I have read on some blogs, and I can't remember which ones, but after a quilt has been completely finished it has been washed before it's been given away.
I have never washed mine, mine have always been given in 'brand new' condition however, I used to always wash everything before I started a quilt.. The staff at my local quilting store are not fussed about washing the fabric before making a quilt either.
I wonder if the washing of a quilt after it is finished helps to 'puff' the fabric up a bit?
What do you girls do? Do you wash the fabric before cutting and sewing, or do you wash the entire quilt once it is all finished? Or maybe you don't do either?
I'd love your feedback on this!
Thanks,
Carole ;)
10 comments:
I was taught to always was my fabrics first - incase the colours ran or they shrunk and so thats what I do.........unless I am using a pre-cut pack like a jelly roll or charm squares then I don't wash anything before hand.....so, I'm not sure that I am helping you here!...lol
I don't know that the fabric 'fluff's' up when they wash their quilts before giving.....I thought it was to give it a more wrinkled vintage look.....but I don't know.
gah! that should say 'wash' in the first line of my comment above!
Hi Carole,
I used to wash absolutely everything, but no longer wash anything, and it doesn't seem to make a bit of difference at all. will be interested to see what others say!
I always wash my fabric - some still do bleed. I use the product Retayne in the water to set the dyes in any fabric that might bleed and have had success with it. I also wash the quilt after it is finished and block it. After handling it during the process of making it the fabrics pick up body oils from your hands and dirt from the environment. Not saying my house is dirty but there is always lint and dust to clean up and we drag the quilts through this as we are making them. My quilts are not "done" until they are washed and blocked.
I don't prewash the fabric. I make the quilt and then wash it before giving it away. Most of my designs are nostalgic and usually involve Thimbleberries fabric and needleturned applique. Washing them when completed causes them to scrunch and puff up in between the hand quilting and add to the old fashioned "look" I wish to achieve.
I do not usually wash fabric before unless I am concerned about the colors running. I always wash a quilt when it is done as I like the look of how it puffs. My mon who is 90 irons her quilts to get the wrinkles out. I think it must just be you own personal choice.
Well, the one and only quilt i made was still being made at midnite, the night before the birthday so it got wrapped quick smart!
i like them to have that wrinkly look too after the first wash and if you wash batting first it falls to pieces anyway... lkearnt that the hard way! jenxo
Hi Carole-
I just started working on a baby quilt and washed all the colors before cutting the fabric--rather hard to resist just getting started immediately, but pre-washed in case they weren't colorfast. I thought maybe washing after the quilt is completed would be to remove any "oil" from handling when constructing, but I do love the old "wrinkly" look, so that's a good reason too!
I always washed before cutting the fabric. But gee that was back in the olden days .... 80's and 90's!!
I'm a little behind on commenting...but, I usually wash my quilts. Not only does washing change the appearance, but the way the fabric feels and the way it smells!! Washing just makes them the best of the best.
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