Washing & Ironing - opinions?
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Washing & Ironing - opinions? Steph 08-20-2008
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Posted by Steph on August 20, 2008, 6:39 pm


Hi all,

I've been reading and taking classes - trying to learn all I can and I
can't get a good grip on the "to wash or not to wash" and the "to iron
or not to iron - steam or tamping" issues.

To summarize what I understand:

Washing pros:
* wash off all the nasty chemicals on the fabric
* less puckering or bulking of fabric

Washing cons:
* fabric gets "soft" and is more difficult to work with
* fabric can "stretch" and be more difficult to work with
* I washed fabric for a kaleidoscope project and it definitely was a
bad idea but the "stack & whack" process is pretty unique...

Ironing: using steam can stretch and distort the fabric v steam gives
good crisp folds

I just went on a shopping binge (yay!) and I don't know what to do -
wash or not... I was about to throw everything in the wash with a
color catcher but then read a watercolor quilt book and then said in
NO WAY to wash...

I'd love to hear what you all do, what your opinions are!

Thanks for any and all insights :)

Steph

Posted by Louise on August 20, 2008, 7:47 pm


You'll get a wide variety of answers and reasons to that inquiry!

Me? I'm a washer - I've had too many bad experiences with fabric dye
running, so I don't like to take chances. If the fabric seems too limp after
it's been washed and ironed, I sometimes use spray starch to give it more
body before I cut and sew. I don't worry about the starch staying in the
fabric, as I almost always wash my quilts when they're bound and ready to be
loved. I also wash and dry my batting before using it so that any shrinkage
takes place before it's a part of the quilt. Sometimes that's not good -
depends on the look you like for your finished quilt.

For pressing, I don't use steam. Sometimes, though, I do take a small
artist's paintbrush, dip it in water, and run it along the seam line (I
press my seams open as a general rule). That helps create a pretty flat seam
without the steam distorting the whole piece.

--
Louise in Iowa
nielandl@ msn dot com
http://community.webshots.com/user/louiseiniowa


> Hi all,
>
> I've been reading and taking classes - trying to learn all I can and I
> can't get a good grip on the "to wash or not to wash" and the "to iron
> or not to iron - steam or tamping" issues.
>
> To summarize what I understand:
>
> Washing pros:
> * wash off all the nasty chemicals on the fabric
> * less puckering or bulking of fabric
>
> Washing cons:
> * fabric gets "soft" and is more difficult to work with
> * fabric can "stretch" and be more difficult to work with
> * I washed fabric for a kaleidoscope project and it definitely was a
> bad idea but the "stack & whack" process is pretty unique...
>
> Ironing: using steam can stretch and distort the fabric v steam gives
> good crisp folds
>
> I just went on a shopping binge (yay!) and I don't know what to do -
> wash or not... I was about to throw everything in the wash with a
> color catcher but then read a watercolor quilt book and then said in
> NO WAY to wash...
>
> I'd love to hear what you all do, what your opinions are!
>
> Thanks for any and all insights :)
>
> Steph



Posted by jennellh on August 21, 2008, 12:23 am


For the most part, I am an 'unwashed' type of person....new fabric is
steam-ironed selvage to selvage - centre fold to selvage and then is
lengthwise folded for shelving storage. Batik fabric is the exception
but it doesn't go into the washer - I prefer to soak the fabrics in
hot tap water with a squirt of gentle hand soap (a small piece of
white flannelette in the water to check for any runs) - when the water
cools enough to handle the fabric - it is rinsed until the water is
clear - check the flannelette for any colour change - hang the fabric
over the bathtub to drip dry. I rarely work with flannel fabrics but
when I do - they are machine washed and dried for shrinkage.
jennellh

> Hi all,
>
> I've been reading and taking classes - trying to learn all I can and I
> can't get a good grip on the "to wash or not to wash" and the "to iron
> or not to iron - steam or tamping" issues.
>
> To summarize what I understand:
>
> Washing pros:
> =A0 * wash off all the nasty chemicals on the fabric
> =A0 * less puckering or bulking of fabric
>
> Washing cons:
> =A0 * fabric gets "soft" and is more difficult to work with
> =A0 * fabric can "stretch" and be more difficult to work with
> =A0 * I washed fabric for a kaleidoscope project and it definitely was a
> bad idea but the "stack & whack" process is pretty unique...
>
> Ironing: using steam can stretch and distort the fabric v steam gives
> good crisp folds
>
> I just went on a shopping binge (yay!) and I don't know what to do -
> wash or not... =A0I was about to throw everything in the wash with a
> color catcher but then read a watercolor quilt book and then said in
> NO WAY to wash...
>
> I'd love to hear what you all do, what your opinions are!
>
> Thanks for any and all insights :)
>
> Steph


Posted by Roberta on August 21, 2008, 6:50 am


Don't iron -press! Up and down, and put a little muscle into it unless
you are lucky enough to have a really heavy iron. I usually press w/o
steam, then give it a single shot of steam without moving the iron to
set a good crease.

IMO seams can be pressed open or to the side, depending on how the
block needs to go together. If you want to press open, you can run the
very edge of the iron just over the stitching line in between the
layers to separate them cleanly. Then press flat.

I'm a washer. Sometimes washing relaxes the grain in a wonky piece
(sometimes not), and it always helps get rid of the center fold. Then
when I press (slightly damp) fabric after washing, I can see surface
flaws, if any. Fading along the crease line, little slubs, whatever. I
don't always have the luxury of top-quality LQS fabric from the US.
Some of it comes from home furnishing shops, or flea markets, or
holiday trips. I want to know that all of it will hold up to normal
laundry, because my quilts are made to be washed.
Roberta in D

On Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:39:19 -0700 (PDT), Steph

>Hi all,
>
>I've been reading and taking classes - trying to learn all I can and I
>can't get a good grip on the "to wash or not to wash" and the "to iron
>or not to iron - steam or tamping" issues.
>
>To summarize what I understand:
>
>Washing pros:
> * wash off all the nasty chemicals on the fabric
> * less puckering or bulking of fabric
>
>Washing cons:
> * fabric gets "soft" and is more difficult to work with
> * fabric can "stretch" and be more difficult to work with
> * I washed fabric for a kaleidoscope project and it definitely was a
>bad idea but the "stack & whack" process is pretty unique...
>
>Ironing: using steam can stretch and distort the fabric v steam gives
>good crisp folds
>
>I just went on a shopping binge (yay!) and I don't know what to do -
>wash or not... I was about to throw everything in the wash with a
>color catcher but then read a watercolor quilt book and then said in
>NO WAY to wash...
>
>I'd love to hear what you all do, what your opinions are!
>
>Thanks for any and all insights :)
>
>Steph

Posted by MB on August 21, 2008, 8:16 am


I wish I hadn't washed some fabric that had square panels on it because I
wanted
to cut perfect squares and after washing the square panels were a bit off
and since they had a little printed border on them it was difficult trying
to
cut out squares w/ o cutting into that border. Mary

> Hi all,
>
> I've been reading and taking classes - trying to learn all I can and I
> can't get a good grip on the "to wash or not to wash" and the "to iron
> or not to iron - steam or tamping" issues.
>
> To summarize what I understand:
>
> Washing pros:
> * wash off all the nasty chemicals on the fabric
> * less puckering or bulking of fabric
>
> Washing cons:
> * fabric gets "soft" and is more difficult to work with
> * fabric can "stretch" and be more difficult to work with
> * I washed fabric for a kaleidoscope project and it definitely was a
> bad idea but the "stack & whack" process is pretty unique...
>
> Ironing: using steam can stretch and distort the fabric v steam gives
> good crisp folds
>
> I just went on a shopping binge (yay!) and I don't know what to do -
> wash or not... I was about to throw everything in the wash with a
> color catcher but then read a watercolor quilt book and then said in
> NO WAY to wash...
>
> I'd love to hear what you all do, what your opinions are!
>
> Thanks for any and all insights :)
>
> Steph


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