After Washing

Well done Kathy, well done....(sniff!) I'm so proud....such an excellent beg...!

Dreamweaver

Gosh, Kathy, you overwhelm me with your generosity! But I do have to say that it's not a matter of too much stash as much as a matter of too little space.

Nice shot, Kathy. Ah, it makes me so proud. Polly

LOL!

you girls...i dunno....

amy in CNY

Howdy!

Atta' girl, Sandy! Forty-fifteen: Sandy's game. Kathy, better luck... . ;-D

R/Sandy - wash, iron, stash, quilt

One of the few household chores I enjoy is ironing. I prewash every piece of material as it comes into the house and iron it all before it gets stored. I like the feel of the material better if it's been ironed and it seems to take up less room on the shelves or in the bins.

I get most of my material at yard sales and sometimes I buy whole buckets of scraps. They might be smaller than fat quarter size with little chunks taken out. These also get washed, in a lingerie bag, then I square them up and iron. The little chunks that were cut off get ironed and cut into the largest size squares possible, usually 4 or 5 inches and used for scrap charity quilts. I hate rummaging through a box of all squished up scraps.

I have two huge tupperware type tubs that I bought for around $5 last summer that I haven't tackled yet. I don't think many of the pieces are larger than 8 to 10 inches and they're all jumbled up. It would be a mess to try washing this bunch, but I will someday iron every piece and cut them up for squares. Both of these boxes contain nothing but dog and cat material.

Not many yard sales here in NH in the winter, but the local senior center had a indoor flea market last weekend and I got 12 yards of material for .50 cents a yard, one was a 3 yard piece of flannel with multi colored daisies, and it washed up nice and soft with no pilling. Haven't ironed this lot yet. I would rather iron for a family of 12 than hand wash one load of dirty dishes.

Denise

Hurray! Someone who feels the same as I do about ironing. I usually feel very 'alone' when I say (anywhere) that the only household chore I enjoy is ironing; and I totally agree about hand washing - anything, clothes or dishes! . In message , Denise in NH writes

Hmmm I've not even given any thought to using or not using fabric softener. I guess it would work the same way as starch and attract bugs wouldn't it? Or would it? Now I'm curious about that.

Hugs, Mika

Ohmygoodness!!! Jeanne I never even gave any thought to the starch that is put in the fabric at the manufacturer. I've got some fabric that is over 25 years old and I just never thought about the bugs getting to it because of the starch. Hmph! I'm definitely going to have to wash my stash after we get moved.

Hugs, Mika

Well I can start hanging fabric up to dry after we get moved cause then I'll have a clothesline. Yippee!!

Hugs, Mika

I'm the same way about working from the stash. My fabrics get auditioned a lot too. My problem is that I'm very much into the Rainbow Spectrum of colors. So I tend to want all my quilts to have the spectrum of colors and it just doesn't work that way with a lot of patterns. At least not in getting my mind wrapped around how to make it work.

The more I think about it, the only reason I don't wash my fabric before adding to the stash is because I like the feel of "new" fabric. After it's washed it just doesn't have that feel. There have been times though, that I've wished I had washed the fabric before I made the first cut in it because of the nasty feel on my hands. I guess the dust and grime from the manufacturer and transport/warehousing. I always wash my quilts before they are given away or used that way I know they're clean and fresh.

Hugs, Mika

Fan folds huh? That's a good idea. I like storing larger pieces on the bolt too.

Hugs, Mika

Thank you so much Nightmist because you just answered another question I had. What to do about fabric that comes out wonky?! I hate when that happens.

Hugs, Mika

Nope you're not the only one. I'm very anal about how my fabric gets folded for storage. In fact, I've been known to fold and refold several times until it is just right before it goes on the shelf. DH has sat and watched me, without me realizing he was watching, and just shakes his head as if to say "it's just a piece of fabric, fold it and put it on the shelf already." But when I happen to catch him watching me, he just smiles with that loving smile and asks me if I'm having fun fondling my fabric.

Hugs, Mika

I know that feeling Sandy. I only had a few shelves in here to put fabric on and I had to quit adding to the stash for that reason. But in the new house, I'll have more space and I just bought a bunch of bins to sort and store my fabric in so I'm excited about that.

Hugs, Mika

Hey I'm with you Denise. I enjoy ironing too and I hate doing dishes. I just need a better ironing board. I always iron my fabric before I cut it. Maybe if I wash it before storing it the wrinkles won't be so hard to iron out after it's been stored for awhile. I've got a lot of little scraps and small pieces of fabric that I need to sort, cut and iron too. Guess my next trip to Wallyworld I'll have to get a lingerie bag for the washer.

Hugs, Mika

What it could affect is the adhesion of bondaweb and similar; as well as fusible batting. . In message , Mika writes

I don't use a clothesline -makes the fabric go wonky. I fold it in half, trying to keep the grain straight, and place it over a rigid

*round* rod. (Needs to be folded, because my rod is >Well I can start hanging fabric up to dry after we get moved cause then I'll