launder their washable fabrics before cutting out their
projects?
I am curious because many years ago I had a class in sewing and it was
recommended to wash all material before starting your projects.

I wash nearly every piece of fabric that comes into the sewing room.
(Sometimes I don't wash the PolarFleece I get from MaldenMills. I
know what it's going to do in the wash, and it's not dusty.) I've had
crisp fabrics soften up, I've had prints twist, I've had fabric shrink
15%. All things you want to find out *before* you cut it.

jenn

--
Jenn Ridley :

Me too!
Another Barbara in SC

Jenn Ridley wrote:
" wrote:


How many of you launder their washable fabrics before cutting out their
projects?
I am curious because many years ago I had a class in sewing and it was
recommended to wash all material before starting your projects.


I wash nearly every piece of fabric that comes into the sewing room.
(Sometimes I don't wash the PolarFleece I get from MaldenMills. I
know what it's going to do in the wash, and it's not dusty.) I've had
crisp fabrics soften up, I've had prints twist, I've had fabric shrink
15%. All things you want to find out *before* you cut it.

jenn

--
Jenn Ridley :

All of the above. It doesn't make sense to invest time and energy in
sewing something that will give you a nasty surprise first time it's washed.

Doreen in Alabama

It is heartbreaking to spend your money making something only to
discover one of the following:

- The fabric does not launder well.
- The fabric wrinkles VERY well and is practically impossible to render
wrinkle-free
- The fabric shrinks a little after each washing until it is 10-20%
smaller than it was before washing.
- The fabric colors fade/leach dye/etc after each washing

BTDT on each of the above. I wash things first, sometimes several times.

wrote:
How many of you launder their washable fabrics before cutting out their
projects?
I am curious because many years ago I had a class in sewing and it was
recommended to wash all material before starting your projects. We were
told this would show the nature of the fabric, ie bleeding, fading,
shrinkage before putting our 'heart & soul' into something that could
end up not quite as good as we hoped and through no fault of our own.
Thanks for the comments.

wrote in message
oups.com...
How many of you launder their washable fabrics before cutting out
their
projects?

I *always* do. Any washable fabric I am going to spend a lot of my
precious time and effort on will be laundered *before* I even think
about using it. Learned the hard way a loooong time ago...

If it's going into the stash, I attach a note with
width/yardage/fabric-content/etc details, so I'll know
five-years-from-now. ;-)

Beverly

I do this as well, except I tend to serge the raw edges to prevent raveling.
Emily

wrote:
How many of you launder their washable fabrics before cutting out their
projects?
I am curious because many years ago I had a class in sewing and it was
recommended to wash all material before starting your projects. We were
told this would show the nature of the fabric, ie bleeding, fading,
shrinkage before putting our 'heart & soul' into something that could
end up not quite as good as we hoped and through no fault of our own.
Thanks for the comments.


Cindy

It looks like 100%. Yes, wash everything before beginning. I've made
the mistake of not doing that, putting in hours of work, only to get a
rag out of the wash. It did not make me a happy person. Not gonna do
that again.

--
Joanne
stitches @ singerlady.reno.nv.us.earth
http://members.tripod.com/~bernardschopen/

wrote:

How many of you launder their washable fabrics before cutting out their
projects?

Always. I once made a stained glass quilt
without washing, and the fabric turned out
to be so stiff that it kept splitting along
the black bias tape. I'd try to mend it,
then it would create a new split.

I will never work with unwashed fabric again.

-- Anita --