Tuesday 3 June 2008

Patchwork Fabric Prewashing Advice

In our Fabric Palettes Catalogue we included some advice on prewashing your patchwork fabrics. I have now put this up on the website and I have included the details below for your information.

Washing patchwork fabrics.
Some patchworkers prefer not to prewash fabric, but prewashing new fabrics generally ensures that there will be no uneven shrinkage and no transfer of colours when the finished piece is washed. These guidelines apply to most 100% cotton fabrics, but we would always advise testing a small piece first as manufacturing processes do vary:

Unfold all fabrics before putting into the washing machine.

Wash light coloured fabrics in tepid water with a phosphate free detergent.

Soak dark coloured fabrics individually in cold water for approximately half an hour and then machine wash in cold water with a phosphate free detergent.

Ensure your washing machine is set to a low spin cycle, Tumble fabric almost dry then remove and press with an iron.

Completed quilts made from light and dark fabrics should only be washed in cold water.

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