A(very)LittleGuidetoWashing yourFabricBeforeSewing

If you’re at all like me, then you’re always super impatient to begin working on your new project as soon as you have the materials to do so. But if your finished project is likely to need washing at any time of its life then it’s worth taking the time to pre-wash your fabric before you begin in case of any shrinkage. The exception to this rule is if you’re working with 100% polyester fabrics such as polar fleece and minky or if your fabric is marked pre-shrunk and comes from a reputable manufacturer.

Be sure to serge (oversew) or trim the edges of your fabric with pinking shears before you machine wash it though. Taking the time to do this will prevent the threads at the edges from unravelling and your fabric from twisting into a snarled up tangled mess.

Cotton is particularly prone to shrinkage so even if you skip pre-washing with other fibres you should almost never do so with cotton fabrics. Whatever your fabric choice be sure to use the same method that you’ll use for your finished project - the temperature of the wash and whether or not you’ll put the finished piece in the tumble dryer are both important. For example, if you plan to wash your embroidered napkins in the washing machine on a medium hot setting, then dry in the tumble dryer, make sure you do the same with your fabric before you begin work.