I have always washed anything before I embroidery it. Just wanted to know if any of you do the same?

I do.

I wash everthing unless it is 100%
polyester because I know that won't shrink..like polar fleece for example

Depends a little what it's on for me. If it's a towel or teatowel etc for a gift I like it to look 'new'. I might never finish my first ever quilt :), but did wash the fabrics for that first in case it shrunk. If I think a fabric looks a little dusty etc, I'll also wash that. Good question!

Hi DeVon, this is a great question. I do a lot of ordinary sewing and I always wash as I am frightened of shrinkage. Having read all the answers I feel guilty as I do not wash the clothing or towels that I embroider. Towels especially, never look the same after they are washed and if it is for a present I like it to look new and not second hand.
I agree with Deb - I am now really confused!!! LOL

Now I am more confused than ever, lol! I haven't in the past but all I embroidered that would be washed was tea towels and I found out how bad they shrink so I warned my family and friends that the towels were decorative only and to wash in cold and line dry. Yesterday I washed several tea towels that I am going to embroider since I know they shrink and I don't want the design messed up. So now I am a "maybe" person!

Most certain with towels

I always prewash and even Iron and spray starch every thing before embroidery.. some towels look awful after they are washed and shrink and so the design will look even worse.. I want what ever I embroider on to look great after it is washed.. other wise I feel like I am just wasting my time ..

I'm with a lot of people here! I wash EVERYTHING after purchasing, so yes even before embroidering! If it's a gift I just let people know what I have done. Any piece of clothing too no matter what it is. It's a killiecrankie says but I do too even if it is made in Australia. Clothing and the like are just not looked after as if it were in your home, they are place on dirty warehouse floors and the like! Have a good day!

Yes I have done this since the early 70's when washed a piece of embroidered cheeseclothe that was 45" wide to remove a dirty mark before I made it up,it ended up 36" wide-just as well.
I still wash everything clothes ,fabric & linen as soon as I get it home ,especially now when everything seems to be made in China or Asia ,I just don't trust them

I always prewash. So many bad chemicals in things now. Afterward my regular iron works for most things and my steam presser works great for very wrinkled cotton and linen. A little sizing can be used if needed.

Marcelle
http://embroideryavenue.com/
http://embroidery.gotop100.com/

Like you, I wash everything before embroidering or quilting for that matter. I also use sizing for some of my embroidery. I embroider towels, clothes, Jackets, blankets (store bought & homemade) I even wash the fabric if I'm embroidering a picture, what if 400 yrs from now someone needs to wash it? Oh the things that niggle at our minds.!!

Well, I didn't use to for embroidery items. But one of the cuties had mentioned once that she washed her kitchen towels and even ironed them, so I thought I'd give it a try. So I washed a few waffle weave towels, ironed them, embroidered and washed them again and was very happy with the results. I still wash my quilting fabrics and I think I do that just to get rid of all the yukkies on it and it's just a habbit now.I don't pre-wash bath towels. Carol

I always prewash clothing and towels - to get the sizing out - that is true of anything I embroider or not (regular clothes/linens too). I do not pre-wash my regular quilting cotton but will pre-wash flannels (all of them for a quilt together so they are the same temp in wash/dry).

No. I only wash, when it is to baby.

No I do NOT pre-wash....I HAVE been a quilter most of my life and it use to have to be done, but NOW with all of our modern fabrics that are preshrunk and have special solutions put on them now to preserve the fabrics and etc....I do not......I stopped when my projects looked best in the original bright tones and a lot of the things that I make and give are not going to be washed anyway so why bother. I love the crispness, hand, sheen of the new fabrics and the look works for me.....

never!!!

Yes, I do wash all the fabrics that I take home, and will continue to do so.
I haven't done any embroidery on towels, linen or clothes for sale so I'm very interested in all the replies.
I don't like buying anything that shrinks around the embroidery during washing, and I've had a few items that did that, so I'd imagine that other people might not like that either.
I've done some small embroideries on t-shirts for the grandsons and I've always washed them first... and then their mother washes them again before she lets the boys wear them.
I guess it's a case of 'to each his own'.
AlmaG.

if it something my grandkids are going to wear., yes I do.

No not if i'm giving them for gifts!

Nope, never have and so far never had a problem. I've found that when doing quilts (my main addiction) if I don't prewash the fabric then the whole quilt will 'shrink' together. Now to be fair I haven't really had any shrinkage up til now. I've done several jackets, sweatshirts, towels, diapers and never had a problem. I do lots of towel sets for sale and don't like the prewashed look, they tend to look used instead of new so I use the plastic type washable on top and then just pull it off.

Honestly, I have never prewashed anything! I have done kid's T-shirts, towels, dishtowels, bedspreads, pillowcases, jackets, etc, and never have had any problem. Most items were for family at the beginning, so I got good feedback, but I sell alot of items and do monograming for $$. Just MHO, I don't like to give something as a gift or sale that looks washed. Linda

1 comment

by WandaC 10 Sep 2013

like you Linda, I have never prewashed anything, I've have made myself a few applique shirts and never prewash them and they looks great.

Yes, as long as it's a washable fabric. I preshrink it the way it would be washed after embroidery. Sometimes I don't preshrink towels that are for gifts because it makes them look less new.

I have done other crafts with fabrics that allow washing but not fabric softener. Some crafts, like painting on fabric, won't stick well with fabric softener.

Just another note. You should always wash your clothes before wearing them too. There are lots of chemicals that can go into the making of fabric and garments.

2 comments

by devon 15 Jan 2011

I also wash my new clothes before putting them on. Thanks DeVon

by shirlener88 15 Jan 2011

and now with the bug issue - you should for sure.

Yes, I do. Just what I was taught to do.

1 comment

by devon 15 Jan 2011

Me too that is way I do it. DeVon

Yes I do, guess I'm from the old school.

Yes, I would hate to do the embroidery and have it shrink after washing.

DeVon, not always. I used to with quilts, but now with most quality fabric preshrunk I really don't bother.