Replies

1. 
   woodruff | Aug 05, 2010 10:52pm | #1

   fabric care anxiety

   I used to keep samples glued to 3 X 5 cards, along with a description.  Yuck.  Now, like sewchris, I pretty machine wash and dry everything I buy (except for a very few woolens. Most silks get tossed into the machine).  That way I know that anything in my stash is pre-treated, whatever it is.

   Now, as to what the fabric actually is, I use either a fine-point black or white permanent marker to literally write a short description plus yardage on the end of the cut.

   If that's not feasible (sometimes the weave prevents hand-printing), I use one of those removable stick-on labels from stationery supplies.

2. 
   Ceeayche | Aug 06, 2010 09:45am | #2

   How to avoid Fabric Care Anxiety

   Here's my system. 

   If I've purchased the fabric, I fold it for storage and clip a slip of paper to the end selvage that includes the content and the amount of yardage. 

   If I received it from another source and really can't tell from handling the fabric, I do a quick burn test.  Basically this means I clip a small (like one inch square) piece of the fabric.  put it on a piece of heavy duty foil and light a match to it.  Basically if it smells like burning leaves and goes to ash-- I interpret that as a natural fiber (cotton, linen, wool etc).  If it melts and smells like anything other than leaves, it interpret that to be synthetic (rayon, nylon, etc.). 

   If I can't tell from that, I treat it as dry cleanable and move on-- yes I may have a garment I'm dry cleaning unecessarily, but it eliminates the anxiety and I can enjoy the garment freely.  It's worth the cost of dry cleaning for this peace of mind.

   One thing I've also learned (I inherited a huge stash from my mother), is to also let fabric that's been stored over time "relax" before I start.  I take it out and drape it over the garment rack in my sewing room (have even used the curtain rod).  It just allows the fabric to breath and I also can see if there are any surprises (slubs, holes, etc)  before I start to cut.  I also send it through the dryer on the air setting (no heat)  to remove the dust.

   I wish you hours of anxiety free sewing!

3. 
   marymary | Aug 06, 2010 10:38am | #3

   I have several spools of ribbon, each a different color, that I use as fabric care labels.  I have written on the spool what the care for that color represents.  Example: pink means wash and machine dry, blue means wash and dry gentle, etc.  I serge a piece of the appropriate ribbon to the edge of the fabric when I get it home.  When I make the garment, I sew the ribbon to an inside seam so that I know how to care for it later.   This doesn't help with identifying the fabric, just the care.

1. 
   JunkQueen | Aug 06, 2010 06:19pm | #4

   Great Idea

   Mary, this may quite possibly be the most efficient method of handling fabric care I've ever seen.  I love this idea.  I suggest you send it to Threads for the monthly Tips column.   you'd be a shoo in for winning a prize if I were one of the judges of such things.

1. 
   marymary | Aug 06, 2010 08:26pm | #5

   Thanks, JunkQueen for your nice comments.  I don't know where I got the idea, but I suspect that it originally came from Threads.  I have every issue, so that is very possible.  I has been a very good way to keep track of the care of finished garments.  I recently lost weight and found an old blouse that is probably 20 years old that I always loved and refused to get rid of.  It had the ribbon in the seam and I instantly knew how to care for it.

1. 
   sewluving | Aug 07, 2010 10:50pm | #6

   Mary,

   That is such a wonderful idea.  I love it.  Thanks.

   Heather in Calgary