Pre-shrinking fabric before cutting and sewing your next creation is a wise step. Fabrics will change in size and sometimes in texture and slight dye smells will disappear. To save time and make your cutting process fun, I suggest the following tip. Stretch the fabric across it's width and watch the raw edge... Does it curl? If it does curl, you will now want to sew the two raw edges of the fabric together with a long stitch. The serger or the sewing machine are both great options for this step. You are sewing along the edges that were created when the fabric was cut for you in the fabric store. Sew along the other end of the fabric as well, joining the two raw edges there as well. Now wash and dry the fabric as you would normally do to pre-shrink it.

The magic of this tip shines though when your fabric comes out of the dryer...it has flat edges, not a big roll of curled knit. Now to proceed with the layout of your pattern pieces, trim the stitching line from each end of your fabric and smooth out the fabric on your cutting surface. Layout, pin & cut your patterns pieces and enjoy sewing success....