5 Tips for Tangle-Free Pre-Washing

Do you ever put your beautiful , freshly cut fabric into the washer and pull out a tangled knot of threads and yardage? Ugh!  It's so frustrating trying to uncut and unwind that mess!

Here are 5 simple methods to help you avoid those tangles:

Serge or Zig-Zag over the raw edges

OR Use pinking shears to pink the edges

OR Clip the corners

 Wash smaller cuts in a lingerie bag

  Use a delicate or hand wash cycle,

and use smaller loads of yardage 

There you have it - using just one, or a few of these tips together, should make your pre-washing go much smoother!

Tell us! Do you pre-wash your fabrics before you put them away, or as you use them?

Proper Pressing Techniques

Why you should press, not iron, 

while sewing and quilting.

Are you wondering, what's the difference?

Pressing fabric is setting the iron down then lifting and moving it on a new area. Up and down, up and down. The iron does not slide over the fabric.

When you iron, you slide the iron back and forth, or side to side while keeping your iron on the surface of the  fabric.

So why does it matter?

Here's a quick little demo:

Pictured below are 2 squares, cut to 3 inches

After a proper pressing this square retains it's original shape

But the pressure and motion of ironing can distort your fabric like it has in this square, pictured below.

See how the bottom right corner is pulled off grain just with a quick ironing?

Bias fabric and curves are especially prone to stretching when ironed, so be sure to properly press these areas when necessary.

So to recap:

Traditional Ironing = Bad!

Proper Pressing Technique = Good!

Tell us!

Do you hate to get up and press those seams, 

or is time at the ironing board no biggie?