What happens if you don't wash fabric before you sew with it?

Answer 1

You risk having excess dye come out later, potentially staining the sewing machine and your hands as you work, and later, skin or other fabrics.

You also risk the fabric shrinking later, leading to puckered seams or worse.

And you risk putting in a lot of effort sewing something and then finding out that the fabric's poor quality was disguised by fabric finishes.

Prewash and dry with the most brutal methods you're likely to use later. If you're working with rayon, machine wash and dry at least twice. Vinegar and/or salt will not set non-colorfast commercially dyed fabrics.

Answer 2

When I learned sewing, in school and at home, we would never ever wash the fabric first.

Al (or almost all) fabric gets a treatment that makes it feel a bit more sturdy.
Often this sets the threads a bit skewed.
When you cut and sew with this fabric without washing or straightening before cutting, the clothes you make will turn around, because after washing the fabric will fall as woven, not as set.
You can test for this by checking by a thread going from selvage to selvage, it should go at right angels with the selvages and the fold, and in a straight line.

If it doesn't you can try stretching the fabric, pulling it in diagonals both ways, mostly that will do the job.
Sometimes the fabrics are torn rather than cut when you buy them, that line is the same as the one you are looking for.

T-shirts from shops are often made with fabric that is not made straight, and often they twist round you after the are washed.

Bleeding of colour is not that much of a problem, but shrinkage is, specially if you use different fabrics in one piece of work.

Answer 3

Dyes "running" and fabric shrinking have already been mentioned.

Many people are seriously concerned about the chemicals used in modern fabrics and make a point of at least machine-rinsing such fabrics ASAP, before storing them in areas of human habitation. Storing fresh-from-the-store fabric on the top shelf of the nursery or kids' room is considered to be "right out".

The fumes do give some people headaches. There a rumors of others things, without proof, but there are plenty of people with the headache problems limiting shopping time and rinsing ASAP.

Answer 4

It depends of the type of fabric. Most are OK to sew without washing, however they may shrink or fade when washed. To be sure of the shrinkage and to see if the fabric fades bad, it is recommended that you wash it first.

Answer 5

As a quilter, I ALWAYS wash my fabric, this keeps dyes from running. Depending on what your making you run this risk, even if you wash in cold water. I have seen it happen. Usually I wash it, then I use a little fabric softener (most say not to) then i put on my handrail to air dry (most will say to dry in your dryer). Press it up, then I fold it up and place on bookcases till I am ready to use it.

Hope this helps!!

Happy Sewing!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

need to check that the colors are color fast. If the colors run you might not be a happy camper!

if the fabric is 100% cotton it will probably shrink about 2%.

to set colors use vinegar in hot water. then check again.