By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador
When I started quilting 35 years ago, it was recommended (by whom I can’t recall) that people prewash their fabrics before making a quilt. So I did.
When I came home with a fabric purchase, I dutifully clipped off a corner as instructed by the Quilting Gods and fired up the washer. The clipping was to indicate later, presumably when I’d forgotten, that this fabric had been washed.
I do not wash fabric any longer. I can’t say with any authority that fabric is more colorfast than it used to be, although I suspect it. I just know that I’ve been making quilts with washed and unwashed fabric for decades now and I have yet to be arrested by the Quilt Police.
In fact, I put washed and unwashed fabric into the same quilt.
GASP.
It doesn’t seem to matter. When you wash a quilt, it crinkles up like grandma’s did and it cuddles just fine. No one’s the wiser.
Which leads me to my point.
Doesn’t it just seem like there are way fewer quilting rules to keep now than there used to be? I’m talking 20 or 30 years back. There were rules everywhere you looked!
- Always prewash your fabric.
- Use only cotton thread. Synthetic thread will CUT INTO YOUR FABRIC!
- Cut only on grain.
- Press seams only to the side.
- Always press with steam.
- Never press with steam.
- Selvages are to be discarded as trash.
- Sew binding down by hand.
One of the most beautiful things about the modern quilt movement is the throwing out of all the rules. What freedom! What joy! What FUN!!!
Now the Quilting Bible says this:
- Prewash or don’t, it’s up to you.
- Use whatever thread you like if it works in your machine.
- Cut willy nilly if you wish, it doesn’t really matter.
- Press seams however you prefer.
- Always press with steam.
- Never press with steam.
- Selvages are art so use them. Now designers even make them cute!
- Sew binding down by hand or machine, whichever floats your boat.
Isn’t this marvelous? If you aren’t having fun with your quilting, it’s not the fault of the rules. The rules are no more! WOOHOO!
I do hold with a few personal guidelines, however. These are important to me.
- My workmanship needs to hold up when a quilt is used.
- My quilts must please me. If they please others, fine, but if not, that’s okay, too.
- I make quilts for the pure joy of creating. Everything else is secondary.
- I wish to sew with the fabric I already own. Of course I still buy fabric, but I’d like to use what I have whenever possible. I’m not trying to die with the most fabric. What fun is that?
- I make the quilts I want to make, and I let others do the same. It’s fine by me if your quilts are political, or offensive, or whatever. I probably won’t comment on them though, because I’m thoroughly tired of politics and I don’t want them to encroach on my quilting life. I’m old enough to quilt and let quilt.
I adhere to all those rules or not. I do like to make quilts that I love, if someone else loves them too that’s okay. I sew quilts for me and usually give them away, but that makes me happy.
I love everything about this. Rules suck. Proud to say I have NEVER prewashed and I NEVER plan to!
Love this and must share on Sewing with Sandi!
I still think that knowledge of grain and attention paid to grain line can avoid some problems. Of course, I’m 60 and took flat pattern drafting at UNL
The only “new” rule that I would dispute is to use whatever thread content you want. I had used some polyester thread on some project and had forgotten from years of fashion sewing that 100% polyester thread melts as you are pressing on a cotton setting. If I use any polyester thread, it’s a poly wrapped cotton and I tend to use only where I tend not to iron, such as on the binding.
That is good to know, Barb! Thank you for sharing your experience!
Interesting, I’ve only ever used polyester thread and always ironed with steam. I’ve never had any problems, even back in my days of curtain making. The only thread I know of that melts is the fishing line type thread.
Love 💕 the fun of quilting. Such a joy in creating! Try to break all the rules. 🙂 & not limit my creativity – just the JOY!
Quilt and let Quilt. Words to live by!
Your post really brought a smile, thank you!
Love this entire article. It frees the soul and makes quilting fun – which isn’t that what it is supposed to be? I may die with the most fabric but lets face it – I love fabric….
Love the article, rules to live by.
If you love it, buy it! And buy extra. It may be gone when you go back. I love fabric, love to quilt. Love the article.
The only time I prewash is if it’s for the backing and I’m just not sure if it’s going to bleed. I wash with Color Catchers. I learned this the hard way – I made a quilt for my daughter and although I THOUGHT I told her to wash in cold with Color Catchers, I either forgot or she did. Her backing, purchase from a local quilt shop, bled all over! It was red and I should have known better and now I do!!
I have attended soo many classes and learned about most of these Taboo things but thankfully most of my instructors have long since discarded the first rules mentioned. I love quilting and touching base with the Cream of the Crop Women in the world that happen to share the love of quilting. In 7 years have not met a Toad yet and don’t think they exist.
Thank you! As a fairly new quilter, new in numbers, not years. I have been very confused by all the rules! I feel like I can go forward and be me now. “ME” would not pre-wash or use steam. “ME” will start today to be proud of my newest quilt that are part of learning how to free motion on my long arm!
My selvedges will become part of the room!
I’ll press seams based on what the quilt needs!
From this day forward I will do what I want to do.
I love the article. I remember my Mother and Grandmother had no rules and little fabric choices for their quilting. However they loved the joy of making and giving their quilts. I have way more fabric than I actually need and I have learned many things along the way that are helpful, but I love the idea of always being able to love the quilting adventure more than the rules I only hope that sharing my quilts with others will bring some “quilt joy” to the recipient. Your article makes me smile and encourages me to keep on quilting.
Soak fabric for 5 minutes in plain water to remove over-dye because color bleeding in a finished project WILL make you very sad.
Never cut on wrinkled fabric.
Love, love, love your guidelines. Especially the last one.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience and wisdom and common sense.
One rule I do observe: It is my quilt. I can make it any way I want to. (And I do agree with Barb about poly thread and the cotton setting on the iron. It will melt.)
I had to chuckle at one of those fabrics in your first photo. I pulled out the same thing (well aged!) to use in an upcoming project.
So good to see you are still out there in orbit.
Claudia, of the golfing cows
I loved this article. I have been sewing a very long time but only recently became a quilting buff even got a long arm. I have been trying to “pick up” all the rules since I missed them in my 55 year sewing phase. So thankful to know the rules are gone and quilt and let quilt is my new motto. I never knew one could acquire so much fabric and quilting stuff in 3 short years. I don’t want to die with the most fabric but I find fabric I can’t live without much faster than I can quilt it. Making up for lost time I guess. Lol.
I loved the article, it inspires me to continue quilting , thank you for sharing.
During my first quilt class in the early ’80’s, the rule was that you had to remove salvages before cutting your fabric. Why? I never knew. Just did as we were told.
First rule I learned at my grandmother’s knee 55 years ago.. “DON’T bleed on the quilt!” If we picked our fingers “move back”
I love these rules. I always heard the corner snipping was to keep it from fraying in the wash. Haha, like that worked.
I recently made a black and white houndstooth quilt with a red back. I couldn’t remember if I had prewashed or not. The only fading was on the pre-printed label I had attached to the back. It’s now pink. Oh well.
Thanks for the post.
Perhaps because I belong to a hand-quilting group, we used to have a lot more ‘traditional’ quilters, and as they have retired & pass away, less & less traditional. Probably the only rule I feel is rather hard & fast (for me, anyway) is the pressing seams to one side. I find it helps interlock rows of seams & open seams stitched in the ditch or 1/4″ away on both sides does not have the strength to hold up well – that’s where the splitting will occur, sooner or later. Another one our group tries to adhere to is: not to cut your thread unnecessarily. which can create a weak place if the knot slips — so fewer knots, by sliding thread over to the next row of stitching & letting someone else pick up your thread to their side of the frame. Our group tends to piece by machine, sometimes embellish with machine embroidery, buttons or beads, fancy stencil-motifs, but always lovingly stitched by hand. These quilts have been gifted far & wide across the country, so an embroidered label is also attached.
Love your Guidelines! They are very similar to mine! If you like my quilt, great . If not, no big deal. It’s my quilt. I will probably not stop buying fabric but I’m trying to use what I have. But, at least it insulates my house!
Quilting rule from the past I no longer follow, the fabric scissors are only for fabric. Gasp, sometimes I cut paper with my fabric scissors. Guess what they still work fine! My personal guideline is, my quilt my rules. Like you I quilt for the pure fun of creating. I enjoy the process. Quilting is my passion.
I think fabric is more colour fast than it used to be. I’ve been quilting for only 25 years but I know as a quilt shop owner that the quality of both fabric and thread has improved. What is great about what you have written is that sense of freedom that it creates. My rules are seams have to be bang on to make joining easier. Polyester thread is amazing for piecing as well as quilting. But I’ll use either. Knowledge is key not rules.
I’ve been quilting for well over 40 years and I reckon I’ve broken pretty much every rule in the book. Tried it for myself – so to speak. I also mix washed an unwashed fabrics in the same quilt, I wash those I am suspicious of (batiks can often run so I want to see what I’m working with before I begin and try and ‘fix’ the dye if it’s a problem – before it bleeds all over my finished quilt – I’ve had that happen before and I’m not keen to see it again.)
I use polyester and cotton threads. Whatever suits – and many of my quilts have lasted for over 40 years – which is good enough for me. I’ve EVEN mixed poly cotton with cotton and synthetic silks with the real thing – Shock horror!
I learned NEVER put a shiny fabric of the back of your quilt – it’ll keep slipping off the bed!. And now I ONLY ever use 100% cotton (and 100% cotton batting) – just because I think its MUCH nicer to use.
I press some seams to the side and thought I was a freak because I press some seams open – depends on what I’m doing. It produces a flatter top if you press open (and as I’m a longarmer I know it’s nier to quilt through). I always use steam.
Love your article and agree – it’s about what makes you happy. To hell with rules – rules are to be broken.
Michele, AMEN, sister! This article is liberating.
My only rules, make sure your fingers are out of the way when cutting your fabric so you don’t end up in the ER at midnight for stiches! And always close your rotary blade! Otherwise, rules be damned!
This was a great post! And it’s so true. I’m old enough to remember those “old rules”!
There are 2 reasons I pre-wash: 1. the process for making the new, vibrant colors in quilts uses toxic chemicals. 2. Most of our fabric is made in Asia. I don’t know about the shop that made the fabric I just purchased: was it clean, was it not clean and the fabrics are shipped in large container-cargo ships which are notoriously dirty and insect infested. So, I pre-wash everything except very delicate or dry-clean only fabric. I really don’t have any issues with the fabric after I pre-wash it. I use cold water, no bleach of any kind and no fabric softener, instead using white vinegar.in the fab softener portion of my washer additive drawer.
So, there are only 2 rules in my quilting studio: 1. pre-wash all 100% cotton and cotton-blend fabrics. 2. accurately find YOUR 1/4″ seam allowance and stick with it.
Thanks for this article. Just goes to show that quilters are a diverse, opinionated, but kind, bunch of creative people.
Hi Myra, I often wonder about the cleanliness of fabric, but I’ve seen that most is wrapped in plastic when it arrives in quilt shops, so that’s at least a little protection. And the fabric feels clean…you know how dirty fabric feels, how the grime rubs onto your hands? It’s never that way, so that’s another clue. But I agree, you don’t really know where it’s been and what has touched it. I’m a germ-o-phobe so these things haunt me. I love your last statement about the quilting community: diverse, opinionated and kind. Thumbs up.
Thank you for your post! I stopped quilting in the 90’s and picked it back up about 10 yrs ago. So many of those rules have changed. And I think I’m a more confident and curious quilter because of that!
The only prewashing I do is when the fabric is red or particularly deeply colored. Even then, I sometimes get some bleeding of those colors. Usually, I don’t prewash quilting fabrics – still do that for garment making.
I love looking at fabric; choosing fabric that I like; working on a quilt; giving it to someone wo appreciates it. That is JOY for me. Once a quilting store owner told me that a quilt should be whatever you want it to be. Quilting is an art; it is personal! No rules necessary. Follow your gut when creating. A quilter is an artist. Blessings on all quilters.
The reason I pre wash as I have a hard time with the chemical residual in fabric…. I have symptoms of allergies and my hand break out with rashes if I do not wash. Also wash any fabrics I buy from estate / quilter to quilter sales. As to the rest of the rules I see them as suggestions.