I've read a lot about how quilters are annoyed there are so many threads that come loose when they wash fabric. I've read about how some sew a line of stitches 1/2" away from the raw edges to prevent this fraying. To me, that is WAY TOO MUCH WORK.
I wash every piece of fabric I buy in warm water (yeah, I know the label probably says COLD, but if it's going to shrink or fade, I want that to happen BEFORE I put it into a quilt.)
and before I put the fabric in the dryer, I grab those pesky frayed threads,
and pull until they break.
I keep a cheap pair of scissors near the washing machine so I can cut threads that are too tightly wound. Then I shake out the fabric so it won't dry crumpled, and toss it in the dryer.
The threads go in a small wastebasket I have nearby.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy. There's not much you can do about the raw edges of fabric fraying when you wash them, but you don't have to get yourself all worked up about it. If you want to whine and moan and swear and get all frustrated about it, well go right ahead. I'm old enough to have learned that life can be as happy or as miserable as you choose to make it and I just don't have time to waste by letting a piece of fabric get the better of me.
5 comments:
I haven't tried it, but someone said if you clip the corners on the edge, the fabric won't ravel.
Although it can be frustrating to feel like you've lost fabric that you paid for, it does make it easy to find straight of grain.
The corner clip works for me every time.
I'm going to try the corner clip trick. I have been putting my fabric in those bags you put your delicates in. That seemed to help.
On the blog 'From my Carolina Home', Carole has a great way to wash fabric yardage and avoid the clump of thread. I was sketical, but tried it and had great success! I still had to press the fabric, but it wasn't tangled or stringy. It is under the heading Quilting Basics Tutorials.
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