The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Fun with Fabric => Topic started by: sewingj on May 08, 2017, 12:49:31 PM
-
.
-
I never washed fabric pre-sewing and only ever sewed wovens. Nothing has subsequently shrunk in the wash. :D
-
I wash washable fabrics before cutting out (though not tweed and the like of course!). Although I've not really had a problem with shrinkage there is always the possibility so best not to risk it. I also think it is useful to wash out any special finishes and also to see what the fabric is like after washing.
-
Out of the bag: into the washing machine.
That's what I always do.
Cotton jersey is notorious for shrinking - don't know about viscose.
-
I think the only thing I've ever pre-washed is denim, and that's more to get rid of some of the dye. Mind you, you see my user name...
-
.
-
I always wash everything. Why not? It just seems silly to me to take the risk when it requires you to do so little work to wash it (bung it in, hang it up). Most people who say nothing has ever shrunk on them have just had nothing shrink on them yet and when you do, it's devastating :(
-
Overlock or zig zag the edges if it's woven and then into the washer, every time. I couldn't bear to put lots of effort into a garment and then find it was too small.
I've had knits shrink considerably before now.
-
Just about all my washing goes in the tumble drier which is a devil for shrinking stuff so I do prewash fabric and tumble dry it too. Even then I have 2 pairs of jeans I've made that are now too short after several washes.
-
I wash all fabric before using as soon as I get it. Viscose shrinks quite a lot. Why waste time and money making something that might shrink. It also gets rid of excess dye and any finish that might be on the fabric that could cause skipped stitches.
-
I always wash before I cut.
-
Only if it's smelly, or market stall grubby. Never had anything shrink, but I don't have a tumble drier. You guys are RUINING your clothes with the bloody things you know! [And filling the sea with fleece fibres...]
-
Trouble is, living where I do, I would never get washing dry without a drier. I first got one after bringing a line of washing back in for the fourth time to spin the rainwater out of it. I think that was the year we had 103 consecutive days with rain.
-
I always wash first, mainly because I don't want nasty surprises in a made up garment and partly because who knows where the fabric has been.
It's either line dried or if the weather is very wet it gets hung over the banister rail (same as sheets) where it dries quite quickly - warm air rises don't you know. I had a tumble dryer when the girls were babies but haven't owned one for years and although I do dislike having wet washing in the house I'm not keen on getting another one.
-
I only got my tumble dryer at Christmas and, as sad as it is, it's changed my life. Washing taking four days to dry, making the house feel cold and damp, I would never go back. I still hang in the summer when I can of course, but I put all fabrics in the tumble dryer so I know they can be tumble dried at a later date.
-
I always think of pre-washing fabric as a thing invented our friends across the pond who put everything in their tumble dryers... That said, I do try usually prewash if I am planning to wash the finished garment in the machine, or at the very least (when I am impatient to get started) give it a good spray and a hot iron. As others have said, it's not worth the risk.
-
I think that's me! Across the pond.
I've had countless storebought blouses/tops shrink from perfect to past wearable the first time they were washed in cold and hung to dry. I would never wash clothes from a store at anything but cold or tumble dry them- they would be ruined! Denim continues to shrink over many washes, so jeans that are just barely long enough when purchased start to look silly in short time.
Yes, I wash and tumble dry pretty much all fabric as soon as I get it to shrink it, get nasty chemical finishes off, and give it a chance to start pilling or otherwise going bad before I've spent anything but money on it. I can't afford to waste money, but as I don't feel well so often, I can't bear to waste good time on bad fabric!
-
I always wash everything. Why not? It just seems silly to me to take the risk when it requires you to do so little work to wash it (bung it in, hang it up).
What about pressing it to get out the creasing caused by the washing? I didn't prewash fabrics or even press before cutting and all I ever needed to do was smooth out the folds.
-
What about pressing it to get out the creasing caused by the washing? I didn't prewash fabrics or even press before cutting and all I ever needed to do was smooth out the folds.
I usually press just before I start sewing, with my steam iron. I don't find things that are either hung or tumble dried take much time at all to press, 5 minutes tops for 3m which is my standard (it's usually just the edges that crinkle the most). It's also a good way to get an idea of the handfeel of the fabric and how it behaves so you can prepare whether you might need to cut it in a particular way or starch it.
-
If it takes a lot of pressing after pre-washing you know in advance that the finished item will need a lot of ironing. :[