jakrnsewing Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hello I have a question for all do you believe pre-washing your fabric for your quilt makes a difference when you are longarm quilting? I have been told that it does make a difference that you have better stitch quality...I never pre-wash my fabric when I am piecing my tops and don't plan on starting...Just wondering what you all do???? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 I had never heard that before. I have been quilting for customers for years and some wash and most don't and I have NEVER gotten a different stitch quality from one to the other. Curiosity has me asking which LA brand was used and what thread was used. I have had major differences between different threads, and even battings, but never my machine. Keep us posted on what you find out...you have my curiosity up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 I don't know about it affecting stitch quality, but if you don't prewash, you run the risk of colors bleeding and your quilts will shrink up much more when you wash them. Also, I occasionally quilt for Marsha McCloskey, Queen of Piecing in my book, and she ALWAYS prewashes. She told us why, I'm not quite sure I remember the exact reason, but I do think it improves your piecing. I have for years dropped my fabric in the washer as soon as I get in the door from the quilt shop. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 I don't wash my fabric because I like the feel of the new fabric when I am working with it. I use Dye Magic when I wash the quilt the first time. I guess I could use sizing after I wsh the fabric, but I think maybe I am lazy - hadn't thought about that until just this moment. Now I need Dr. Phil;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 I forgot to mention that there are a lot of chemicals used in the processing of fabrics. If you don't pre-wash them and you are pressing them when piecing, you're allowing a lot of those chemicals to come right up into your face. I have a bit more regard for my lungs than that. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 I'm with you Norece. I love the feel of the new fabric when I am piecing it. The chemicals don't bother me and I have every allergy known to man. I would also be worried about the raw edge of the cut fabric unraveling in the washer. I suppose I could serge it, then wash it, then iron it.... Naw, that's not going to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Okay, having been on both sides of this I have to respond. I have never prewashed fabrics (except my hand-dyes of course) to use in a quilt. I like the feel and crispness of the new fabric. To me it is easier to piece, press, and is less likely to stretch. NOW, having said that, let me say this. I recently made a beautiful Mariner's compass wall hanging out of shades of burgandy, blue, and green with a pieced border. All of this was on a cream colored printed background. The quilt had a lot of marking on it from piecing and from quilting, so it needed washed. I used cold water, no soap, and ended up with red dye runing all over my quitl. I have used shout on it and washed it twice since then with the shout wipes, but the red is still there. So, do I prewash? As a rule, no, BUT I will prewash anything red or purple from now on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 This is, of course, mostly a matter of personal preference, but it just dawned on me why Marsha says she pre-washes. If you do, you remove a bit of the slippery finish on the fabric (no doubt the stuff that makes for those crisp seams). This "roughs-up" the fabric so that the pieces do not slip when you sew them. This supposedly makes your piecing more accurate. As far as reds, yellows, oranges, and purples, they go in the wash with Synthrapol before I will use them. And, YES!!! the edge ravels when it goes in the washer and dryer. You pull that stuff off and save it for fun thread art. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 WASh....no way. And yes, I have had reds bleed on me, but I have a Dye Grabber for that to come to my rescue.... In fact, when I bring a new fabric home I promptly take it down to the sewing room and spray the whole thing with EXTRA STIFF spray starch and then put it away. I want a very crisp fabric when I piece, the points are perfect and I have very crisp edges for when I do in the ditch stuff. I feel its easier to handle like Teresa, and with the extra extra starch it doesn't stretch AT ALL. When its washed the extra stuff comes out of the quilt, it shrinks like I want it (like the look of older quilts), and it fluffs up just right for cuddling. It amazing how each of us handle things a bit different. Yet we all come out with a beautiful and wonderful project. I tell my students that if they take 15 classes they will each take home 15 different things from the teacher and if they each read the same 15 books on the subject they will each remember 15 different things said....so in turn they too should be able to write a book and it should have 30 different things from everyone else in the class. We each learn in a different way and we each retain things differently; some by watching, some by reading, some by asking the same silly question 42 times, not a bad thing just a unique thing. Which in my mine makes this a great hobby that doesn't get old...something new to learn each day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyL Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 I pre-wash every smidgen of fabric that comes in. I drop it off in the laundry room (first door when I walk in the house) and it stays there until it's washed so I know everything in my stash has been washed. I made a red/white bear paw last year and had tons of quilting in. When I washed it to rinse away the markers and block it, one of the reds ran . . after having been washed once. It was a Hoffman fabric so it was good quality. I've had quilt shop fabric that feels limp as a damp Kleenex after having been washed and I want to know if a fabric is going to be flimsy before it's in the middle of a quilt. I've quilted tops with fabrics that were not washed and I don't mind quilting them and have never had a problem with stitch quality. Like Linda said, I do get lots of ravels but it's so worth it to me to know what the fabric will look/feel like after it's been washed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakrnsewing Posted July 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 another thing I did not even think about before I posted this topic is what about quilting kits or small pieces of fabric I buy a lot of fat quarters those would be a mess. The reason I posted this topic to begin with is problems with quilting a customer quilt my dealer (not APQS) told me quilts should always be pre-washed otherwise perfect stitches are almost impossible. I am sick over the whole thing and have a plan to sell my current machine for an APQS Milli something that is going to cause some stress with the hubby he won't understand I am sure seeing I just purchased my machine in february. I have to find a good source to post if for sale any suggestions....thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I wash everything that I buy that is possible. Some of the kits, like Thimbleberries, don't have enough there to wash with raveling, but those are the only exceptions. I love the crisp feel of the fabric too. Everytime my quilt hits the ironing board I use heavy starch on it. My quilts are stiffer when I'm done piecing them than when I bought the material. It's easier to line up seams and so on. I even wash my fat quarters. I've only had problems with the raveling on them on one quilt so far. I just used some of the selvadge. In the old days you made due with what you had, so I try to do the same. To each her own, right? Kelly Mille owner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CherylUribe Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 My personal opinion is to wash ALWAYS. Have I? No, not ALWAYS! In her fabric class, Alex Anderson says to always pre wash your fabric because you want to set the dye so it will not bleed, pre shrink, and like Linda said -to wash out the chemicals. Laura Nownes (any of you know her?), wonderful national teacher from No. Ca. anyway, she never pre washes her fabric! She likes the way the new fabric handles and feels that by misting or steaming and pressing that this is enough to pre shrink and set the dye. Guess she does not worry about chemicals. I would use Laura's method for kits. Usually, if someone has a bad experience with bleeding or shrinkage (George Costanza) they will take the lesson and start to pre wash all of their fabric. I have never heard that you should pre wash for tension's sake. I know that with the APQS it is not true. Have your husband call me! Take him to see an APQS in action. If he appreciates quality machinery, he will recognize it immediately with these machines. We have a classified section on this site. www.houseofhansen.com is a great site as well. I sold my old machine on there in two weeks to a nice lady only 20 miles from my home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandraC Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 This is one of those times we all have to agree to disagree, I guess. Personally, all my fabric goes directly into the wash as soon as it get home. I like the soft fabric to work with. I also hate to iron...for the first four years of marriage we didn't have a dryer so in the winter the laundry was hung in the basement to dry...needless to say, everything needed ironing!! On the other hand, when the fabric comes out of the dryer, I get some kind of sick satisfaction in pressing it and folding it into beautiful piles. Please tell me someone else out there understands!!! I did have a beautiful applique quilt come my way this year....tulips on white background sashed with brilliant red fabric, and, no, the red did not run.....but it shrank drastically. I actually had to take tucks in the white appliqued blocks...after discussing with the customer....it was a crying shame:( but....to each his own, it's one of those times, I think, when there is no right or wrong. Well, off to work...getting almost nothing this week with the humid weather we're experiencing lately....makes me long for a good, old Canadian winter day!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Oh Sandra, I understand your joy in pressing fabric and your hatred of ironing clothes. I have the same disease Ironing clothes is a chore. Pressing fabric is fun. That's the difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I like pressing fabic too. There is just something about watching the wrinkles disappear and the fabric looking all fresh - do you think we could get a group rate with Dr. Phil:P You all have almost convinced me to start washing - a few more post for and I may do it:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltaholi_518 Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I am not a pre-washer. Like some said, either I am lazy or just too anxious to start quilting! My son's wedding quilt (divorced 1 year later, at least he kept the quilt!) had a lot of burgandies and darks in it, so I did prewash that grouping. I don't think I heard anyone talk about testing for colorfastness. I take a white piece of cloth, preferable a cut up towel (bleached white if it was used) wet it with plain cold water, then take any fabric that I think might be troublemakers and rub, rub, rub, hard as I can for as long as I can stand it. I look at the white cloth, and if there's loose dye, I wash it. I try and look at the rinse water as it comes out of the machine, and if it's stained I don't even use it. If it retains loose dye through 2 cycles, I don't want it. Some of the worst of the better quilt shop quality I have found is, believe it or not, Moda Marbles. One more point, I firmly believe that MOST of the shrinkage in any quilt comes from the cotton batting, and not the fabric. I have seen some quilts, even thought the fabic was prewashed shrink 3 inches because the batting was not pre-washed and dried. It softens it up nicely, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnuGram Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Sandra: I have the same disease. I could iron fabric for hours but go into apopletic shock if I have to iron a blouse. I'm like others who pre wash. It goes from the shopping bag into the washer. Part of my reasoning, along with all the others mentioned above, is that I believe different fabric will shrink different amounts, even if it is all cotton. Once it is in the quilt, I don't want different parts to shrink differently. But, having said that, I cannot convince my quilting sister to prewash for life nor money. I have never had a problem quilting her quilts. Sara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarieBrewer Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I do not wash my fabric b/4 I use it unless it is red. My reasoning is that environmentally, I don't want to use any more water and electricity than is necessary. Loosely translated, I'm too stinking lazy to go through all of that work!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9patch Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I prewash. I still had a bear paw quilt, with red fabric, run into the white background. I think that the problem was that I allowed the quilt to stay lumped up in the washer after the spin. Had I removed it I think it would have been okay. An immediate rewashing with synthrapol took out the excess dye...mostly. I hate to mention this, but another reason to not store unwashed fabric, I was told, was to avoid insects that are attracted to the starch and sizing. It could be incorrect information, don't know. Linda/9patch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltinkay Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I was told to put a piece of material in a glass of water and microwave it for about 2 minutes. If it runs you know you need to wash it. If not you are good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxley Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I'm one of those sick people who prewash everything before it goes into my studio. Hot water, gentle cycle. 5 minutes in a hot dryer, pull it out damp then heavy starch. While I don't really enjoy the pressing, I do love the feel of the fabric, and seeing it all stacked up waiting to be cut. I also use a lot of starch when piecing. I hate piecing with limp fabric. Mary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debberdo Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Here's my 2 cents, if anyone cares anymore! When I had my fabric shop, I would get bolts in from the manufacturer. I included in each bolt was a recommendation to prewash. So I recommend it as well. Plus the fact that I had dye transfer AND shrinkage (George, again) in a quilt once and it ruined it! I test each fabric piece for colorfastness as well. We do this at the theatre costume shop I work in, too. Nothing worse than Joseph's techno dreamcoat coming out all pink in the middle of the run! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I noticed that several talked about loosing the crispness of the new fabric when pre-washing. I have pre-washed my fabic, then during the rinse cycle added corn starch to the cold water. Then when I iron the stiffness is there. If you can find it, use half corn and half wheat starch. I use this because I am too cheap to buy spray starch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katydids Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I'd be afraid that I would get little critters trying to eat my quilt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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