The Sewing Place

Pre-washing

sewingj

Re: Pre-washing
« Reply #30 on: November 02, 2019, 09:21:26 AM »
Thanks @renita   that`s very helpful..  What would you do if you were cutting fabric with horizontal stripes?  I`m wondering if it would be best to cut the piece as a single layer and concentrate on getting the stripes right?

p.s. how about putting these tips into a "cutting out knit fabric" tutorial?  I`m sure I`m not the only one who would find it useful

Ohsewsimple

Re: Pre-washing
« Reply #31 on: November 02, 2019, 10:06:08 AM »
I would cut mine in a single layer @sewingj although I’m not likely to use stripes.  :o
I don’t think it would be problem.   Vertical stripes may be another matter.    :)
I always suggest making sure striped and checked fabric in a woven is always woven in and not printed on. 

Kwaaked

Re: Pre-washing
« Reply #32 on: November 02, 2019, 15:09:14 PM »
I overthink pre-washing like I do everything else.  Knowledge of fabric is important if you decide not to, so knowing what it is made of as well as the weave plays a role.  Generally, I've been pre-washing since my fabric is all several years old (I bought fabric when I couldn't sew).  Usually, for the fabrics I do pre-wash normally, I cut a swatch out of it (I have a template that is 6x6" square) and measure it once done to determine the percentage of shrinkage, and go on.

On fabric cutting, I cut everything in a single layer.  On matching patterns, it's another thing I overthink with forked and T pins.  I also chalk the outline in one color and the seam allowance in another, and baste the stitch line and cut piece by piece to match the patterns, then baste the seams together before sewing.  Fabric type doesn't matter.

Like @UttaRetch I find the prep stage tedious, so I tend to do several items in different stages at once.

renita

Re: Pre-washing
« Reply #33 on: November 03, 2019, 04:08:37 AM »
Good question @sewingj.  I also don't deal with striped knits very often.  When I have, I've also cut stripes in a single layer and concentrated on getting them horizontal on the garment piece, matching at seams if required.  That might mean that my pattern piece ends up skewed, in relation to the normal grain line direction and not parallel as we'd normally aim for. 

That's okay, we're allowed to break the rules from time to time...

My striped garments have still remained 'square' with no side seam twisting (something I hate), even though 'off-grain' by traditional techniques.  And since the stripes are then the dominant feature, it's best they look correct and horizontal, rather than worrying about whether the courses (the vertical lines in the knits) are exactly vertical. 



More curious (or possibly incredibly boring - read at your own risk) technical snippets about knitted stripes:

- Knitting coloured stripes in the fabric, using coloured yarns, is more risky for the manufacturer - what if the colours they've knitted in don't sell?  Stripes may instead be created using two different fibres and then dyeing the fibres with their respective dyes at the last minute, so the manufacturer can respond faster to what is selling in store.  If you buy a poly/cotton knit, one stripe colour is likely to be poly, the other cotton, so that different colourways are created by just dyeing the cotton to the required colour - the polyester won't be affected by cotton dyes and will stay white.
-Striped knit fabrics have 'skew' built into the stripes (as do all circular knits, but it's more obvious in striped fabric!) - if you've ever hand-knitted in the round yourself, you'll know that you are actually knitting a spiral and our one thread ends up on top of the round before it.  In commercial knits, there are dozens of yarns being knitted around at the same time, so one yarn ends up being separated from its previous round by several centimetres.

sewingj

Re: Pre-washing
« Reply #34 on: November 03, 2019, 07:59:59 AM »
@renita   - not boring at all!  I had no idea they did this for striped fabric

Ohsewsimple

Re: Pre-washing
« Reply #35 on: November 03, 2019, 11:49:09 AM »
@renita good grief, I had to read that a couple of times!   Fascinating!    But the stripes are still knitted in and not printed on so that’s ok then. 

BrendaP

Re: Pre-washing
« Reply #36 on: November 03, 2019, 12:07:29 PM »
if you've ever hand-knitted in the round yourself, you'll know that you are actually knitting a spiral and our one thread ends up on top of the round before it.  In commercial knits, there are dozens of yarns being knitted around at the same time, so one yarn ends up being separated from its previous round by several centimetres.

If you hand knit stripes in the round the end of one stripe could end up several cm away from where that yarn is next used, depending on the width of the following stripe(s).  You can also hand knit with several different yarns in the same round, changing over each time you get to the next one.  Sometimes called a blender technique.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Nevis5

Re: Pre-washing
« Reply #37 on: November 03, 2019, 12:13:01 PM »
Wow!  this is such great information, thank you both @renita and @BrendaP  !!  And I thought I'd just cut out my stripy fabric wonky.  Now I know I wasn't going mad..... thank you again xx

Catllar

Re: Pre-washing
« Reply #38 on: November 04, 2019, 17:08:18 PM »
This has been helpful - learn something new every day - who knew about stripes and dyeing? ( me obviously)  Have made a horizontal stripe knit top this week. Got a not bad match on the side seams as I cut out in one layer, with emphasis on the stripes. When I get it on I'll take a picture. :) Quite pleased with it. Less hassle than my bloody black dress, to be fair!
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Fabric Lover

Re: Pre-washing
« Reply #39 on: November 09, 2019, 08:29:40 AM »
This thread has been interesting and explains why the fabric for the striped top I also made this week wouldn’t line up after I’d washed it. Both the front and the back were cut on the fold and I decided that it was more important to match the stripes at the side seams than get it exactly on grain. I haven’t washed it yet so hopefully won’t have an issue there!  :S
Stitching in Staffordshire with Style! (Well hopefully anyway)