Friday, March 1, 2013

Pretreating Fabric: Which way is best?


Vintage hangers available on etsy here

I have decided that I will use that fabulous piece of pink and gold designer wool for the skirt I am making. This now presents a new dilemma. How do I pretreat or pre-shrink it?

With my black dress, I did the wet towel and dryer thing. More on that technique here. But the difference was that it was wool from a box store that if I ruined I could certainly go back and get more. This wool is from Dublin and cost a considerable amount, hence why I only purchased just enough for a skirt. Should I take this to the dry cleaner? I went yesterday to price it out and for my piece of wool that is only 33" inches long and 54" wide, it will run me about $14. This seems a bit high, but who am I to say, I have never done anything like this before.

So pretty!

Should I try the dryer method again? I am nervous that it will somehow ruin my wool and render it useless. I know you are going to say cut a swatch, but I am not sure if I can spare of any of the yardage? Or I am too nervous to, at least :) Yet on the other hand, my fear of leaving it in the hands of strangers that may treat it with horrible chemicals or, worse case scenario, ruin it, is a bit high.

Any sage words of advice? Has anyone done the dryer technique and it *not* work? Come on, disperse my fears...or make them grow ;)
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7 comments:

  1. soisewedthisMarch 1, 2013 at 3:23 PM

    If you're going to dry clean the finished skirt after wearing, and the fabric was super pricey, then i'd probably just go ahead and spend the $14 on cleaning the fabric. I would first price out a couple more dry cleaners to see if that price is reasonable and check the dry cleaners' reviews online, yelp.com. also posting something like "who's the best local dry cleaner?" on your facebook, should get your local friends to give you recommendations of where to go. Also i would tell the owner of the dry cleaner when you're speaking with them that you're nervous about handing over your precious fabric to be cleaned. How the owner responds should tell a lot. If they say something about how they aren't held responsible, blah blah blah, just walk away and go elsewhere. The owner should say something along the lines of "it's in good hands."

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    1. MaggieMarch 3, 2013 at 9:30 AM

      Good advice, I like it :) There is another place down the street that I think I will check. They seem to be smaller and family owned, I am not sure if that will make a difference, but it is worth a shot :)

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  2. calicostretchMarch 2, 2013 at 9:12 PM

    I agree with sewisewedthis - if you're happy to have it dry cleaned when made up then go that way, otherwise go with the wet towel - dryer or alternative pre-wash technique. Alternatively search for tips on Sunni's site (http://www.afashionablestitch.com) and generally on google. There are so many :o)

    I have to say I'd take the plunge with towels and dryers cos I don't like the cleaners unless I have to.

    Let us know what you decide :)

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    1. MaggieMarch 3, 2013 at 9:32 AM

      I love Sunni's site! She always has great advice/tips!

      I am going to check one more place, but I am with you. I am still hesitant to hand it over to the dry cleaners. I might just resort to the towel method. It did work before, so unless I don't follow the directions, I am hoping it will work out :)

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  3. Sewing OCDMarch 2, 2013 at 9:39 PM

    I'm going to say something that will make everyone who reads this scream out loud. I would wash it and dry it... on HIGH! Here is my disclaimer though: I normally prewash and dry all my silks and wools because I loathe dry cleaning. For wools, I sometimes do this twice to really maximize any shrinkage before cutting. Then for normal laundering, I wash on cold and allow to air dry to try and minimize fading. The only exception to this rule was the vintage dress I just remade, because I was a bit afraid of tossing 60 year old antique silk into my washing machine. When I got the dry cleaners bill, I was reconsidering that decision though! If you don't have any allowance for shrinkage, go with dry cleaning.

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    1. MaggieMarch 3, 2013 at 9:38 AM

      Just reading that sentence made me catch my breath! That is the scariest option that I have heard so far. Ha! I really don't like the dry cleaners, so I might just do the towel method, which will help with shrinkage. While I appreciate the advice (and really I do!) I think that I am way to much of a chicken to follow through with it :) Maybe down the road...when I finally get my big girl sewing pants on ;)

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    2. Sewing OCDMarch 3, 2013 at 11:00 AM

      I realize that my statement would be scary for many people. I just worry with the towel method about the possibility of further shrinkage. You could always cut a swatch and launder it to see what happens; with fabric that gorgeous I would probably test it just to be safe.

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