Dumb question time -

[femkes_follies]

Since I don't normally wash wool at all... Do I pre-wash wool fabric before sewing?

(Crabby baby needs to go to bed. SIlly husband needs to turn of Dr. Horrible's Sing-along blog and do the same)

Comments

[allison-is.livejournal.com]

I say yes, but i generally don't wash it after it's all assembled either.

[hsifeng.livejournal.com]

I normally clean it, in hot water and hot dryer, before cutting and sewing. I am assuming here that this is for a set of garb though. If not, then perhaps the answer is different?

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

It is for garb, but it's a pendleton wool twill, that I really don't want to felt. So I'm thinking maybe gentle cycle, hang to dry. Wherever I can find to hang 5 yds of wool!

[minyata.livejournal.com]

I always wash on hot and dry on hot before cutting into it.... both to wash out the processing chemicals from commercially woven wool fabric and to pre-shrink.

I have also been guilty of staying up too late and watching Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long-Blog :)

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure - as I don't want to felt or full it. It's rather nice, drape-y pendleton twill. Maybe wash gentle and hang to dry?

I get a kick out of the "messages" from Bad Horse. The rest is just....odd.

[minyata.livejournal.com]

If you want to get the shrink out, but not the drape, wash on hot without agitation, then it wont felt/full. I tumble dry on high and it doesn't usually felt up on me, but I can't guarentee it wont.

I was a mite obsessed with Dr. Horrible last summer... I have a fond love of all that is Joss Whedon!

[ablackram.livejournal.com]

I do on super gentle, rinse out twice and lay out to dry

[landverhuizer.livejournal.com]

yes yes and no?

If you want take the risk of it being heavily felted, say yes to hot wash and dryer.... if you are willing to take the risk of a mild felting, then cold wash and cool dryer

I sometimes require felting, sometimes it is already perfect but understand that I may need to wash it in the future. Rule of thumb for any material: Wash it before you sew in the same way you intend to wash it after you sew (some may not agree but for me this works).

I wash it by hand and let it dry on the line

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

I'm thinkin' that's the ticket. I don't want it to full.

I'm almost tempted to scotch guard it, too, so I can just brush it out when it needs cleaning.

[steelweaver.livejournal.com]

Scotch guard may interfere with the natural dirt repelling qualities of the wool though. I tend to wash and try to get some lanolin back in, either through lanolinated wool wash or lanolin rinse/tabs.

I go for low agitation, cool temp, multiple washes when I'm being patient and don't want things to full. One wash if I'm being bad and impatient and dreading the onset of CADD before I do anything useful with it.

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

I'll have to look around. The only lanolinolated wash I know of here is called Eucalan. It has Eucalyptus. Which I am screamingly allergic to. Hopefully there is an alternative, as I suspect your idea is the way to go.

BTW - do you know of any extant Tailor's books hanging around in Uni libraries in your vicinity? Like the Tailor's Book of Enns or Alcega's book?

[steelweaver.livejournal.com]

Eucalan also does a neutral, grapefruit or lavender wash as well these days. You may have to order it directly though them though. Another one is Kookaburra, but I haven't used it myself.

Lanolin is great, it even has the power to make scratchy wool less scratchy (unless it has stealth hair/synthetics woven in).

I haven't heard of any tailors books, but then again, I haven't really looked either.

[gwacie.livejournal.com]

Wash it; you want to get the sizing out of the fabric if nothing else. If you don't want it to full be gentle :)

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

I will speak gently to it, too. ;-)

I generally don't have the budget for the nice twills, so I'm sort of spinning my wheels.

[mistressarafina.livejournal.com]

I never wash any out layer fabric because I'm not going to wash it after I wear it. I only wash my linens.

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

Maybe wash gentle, and scotch guard!!