Ask Penny Halgren

Dierdre McElroy, hand quilting, fabric and thimble expert, recently explained several good reasons in support of the great “pre-washing” debate. As you know, the quilting world is somewhat divided on whether to pre-wash fabrics before quilting. Dierdre says prewashing is necessary.

First of all, fabric manufacturers add sizing to their fabrics when they dye or print it. “You don’t know what the true construction of the fabric is without actually measuring the thread count,” she says.

Dierdre also says the fabric must be pre-washed to prevent a skewed finished project. If quilting fabrics are not pre-washed before making the project, you run the risk of having them shrink or warp after the quilt is finished. That can leave disastrous results in the quilt you took so much time to piece.

But pre-washing your fabric before quilting is not the last time Dierdre suggests running it through the wash and dry cycle. She says it is also important to wash the finished project, too. “As hand quilters, we have our hands all over the quilt for nine months or nine years, depending how long it takes. This means your finger oils are all over it,” she explains. In addition, think about all the times you are not working on your quilt project. Your blocks are sitting in a stack collecting dust. Washing the final project gives it the thorough cleaning it needs.

Some quilters fear washing their finished project because they don’t want the fabrics to bleed and ruin all their hard work. Dierdre says if you pre-wash the fabric before beginning, you won’t have so much to worry about.

To make sure you don’t have to worry about bleeding fabrics, Dierdre has a testing tip to do during your pre-wash. When you pre-wash your fabrics, use a clear glass to dip into the washer during the rinse cycle. If you see any color in the water, she recommends another wash. Keep testing with the clear glass until the rinse cycle shows no color in the water.

If you must always pre-wash your quilting fabrics, what about batting? Dierdre says it depends on the batting. She says one batting that must be pre-washed is the kind with a silicon coating. The coating allows the manufacturer’s equipment to roll the batting and bag it without building static. While the silicon makes packaging easier for the company, it can be a nightmare for a hand quilter.

According to Dierdre, cotton battings shrink any where from 2 to 6 percent. You can use that knowledge in deciding whether to pre-wash it or not. For example, if you are quilting a design that you want to have a vintage, puckered look, don’t pre-wash. When you wash your finished quilt, the batting will shrink and give you the puckered look of a truly vintage quilt.

By doing a little research, you can learn about battings by their content and sometimes by their brand name. Look online for frequently asked question sites on your favorite quilting sites, etc. The more you know about how a batting reacts to washing, the better informed your decision will be about which one to choose.

Since not all battings are alike, you will rarely use the same batting for all your projects. It will depend heavily on how you envision the final look of your quilt.

Dierdre got involved in her mother’s quilting business while researching to help her mother find the perfect thimble. Her research led her to studies of thread, fabric, batting, needles and other important quilting notions. After researching, Dierdre herself became interested in quilting and wrote a book/video combo called That Perfect Stitch.

Penny Halgren
Master Quilter