Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Benta's stacks

Three blocks for the January Lotto (donated please Sophie) and I seem to have a full house (or a full forest LOL) for the liberated trees, thank you all very much!

As part of the learning curve of making blocks with other people ... I'd like to ask whether most of you do wash your fabrics before making blocks for your own quilts.  I don't, so I am having to create a stash of Block lotto fabrics separate to my own stash, and I wondered if anyone had any suggestions on how to manage this.

Benta

6 comments:

  1. I have a "mixed" stash too! If I pull fabric for the Lotto, I may just wash it in the bathroom sink, but I am also starting to wash fabric as soon as it comes in the house so I don't have to worry about "what if."

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  2. Most of the guidelines are to keep blocks made by a bunch of different quilters as similar as possible. As a lesson in WHY washing makes a difference, I offer as proof, my summer tote--for which I used fabrics washed and not and some from swaps (that I don't know for sure whether they were washed or not). Something liquid was spilled on my tote and the red fabric has run all over the white ... and I am NOT a happy camper.

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  3. Ps. I've added your blocks to the list. With your blocks and Sarah V's, our new total-so-far is 341 Stacks.

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  4. I usually wash my fabrics when I get them because I don't have a washing machine. However, I have a salad spinner that got damaged from being too close to the stove (don't ask). If I have small pieces of fabric, I wash them in the sink and spin them. At that point, they can be ironed dry.

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  5. I have started washing all my fabrics when I get them to keep them all the same.

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  6. Benta:
    I try to wash everything when it comes into my house. When I need "stiffer" fabric to sew, I simply add a starch when ironing. I don't iron fabrics until ready to sew - I have too many helpers that keep things from being not wrinkled. Many times the good pieces I have purchased leave me with colored water, colored color catchers and on one occasion - when washing a small piece in the sink, letting it dry somewhat and then ironing dry - a colored ironing board cover which was brand new!! I don't want ruined projects.

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