until it’s pre-washed<\/a> often do so for these reasons.<\/p>\n1. It Prevents Vibrant Dyes From Spreading onto Other Fabric<\/h3>\n
Some bright colors, like reds and purples, can run and bleed when washed, which is a devastating surprise when it happens to a finished quilt. Washing fabrics beforehand reduces this risk.<\/p>\n
2. Fabric Shrinks When Washed and Dried<\/h3>\n
When stitched together, the fibers of the fabrics are pulled nice and straight. But laundering causes them to either shrink or relax back into their natural shape. If you haven\u2019t pre-washed fabrics before they were cut and sewn, this can cause some distortion in a finished quilt.<\/p>\n
3. It Removes Any Chemicals That Have Been Used on the Fabric<\/h3>\n
This is especially helpful for people who have sensitive skin, essentially giving the maker a clean slate that they know is safe for them to work on.<\/p>\n
Tips for Pre-Washing<\/h2>\n
If you’ve decided to pre-wash your fabric , keep these tips in mind before tossing in the machine.<\/p>\n
1. Sort Fabric by Colors, Separating Light and Dark<\/h3>\n
Always wash like colors together on a cold cycle with a gentle detergent, and follow the manufacturer’s directions for laundering. Once the wash finishes, shake out fabrics before tossing into the dryer. (And remove fabric promptly to prevent wrinkles.)<\/p>\n
2. Trim the Edges Before Folding Your Fabric<\/h3>\n
The edges will fray during this process, so make sure to trim them off. You can also serge or zigzag stitch them to keep everything tidy.<\/p>\n
3. Never Wash Precut Fabric<\/h3>\n
The small pieces are likely to get lost in your machine, so it’s best to avoid that situation altogether.<\/p>\n
Team No Pre-Wash<\/h2>\n
Some quilters think pre-washing fabric is a waste of time \u2014 here’s why.<\/p>\n
1. A Little Shrinking Isn’t Such a Big Deal<\/h3>\n
We\u2019re not talking massive distortion here, rather the cozy, crinkly look you get after laundering a quilt made from fabrics that weren’t pre-washed. The exception here is flannel and minky fabric \u2014 they shrink a lot and should always be pre-washed.<\/p>\n
2. Dyes Bleed Way Less Than They Used To<\/h3>\n
Many manufacturers realize that pre-washing isn’t exactly fun, so they work hard to ensure that dyes are set completely. If you’re really concerned about this though, do a test: soak a small piece of fabric in warm, soapy water. If the water is still clear after 30 minutes, you\u2019re good to go. If the water has taken on color, pre-wash the fabric with a color fixative like Retayne, which helps the dye become more permanent.<\/p>\n
3. Unwashed can be Easier to Piece<\/h3>\n
Starches and sizing agents provide that extra crispness that makes it behave so nicely during piecing.<\/p>\n
4. It Won’t be Laundered Again<\/h3>\n
If you\u2019re making something purely decorative, like a wall hanging, that won\u2019t be used and laundered over time, there\u2019s no reason to take that extra step. Skip straight to crafting!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A big debate in the world of quilting is whether or not fabric should be washed before it’s ever used in a quilt. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of pre-washing, and some helpful tips to follow if you’re on Team Prewash!<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead more \u00bb<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1414,"featured_media":310235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[67],"tags":[3455,3246],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/2023.craftsy.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29339"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/2023.craftsy.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/2023.craftsy.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2023.craftsy.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1414"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2023.craftsy.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/2023.craftsy.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2023.craftsy.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/310235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/2023.craftsy.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2023.craftsy.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2023.craftsy.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/www.craftsy.com\/app\/uploads\/craft\/2013\/08\/woman-drying-fabric.png\")
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