How to Starch and Prepare Your Fabric for Perfect Quilting!
The most common question I’ve been receiving lately is about how I prepare my fabrics for piecing. So today, we're going to talk about what I believe is one of the most important steps in quilting: preparing your fabric. If you want to create a beautiful and long-lasting quilt, you need to start with high-quality, well-prepared fabric. So are you ready to learn the secrets to getting perfectly crisp and clean fabric for your next quilting project? We'll be talking about the benefits of starching your fabric and I’ll show you how I like to starch and prepare your fabric for perfect quilting every time!
I want to start off by telling you that I will be comparing some different products and giving you different approaches, however, I will be sharing my experiences and what works for me. So take that with a grain of salt, this method may not be for everyone, but it sure works for me. I hope you find the information helpful too. But make sure and stay until the end to find out exactly how I prepare my fabrics.
I also want to mention that the processes I am going to talk about today are all processes before cutting your fabric.
Pre-Washing Fabrics
First debate – to pre-wash or not to pre-wash! It is quite the debate between some quilters. Pre-washing fabric before quilting involves washing the fabric before it's used in a quilt. Here are some reasons why you may or may not want to pre-wash your fabric:
-Reasons to pre-wash your fabric:
Shrinkage: Pre-washing your fabric can prevent shrinkage after your quilt is complete. This is especially important if you're using fabrics that may shrink, such as cotton or linen.
Color Bleeding: Pre-washing your fabric can also prevent color bleeding. If you're using fabrics with vibrant or bold colors, it's best to pre-wash to prevent or minimize the colors from bleeding into each other during the quilting process.
Chemical Residue: Some fabrics may have chemical residue from the manufacturing process. Pre-washing can remove any residue and make the fabric softer and easier to work with.
-Reasons not to pre-wash your fabric:
Texture and Feel: Pre-washing can change the texture and feel of the fabric. If you want your quilt to have a crisp, new feel, you may not want to pre-wash.
Fraying: Pre-washing can also cause fraying on the edges of the fabric, which can be a hassle to deal with when cutting and sewing. Speaking of, NEVER pre-wash pre cuts like jelly rolls or charms squares. I know from personal experience, this can create a disaster. Your pieces will come out in quite the mess!
Last reason is just a fact of modern life – sometimes pre-washing just takes up time and effort that you may not have. Nothing wrong with this and it’s quite often a reason that I skip this step.
Ultimately, whether or not you pre-wash your fabric is a personal preference. Consider the benefits and drawbacks and decide what works best for your project. Another big consideration for me on whether or not to pre-wash my fabrics is the manufacturer that I’m working with. The more quality fabrics tend to bleed less, so there’s not as much need to pre-wash. Also, consider the colors you are working with. If you are using reds or purples, you may want to pre-wash because these have a greater chance of bleeding. If you're unsure, test a small swatch of fabric to see how it reacts to washing before making a decision.
Next debate…Starch…
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1 comment
I hear you say don’t starch precuts, so excuse me if this is redundant!! :) But do you consider a fat quarter a precut? I’m getting ready to cut 20 of them for a quilt, and I am trying to decide whether to starch them a little. I love your videos! Thanks so much!!