Hoppo Bumpo (n): A children's game. Played by folding one's arms and hopping on one leg. Aim is to bump opponents, so that they lose their balance. Last person standing wins.


January 06, 2009

The bit no-one talks about



Its there. At the start of every sewing project. An instruction. Launder your fabric before commencing. Yes, take your brand spanking new piece of weave or knit loveliness and pop it in the wash. Then dry it, then press it, then begin sewing.

It sounds so undemanding ... in much the same way that the instruction Fly to the moon sounds simple enough on paper. The simplicity of the wording belies the reality.

The reality, yes. Fraying of raw edges. Curling of selvedges. Appearance of stubborn wrinkles. Disappearance of fabric ooomph. Crazed new angle of weave and weft. The chance of ever cutting crisp, flat pattern pieces from the mangled mess: slim at best.

No one seems to talk openly about it. A bit like haemorrhoids; awfully common, very annoying, but no-one admits to the problem. Occasionally I see pictures posted on blogs (of fabric, not haemorrhoids ... though I'm sure you can find those if you look). Captioned along the lines of ... Here is my new fabric, which I laundered today ... they are invariably sunny pictures of prints and plains breezing on the clothesline. And ne'er a hint of a loose thread.

So is it just me?

Am I the only one who manages to unravel fabric in the wash? The solitary sewist producing such a tangled mess, that the fabric ends up lashed like Ulysses to the washing machine mast agitator? Does anyone else have to disengage each piece of fabric from the textile melee and cut off yards of ropey fray? Or set their steam iron to Hot-As-Hades to press the fabric into submission?

I have been tempted to skip the washing, but I fear the dire warnings of dye bleeds and 10 percentage shrinkage. However this whole palaver is really taking the shine off new projects ... and not to mention several inches of the original fabric. At least the haemorrhoids can be treated.


Found at the bottom of my washing machine

Edit: Thank you for all the informative comments. This has been fabulous! If you are in the "never wash" camp, you might like to post Craftblog's newly created button for extreme sewers and quilters. See over here for details!

Extreme

39 comments:

  1. No, it's not just you. I found that happening with new fabrics so now I don't bother to wash them. Everything still turns out beautifully and doesn't shrink...I suppose it's the kind of fabric used too.

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  2. i had a spurt of energy a few weeks back and washed, dried and ironed about 25 pieces of fabric i had bought over the last year... i've gotten paranoid about shrinkage! mine got all frayed and horrible and took forever to defray and press, i didnt think to take a photo of the pretty mess :)

    Because of my fear of shrinkage i've also started buying a little extra, say when i normally would get a half metre, i'll go for 60cm now. and with the metre i'll go to 1.25 just in case!

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  3. When I first started quilting I lived in a apartment building with a scary laundry room. So washing all my fabrics was an expensive and terrifying proposition. I have never pre-washed my fabrics and I've never had a problem. Most of the quilters I know do not pre-wash.

    However, if I'm using fabric other than a quilting cotton (wool, linen, or thrifted fabric) I will prewash. I think if you are buying quality fabric from a quilt shop you shouldn't have to worry so much.

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  4. I always pre-wash, but because I buy only a piece or two at a time I often just throw it in with the rest of my laundry and if there isn't anything else for it to tangle with it doesn't seem to be a problem. Plus I know that the fabric has been washed in the same manner it will be once it has been made into a garment or a quilt.

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  5. I put my fabrics in a stocking bag as a way of avoiding this happening... do you do this? I get a little fraying but nothing like you!!!!! Also instead of washing you can just stick the fabric in REALLY hot water and wait till it cools. Squeeze and then dry then iron. Does this help?

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  6. I'm in the never pre-wash camp and have never had any problems with shrinkage. The only fabric I pre-wash is stuff from the op shop.

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  7. I just dump it in warm water in the laundry trough for ten minutes, then spin and dry... no fraying.

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  8. There are two schools of thought about pre-washing fabric - apparently quilting fabrics if good enough quality don't need prewashing. Personally, I pre-wash everything, usually as soon as I get it. Then I know that everything in the stash is washed and ready to go. I usually throw them in with other washing, or else put them in laundry bags to minimise the tangling. I try to wash them in the same way they'll be washed once they're made up. They're usually easier to iron if they are a little damp, too - helps with getting those creases out! Good luck.

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  9. i've never been a huge pre-washer, but i also put it in a stocking/laundry bag.

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  10. I have to admit, and I feel a little guilty I only pre-wash if it is red or the fabric is stiff and needs it. I feel terribly guilty now.

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  11. I never pre-wash. If you buy good quality fabric the most shrinkage you'll get is 5% - which isn't very much at all. I never make a garment so tight that 5% shrinkage will make it unwearable, and I've never had a problem with bags, bibs or other projects shrinking in the wash..

    Do you think all your shop-bought fashion and homewares items had the fabric washed before they were made up? I can tell you with certainty that the fabric is cut straight from the bolt.

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  12. I hand wash with a small amount of wool wash in hot water, spin, drip dry then iron whilst still damp. But recently the crappy weather has lead me to making then washing, so far no disasters, fingers crossed it will stay that way!

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  13. I must admit that I never pre-wash new bought fabric (far too lazy for that). I only wash stuff that I find at the op-shop. I have a front loader and I think it washes pretty gently so I don't really have any problems with it.

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  14. I pre-wash fabric as I buy it. But before it goes into the machine, I overlock the cut edges. This avoids the fraying, and allows me to always know if a piece of fabric has been washed or not. If it is overlocked, it's been washed.

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  15. The whole point of prewashing is to pre shrink your fabric and get rid of any sizing. However, I don't mind the sizing - it's makes sewing with it easier.

    So here's what I do - I dump the fabric in luke warm water in the tub with a teensy bit of soap (not enough to create suds), swish around a bit, drain the water, and then run cold water on the top of the fabric (you don't need much to rinse if you only use a teensy bit of soap). Then I spin them in the washing machine, and they come out very unfrayed. Very. Hardly any threads.

    It might be worth giving it a go?

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  16. Oh, and I shoiuld have added that I never pre-wash quilting fabric unless it's red. And even then I test the red first - I snip off a swatch, soak it in warm water, and then lay it on a piece of white (and washed) fabric, like a hanky or calico. If it bleeds into your white fabric as it dries, then it gets a thorough washing and de-redding.

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  17. Another never washer here and so far there hasn't been any problems, the quilt police haven't chased me down, my size 12 skirt isn't a size 8 and my son can still fit into his pants :)

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  18. It looks like it's all been said. I'm in the rarely wash before use category, it depends totally on the fabric and the project and my state of mind! I don't know why I didn't think of it before but as I read your post I thought laundry bag but never when I've done my own!! and have to agree with Nikki with regard to shop bought items.

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  19. I end up with bucket loads of frayed bits so it's great to read all these tips in the comments. I dont know if I dare not pre-wash fabric, hmmm...

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  20. I prewash - possibly because of lack of knowledge now that I've read all your clever commenters.

    I read somewhere on a blog - no idea where - that if you cut a small bit of the corners off if reduces fraying. I haven't tried and am not sure if I believe it!

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  21. I'm a very recent convert to pre-washing fabric and have found that some fray more than others. Those $6 cottons in the quilting section at spotlight become a tangled mess, but the more substantial fabrics don't.
    The most frustrating thing I find is the mountain of crinkly ironing!

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  22. I only wash forst because of the fear that has been driven into me by various people but maybe I don't really need to? Just think of all that time I could have saved!!!

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  23. I don't unless it's something special... and when I do I sew zig-zag across the cut edges and then it hardly frays.. but really, most of the time I can't be bothered!

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  24. I've been tossing up for ages whether to be in the prewash camp or not. I haven't so far, maybe I'll take up some above advice and soak in hot water then spin dry...seems like a good in the middle solution!

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  25. i dont sew but its a great idea...just in case huh? lovely weather for drying fabric though...

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  26. One of the best things about Hoppo Bumpo is that you are not afraid to raise the serious issues! I had a similar misadventure with pre washing and now practice avoidance. If absoutely necessary (ie using flannel or non colour fast reds) I wash in a lingerie bag or clip the corners to minimise the unravelling.

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  27. So am I the only person here aware of the formaldehyde new fabric is drenched in, to protect their stock from moths and other assorted fabric munching bugs? Damn right I prewash. As soon as it walks in the door, it goes straight into the laundry pile. If it's early enough in the day, it goes straight in the machine, too. (I have read long discussions about the formaldehyde on sewing forums and lists...it's very real. It's also the reason some people get a splitting headache when they walk into a fabric store, and some kids turn into screaming banshees.)

    Iron, though?? I can barely bring myself to press hems, much less iron yardage. The only exceptions are when it's SUCH a mess I can't finger smooth, and the pattern is getting messed up.

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  28. oh god - I must walk around with my head in a bucket. Formaldehyde? Pre-washing?

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  29. Ha Ha - just like childbirth. I don't wash either but then I don't make quilts.

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  30. So, can I blame formaldehyde on fabric for Ollie acting like a screaming banshee? He has grown up in fabric and craft shops!

    i used to just cut straight into my fabric, but now I wash first, with a very similar outcome to yours.

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  31. I am not generally a prewash person, I wash once the item is complete before use. This ensures that all the markings and the chemicals the fabric are treated with are removed. I worked in the chemical industry for a long time and they are used in the manufacture and treatment of the majority of products which we use on a daily basis, there is no need to be concerned about the chemicals involved in the production of fabric unless you have specific intolerances.

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  32. I pre-wash only when I have too. Like you, mine always fray too much and never iron wrinkle free again.. gives me the grump.. So I don't wash unless I have too (red and purple mainly)

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  33. I used to prewash to check for shrinkage and colour running. Now I do it to take the chemicals out. I don't like those chemicals and my skin doesn't either.

    But I don't do a big machine thing: hot water, in the sink, a swirl and two rinses, maybe some soap - and unless any dye comes out, it's done.

    Definitely iron while still wet. The sizzle and the smell is quite fun, and there's none of that industrial wrinkling to battle. Sometimes this means re-dampening the fabric, but it's worth it.

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  34. I can't handle losing that new feeling of the fabric so unless it's thrifted fabric I just don't wash it!!!!

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  35. Very occassional pre-washer. The tangles in the washing machine shit me to tears. Plus if I don't iron my clothes why would I want to iron wrinkled fabric?!

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  36. Hello!

    I can tell you from experience that this works! Just cut the corners off the fabric if you decide you have to pre-wash! I don't usually pre-wash because fabric quality today is so much better than it was years ago. I take the fabric out of the dryer while it is at that "damp but not wet" stage and iron it. Another advantage of trimming off the corners is that you will always know what has and has not been pre-washed -- just in case you procrastinate about finishing that special project and it sits on the shelf for...ummm...a year or so...

    Cheery wave from
    Bev
    http://44thstreetfabric.blogspot.com

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  37. For clothing I prewash most fabrics - and I overlock the raw edges first. And I always try to hang the fabric on the line as smoothly as I can get it - especially not by the corners to pull it off-grain.

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  38. Oh, my! I so absolutely and totally feel that I should be prewashing now! I hate to think of what would happen to the gorgeous things I spend so many hours painstakingly making if I put them in the wash now that they're finished... what if they shrink and bleed? I am in sooo much trouble from the sewing fairy :-)

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  39. I just came upon this past post of yours & want to thank you for it ! What you wrote & the comments that followed.....make me feel so much better. I also feel more normal, knowing that the majority are not pre-washing! I'm so glad that I don't have to be sneaky about this anymore!

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Thanks for dropping by! I love hearing what people have to say. Leave a comment if you like.