What to do with fabric before you get started on a Quilt.
When purchasing fabric, most of the time you should pre-treat it when you get it home. But there are many viewpoints on this subject.
I wash and dry my fabrics before putting them up.
First, you need to take a little snip of each fabric, wet it thoroughly with very hot water, and place it on a paper towel to dry. The paper towel can have multiple swatches on it.
After the fabrics dry, lift the swatches to see if there is a dye stain on the towel. If so, these bleeding fabrics are treated individually with multiple washes or may even be discarded if the dye continues to run. Remember that you are adding multiple colors together to form one item and you do not what colors bleeding together in the future.
The fabrics that are colorfast (don’t bleed) are sorted into groups of light, medium, and dark values. Each group is washed individually and placed in the dryer. Remove from the dryer and fold to store. Do not iron because you will have to iron again before you use it.
When washing your completed project use cold water to help protect it from colors that may still bleed.
Some people do not wash and dry their fabrics before using them.
There are many reasons why. Some quilters like the crisp feel of the fabric right off the bolt. Some say it helps stabilize the bias edges of cut pieces. Some chintz-type fabrics lose their sheen when washed and dried and this can also be a deterrent if it’s a wall quilt.
If you want the old-fashioned look for your quilt projects, with puckering around the stitching and quilting, then do not launder the fabrics before making the quilt. Wash and dry the completed project using regular cycles with cold water. Keep your fingers crossed that none of your colors bleed on to others.
I wash and dry my fabrics before putting them up.
First, you need to take a little snip of each fabric, wet it thoroughly with very hot water, and place it on a paper towel to dry. The paper towel can have multiple swatches on it.
After the fabrics dry, lift the swatches to see if there is a dye stain on the towel. If so, these bleeding fabrics are treated individually with multiple washes or may even be discarded if the dye continues to run. Remember that you are adding multiple colors together to form one item and you do not what colors bleeding together in the future.
The fabrics that are colorfast (don’t bleed) are sorted into groups of light, medium, and dark values. Each group is washed individually and placed in the dryer. Remove from the dryer and fold to store. Do not iron because you will have to iron again before you use it.
When washing your completed project use cold water to help protect it from colors that may still bleed.
Some people do not wash and dry their fabrics before using them.
There are many reasons why. Some quilters like the crisp feel of the fabric right off the bolt. Some say it helps stabilize the bias edges of cut pieces. Some chintz-type fabrics lose their sheen when washed and dried and this can also be a deterrent if it’s a wall quilt.
If you want the old-fashioned look for your quilt projects, with puckering around the stitching and quilting, then do not launder the fabrics before making the quilt. Wash and dry the completed project using regular cycles with cold water. Keep your fingers crossed that none of your colors bleed on to others.