To Treat or Not to Treat? - Fabric Care Tips
For 90 out of 100 fabrics the care is the same: wash/dry gentle, or wash/hand wash and air dry.
Almost all fabrics can be laundered, even silks and wools.
I DO recommend testing a swatch before tossing the entire piece in the machine. Cut a 4-8” piece across the width of the fabric, then cut in 1/2 crosswise so you have 2 pieces. I toss these in with a load of laundry to wash on delicate. One piece I put in the dryer, the other I air-dry. Then compare and make my decision.
Some of the garments I make, coats and jackets will never be laundered, but I do rely on hanging things outside to air them out - am doing that now as I transition from warm to cooler weather. A day in the fresh air and sun and a bit of pressing makes things good as new
In the rare event that a fabric should be dry cleaned we will mention that. However, I have not been to a dry cleaners in 20 years!
True confessions - I often do nothing before cutting, no pre-treating at all as I find many fabrics are easier to work with straight off the bolt. My MO for caring for my handmade clothes is always the same. I have a top loader. (next machine will be a front loader as I think they are more gentle). Cold water, wash delicate, low spin, air dry. I NEVER put my handmade clothes in the dryer. In warm weather I hang things outside, in cooler weather I have a rod above the washer/dryer and hang things to dry. If something is stubborn about drying, I will pop it in the dryer for a short time.
In getting feedback from customers who had ‘issues’, we have found that it depends on the kind of washing machine a person uses. The same guidelines can have different results in top loaders and front loaders, in older machines and newer machines. When I have gotten complaints from customers I try the same guideline on my machines and usually find there is no change in the fabric on my machine as on theirs.
I also rely on common sense - if a person is smart enough to know how to sew, it seems reasonable that they are also able to decide about treating a piece of fabric.
We also have customers who like to stress or beat up their fabrics before cutting and sewing because they want a distressed effect - and this is a trend in contemporary upscale RTW, reflected in the current fashion trends towards wrinkled and weathered looks.
We do have a guideline for pre-treating fabrics on the website. Here is the link to Fabric Care on the website in case you've missed it.
Happy sewing!
Almost all fabrics can be laundered, even silks and wools.
I DO recommend testing a swatch before tossing the entire piece in the machine. Cut a 4-8” piece across the width of the fabric, then cut in 1/2 crosswise so you have 2 pieces. I toss these in with a load of laundry to wash on delicate. One piece I put in the dryer, the other I air-dry. Then compare and make my decision.
Some of the garments I make, coats and jackets will never be laundered, but I do rely on hanging things outside to air them out - am doing that now as I transition from warm to cooler weather. A day in the fresh air and sun and a bit of pressing makes things good as new
In the rare event that a fabric should be dry cleaned we will mention that. However, I have not been to a dry cleaners in 20 years!
True confessions - I often do nothing before cutting, no pre-treating at all as I find many fabrics are easier to work with straight off the bolt. My MO for caring for my handmade clothes is always the same. I have a top loader. (next machine will be a front loader as I think they are more gentle). Cold water, wash delicate, low spin, air dry. I NEVER put my handmade clothes in the dryer. In warm weather I hang things outside, in cooler weather I have a rod above the washer/dryer and hang things to dry. If something is stubborn about drying, I will pop it in the dryer for a short time.
In getting feedback from customers who had ‘issues’, we have found that it depends on the kind of washing machine a person uses. The same guidelines can have different results in top loaders and front loaders, in older machines and newer machines. When I have gotten complaints from customers I try the same guideline on my machines and usually find there is no change in the fabric on my machine as on theirs.
I also rely on common sense - if a person is smart enough to know how to sew, it seems reasonable that they are also able to decide about treating a piece of fabric.
We also have customers who like to stress or beat up their fabrics before cutting and sewing because they want a distressed effect - and this is a trend in contemporary upscale RTW, reflected in the current fashion trends towards wrinkled and weathered looks.
We do have a guideline for pre-treating fabrics on the website. Here is the link to Fabric Care on the website in case you've missed it.
Happy sewing!
|
Posted on October 04 2024