This is the first in a new series I'm starting - Sewing School! My goal is have a tab on this site of sewing tutorials that even the most novice seamstress could use to teach herself to sew. (And yes, I did just use seamstress, not the more modern term "sewist" that I've seen around. Let's own it, ladies. And if you are a dude that likes to sew, just forgive me and roll with it!)
If you are making something that you think will get washed at some point (any clothing or blankets, but even soft toys - you know they are going to get slobbered on), you should pre-wash your fabric before you start your project. This will naturally shrink up the the fabric. If you waited until after you put your project together, you might get some funky shrinkage... and all that time will have been wasted!
This information applies to cotton wovens and knits:
- This is a really novel idea to me, but it's probably old news to you... serging the raw edges of your fabric will keep it from unraveling in the wash. Preserve as much of that pretty new fabric as you can!
- I wash mine in cold water, with a tiny bit of detergent. Consider using dye and scent free detergents, especially if you are giving the item away. Many people have skin sensitivities!
- After I've dried it in my dryer, I iron it. It's a lot easier to cut out pattern pieces, not to mention more accurate!
I've done a fair amount of home dec sewing as well. Many of these fabrics say dry clean only. I don't anticipate washing many of these items and so I don't worry about prepping the fabric... but if you are a stickler for this, follow the label!
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