Very helpful video. I always wondered if there were special ways to wash your quilts. You put a lot of work into making it and you don't want to ruin it right after that. Thanks
This is a great series!!!!😊 thank you so much. You have thought of everything from beginning to end. I am making my first full quilt (second quilt top) and you have answered so many of my questions throughout this series. Again thank you so much.
Thank you for the information on how to wash your quilt, as I just finished my son's memory quilt with pictures and I have a washer with the adgetator and was leary on washing it in there, so thank you again for the clarification. I will have to go to the laundry mat that has a front loader and wash it. Beautiful quilt by the way.
Thank you for making this video! I recently bought an old quilt from an antique shop and wanted to learn how to take care of it. This video really helped!
Thanks so much. Was searching for quilt care. Bought a Town and Country quilt several years ago and was debating between dry clean $$$$ and using my daughter in laws front loader. The fabric looks like cotton or cotton blend. Have you ever had a quilt dry cleaned or always wash. The quilt is king size so hoping her machine is large enough. She washes her king comforter in it. Since it's never been washed I always vacuum it real good and still looks new. Was worried about dry cleaning versus machine washing and which will be best for the quilt.
I always wash my quilts in my machine, but they're also new as I make them all. If you have an older quilt you may want to take it to the cleaners. Also if you do wash it at home, make sure to wash using a color catcher so it doesn't bleed.
@@erica_arndt thanks, I always use color catchers for all my laundry. Was just wondering what would be safest. I thought maybe a short wash cycle on cold gentle cycle might be safer than dry cleaning after watching your video and reading comments.
I washed a quilt I had made using 100% cotton batting. It help water and would not spin out in the washer. I was wondering what blend and brand of batting you used in your quilt. It turned out gorgeous!
Coming back to quilting after 20 years. Always pre washed fabric for shrinkage, now there are pre cut jelly rolls, charm packs etc. Do they wash/dry ok without too much puckering after quilt is sewn?
Yes, they wash fine after quilting. You definitely do NOT want to pre-wash a pre-cut or you'll have a freyed mess on your hands! Just use as is, then wash the quilt once it's all done.
I know I’m late to the party but I binged all the 101 videos and many others. My burning question is, how do I know when to pre wash my fabrics vs not? Total newbie here and I’ve seen so many conflicting opinions on this. I have a friend that washes all fabric as soon as it comes into the house, but she doesn’t quilt.
I feel like this is a split opinion between quilters. Some pre wash everything and some never pre wash. I’m a non pre washer EXCEPT when there’s a dark blue, black, or red fabric I’m using for the backing. I’ve had these colors bleed in the past and don’t take chances anymore. I use the shout color catchers too like Erica does and they have saved the day many times!
For those of you with a top loader….iTop loading with agitator is what I have. I’ve washed MANY quilts…and I can’t afford another washer? It has worked great! My daughter has a front load….it doesn’t wash as clean as my top loader. It doesn’t give her enough water!
Hey there, a question from Germany... my washing mashine doesn't say "cold-warm-hot", it gives a temperature degree in Celsius. I can choose between 95, 60, 40, 30, 20 and some undefineable symbol that probably means the water is used at the exact temperature that the machine takes it from the pipes. So, 60 and 95 I would definitely define as hot, but what would you define as "cold"? Do I have to use the strange symbol and actually have freezing cold water in winter or would you rather take 20 or 30 degrees? (As a reference: 36 is a healthy body temperature)
The warm water setting is between 110 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3-32.2 degrees Celsius). The cold water setting is between 80 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7-15 degrees Celsius).
Thanks! The pattern is called "Flower Girl" by Camille Roskelly www.thimbleblossoms.com The Fabric is called Halle Rose by Lila Tueller for Riley Blake, however I believe it's out of print now. You may be able to find some on Etsy though if you look :)
Does this apply to older quilts too? My husband & I received a gift from his dad; a hand stitched quilt made by my husbands great-great-grandmother. I don’t know exactly what year it was made but she passed away in 2006 & she was 91 years old then. It’s still in very good condition & I would like to keep it that way...
I might hand wash that one the first time to see how it holds up. And if not hand wash, definitely use gentle cycle and a front loading machine. Do not use a Toploader!
Sure, hang it somewhere, I often dry it for a bit in the dryer, then just hang it over our stair railing to finish drying. You can hang it outside as well. :)
Yes you do not wash a quilt like it is a shirt. In other words do not wash a quilt very often at all. Keep it off the floor..don't let your children eat or yourself on the quilt..if you wash your quilt alot it will look old very fast. A quilt is an heirloom so treat it as such.
@@christeequilter6143 I'm making my first quilt for a baby. I expect this to be eaten on, puked on, taken in the car. But not treated disrespectfully. Not every quilt is an heirloom. Heirlooms get displayed.
I Have a Question about the quilt you have in the Background of this Video. I just bought the Pattern and Just wondering if you used the Vintage Picnic Fat Quarters . Im new to quilting and I just love the Quilt you have in the background and Your Video's
Hi Norma, sorry I forgot to put it in the description box! Here's the info: Pattern: Summerville by Thimble Blossoms Fabric: Vintage Picnic by Bonnie and Camille for Moda
Erica, have you ever had an issue with Bonnie & Camille red prints bleeding? I just made my 4th quilt (a large flag) and the reds bled even with a color catcher and cold water and all free and clear and gentle cycle on my washing machine. I followed a quilters recommendation to try to fix it but it still has some pink squares. I am now very cautious of B & C fabric. And I love their colors. Especially the reds! Any thoughts? Thank you.
I always put a color catcher in when I was my quilts with contrasting colors. I haven't had any B&C bleed, but I did have a red from JoAnns bleed so now I'm cautious of their fabric too LOL! I think Man Sewing had a good tutorial on getting the bleed out, so you may want to look that up! :)
Erica Arndt he recommends Synthrapol. I’m off to place an order for some and try not to get my hopes up too much. 🤭. Thanks so much. (The red aurifil thread could have been the problem but it’s doubtful with the huge amount of red dye in the bath water.) In the future, I will test my fabrics before sewing using Man Sewing’s instructions. 👌🏼 I don’t want to be afraid of my new hobby.
I usually wash them once with a color catcher to make sure they don't bleed. If I don't have time to wash them, then I'll usually I include a few color catchers and a little card with care instructions :)
Do the color catchers help with colors that have already bled into the white parts of clothing? I have a pair of plaid pants and the colors bled into the white parts. The white lines are actually kind of big but now look slightly pink and on other parts dark pink. Do you know if there is anything that can be done to restore plaid?
No, they don't help something that has already bled, they only prevent it from bleeding the first time around. You'll have to look online to see if there is anything you can do to fix the pink. I know Rob at Man Sewing has a tutorial that seemed to work fairly well, I don't remember what he used though.
Hey Erica! Thank you so much for posting this video, i do have one question. Did you prewash your fabric or no? I'm freaking out because I just made a quilt that has mostly red and white in it and I'm terrified to wash it now because of possible (or probable) bleeding and I did not prewash my fabric. Gah! Help!
No, I never prewash. You for sure don't want to prewash pre-cuts because they can come apart easily. To prevent bleeding throw in a couple of shout color catchers and you should be fine. I've washed lots of quilts with super high contrast fabric and been fine so far. I also usually wash them on cool.
I use my top load, with an agitator. Never a problem. Have washed a lot f quilts. Do hang them on the clothesline. Just MY experiences…Three of my daughters have front load and hate them.
Hi, No I do not pre-wash my fabric. I do use a color catcher when I wash my quilts the first time, maybe twice if there are really high contrast colors.
Thank you! I was taught to wash my fabric, but always washed the quilt after and it didnt make sense to me to wash twice. I like your way better! Thanks a bunch! Getting ready to my 1st 5in charm quilt. Do you have any tutorials on that?
NOOOOOOOOO! I don't pre-wash my fabric at all. Definitely do NOT pre-wash precuts, the edges will fray and they'll be a big mess. I know people are passionate about the debate on whether to pre-wash or not to pre-wash and I'm in the NOT camp.
Ok, thanks. I just watched a video recently where the quilter pre-washes her precuts by hand and I thought that was interesting (but not something I was thinking of doing). I'm glad to see someone who doesn't pre-wash. If I ever get around to actually making a quilt, I wasn't looking forward to that part of the process. I had visions of opening the washer and finding nothing but frayed cloth. Thanks for giving me the confidence to give it a shot.
Thank you very much for the great information.
Very helpful video. I always wondered if there were special ways to wash your quilts. You put a lot of work into making it and you don't want to ruin it right after that. Thanks
This is a great series!!!!😊 thank you so much. You have thought of everything from beginning to end. I am making my first full quilt (second quilt top) and you have answered so many of my questions throughout this series. Again thank you so much.
Thank you for the information on how to wash your quilt, as I just finished my son's memory quilt with pictures and I have a washer with the adgetator and was leary on washing it in there, so thank you again for the clarification. I will have to go to the laundry mat that has a front loader and wash it. Beautiful quilt by the way.
Sew helpful Erica, now I'm way less worried about washing my new quilt. You covered it all. Great tutorial.
I love the quilt you made. The one you were washing. I’m going to have to look that up. But not until some of my projects are done.
Glad I finished listening. I have never had any quilt or anything else catch in a top loading agitator.
I'm washing my first one. I saw frayed bits that I didn't see down correctly.
Thank you for making this video! I recently bought an old quilt from an antique shop and wanted to learn how to take care of it. This video really helped!
Hey Erica thanks for the great tips. My aunt just recently made a quilt for me for Christmas and I didn't know how to wash it. Thanks. God Bless
So glad I've found this channel, thank you! What a beautiful quilt in this video - great colour combinations.
So sad this series is over! I hope you have more quilting videos up your sleeve :)
I do! :)
Beautiful art of quilt you made. Thank you for sharing your tips.
Very informative, thank you.😊
About to wash my first quilt! Thank you for this video!
This was a great series. Thank you.
Thank you for the lesson, great tips!
Thanks so much. Was searching for quilt care. Bought a Town and Country quilt several years ago and was debating between dry clean $$$$ and using my daughter in laws front loader. The fabric looks like cotton or cotton blend. Have you ever had a quilt dry cleaned or always wash. The quilt is king size so hoping her machine is large enough. She washes her king comforter in it. Since it's never been washed I always vacuum it real good and still looks new. Was worried about dry cleaning versus machine washing and which will be best for the quilt.
I always wash my quilts in my machine, but they're also new as I make them all. If you have an older quilt you may want to take it to the cleaners. Also if you do wash it at home, make sure to wash using a color catcher so it doesn't bleed.
@@erica_arndt thanks, I always use color catchers for all my laundry. Was just wondering what would be safest. I thought maybe a short wash cycle on cold gentle cycle might be safer than dry cleaning after watching your video and reading comments.
I washed a quilt I had made using 100% cotton batting. It help water and would not spin out in the washer. I was wondering what blend and brand of batting you used in your quilt. It turned out gorgeous!
I love that quilt!
Thanks for sharing with us Erica!!
Coming back to quilting after 20 years. Always pre washed fabric for shrinkage, now there are pre cut jelly rolls, charm packs etc. Do they wash/dry ok without too much puckering after quilt is sewn?
Yes, they wash fine after quilting. You definitely do NOT want to pre-wash a pre-cut or you'll have a freyed mess on your hands! Just use as is, then wash the quilt once it's all done.
Thank you for the video. I was given a quilt a long time ago. Now I know how to wash it. But what about drying? Just hanging to dry?
I put mine in the dryer, it's what gives it that soft crinkle!
@@erica_arndt Awesome. Thanks for letting me know.
I know I’m late to the party but I binged all the 101 videos and many others. My burning question is, how do I know when to pre wash my fabrics vs not? Total newbie here and I’ve seen so many conflicting opinions on this. I have a friend that washes all fabric as soon as it comes into the house, but she doesn’t quilt.
I feel like this is a split opinion between quilters. Some pre wash everything and some never pre wash. I’m a non pre washer EXCEPT when there’s a dark blue, black, or red fabric I’m using for the backing. I’ve had these colors bleed in the past and don’t take chances anymore. I use the shout color catchers too like Erica does and they have saved the day many times!
For those of you with a top loader….iTop loading with agitator is what I have. I’ve washed MANY quilts…and I can’t afford another washer? It has worked great! My daughter has a front load….it doesn’t wash as clean as my top loader. It doesn’t give her enough water!
Warmer cold water….I’ve NEVER used a colour catcher, but I always PREWASH my quilting fabric!
Should say "warm or" cold water
agitator is only kind I have. I have washed quilts for years and years and have never had an issue.
Hey there, a question from Germany... my washing mashine doesn't say "cold-warm-hot", it gives a temperature degree in Celsius. I can choose between 95, 60, 40, 30, 20 and some undefineable symbol that probably means the water is used at the exact temperature that the machine takes it from the pipes. So, 60 and 95 I would definitely define as hot, but what would you define as "cold"? Do I have to use the strange symbol and actually have freezing cold water in winter or would you rather take 20 or 30 degrees? (As a reference: 36 is a healthy body temperature)
The warm water setting is between 110 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3-32.2 degrees Celsius).
The cold water setting is between 80 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7-15 degrees Celsius).
another great video. thanks! love what i could see of the quilt you're washing. love those colors so much. what's the name of the pattern and fabric?
Thanks! The pattern is called "Flower Girl" by Camille Roskelly www.thimbleblossoms.com The Fabric is called Halle Rose by Lila Tueller for Riley Blake, however I believe it's out of print now. You may be able to find some on Etsy though if you look :)
Does this apply to older quilts too? My husband & I received a gift from his dad; a hand stitched quilt made by my husbands great-great-grandmother. I don’t know exactly what year it was made but she passed away in 2006 & she was 91 years old then. It’s still in very good condition & I would like to keep it that way...
I might hand wash that one the first time to see how it holds up. And if not hand wash, definitely use gentle cycle and a front loading machine. Do not use a Toploader!
Question: do you have any ideas on how best to dry a quilt if you don't have a dryer?
Sure, hang it somewhere, I often dry it for a bit in the dryer, then just hang it over our stair railing to finish drying. You can hang it outside as well. :)
Awesome, thank you! I was worried that if I line dried it, the weight of the water and fabric might pull it out of shape.
Yes you do not wash a quilt like it is a shirt. In other words do not wash a quilt very often at all. Keep it off the floor..don't let your children eat or yourself on the quilt..if you wash your quilt alot it will look old very fast. A quilt is an heirloom so treat it as such.
@@christeequilter6143 I'm making my first quilt for a baby. I expect this to be eaten on, puked on, taken in the car. But not treated disrespectfully. Not every quilt is an heirloom. Heirlooms get displayed.
Nice quilt x
This had helped tremendously!
Great tutorial. Will you do a block of the month series??!!
I Have a Question about the quilt you have in the Background of this Video. I just bought the Pattern and Just wondering if you used the Vintage Picnic Fat Quarters . Im new to quilting and I just love the Quilt you have in the background and Your Video's
Hi Norma, sorry I forgot to put it in the description box! Here's the info:
Pattern: Summerville by Thimble Blossoms
Fabric: Vintage Picnic by Bonnie and Camille for Moda
Very good tips!
Erica, have you ever had an issue with Bonnie & Camille red prints bleeding? I just made my 4th quilt (a large flag) and the reds bled even with a color catcher and cold water and all free and clear and gentle cycle on my washing machine. I followed a quilters recommendation to try to fix it but it still has some pink squares. I am now very cautious of B & C fabric. And I love their colors. Especially the reds! Any thoughts? Thank you.
I always put a color catcher in when I was my quilts with contrasting colors. I haven't had any B&C bleed, but I did have a red from JoAnns bleed so now I'm cautious of their fabric too LOL! I think Man Sewing had a good tutorial on getting the bleed out, so you may want to look that up! :)
Erica Arndt he recommends Synthrapol. I’m off to place an order for some and try not to get my hopes up too much. 🤭. Thanks so much. (The red aurifil thread could have been the problem but it’s doubtful with the huge amount of red dye in the bath water.) In the future, I will test my fabrics before sewing using Man Sewing’s instructions. 👌🏼 I don’t want to be afraid of my new hobby.
I was curious why you didn't check the quilt for bleeds before you throw it in the dryer?
Great video! Do you recommend washing quilts before giving them away as gifts?
I usually wash them once with a color catcher to make sure they don't bleed. If I don't have time to wash them, then I'll usually I include a few color catchers and a little card with care instructions :)
Do the color catchers help with colors that have already bled into the white parts of clothing? I have a pair of plaid pants and the colors bled into the white parts. The white lines are actually kind of big but now look slightly pink and on other parts dark pink. Do you know if there is anything that can be done to restore plaid?
No, they don't help something that has already bled, they only prevent it from bleeding the first time around. You'll have to look online to see if there is anything you can do to fix the pink. I know Rob at Man Sewing has a tutorial that seemed to work fairly well, I don't remember what he used though.
Can u use dreft to wash fabric b4 quiltin?
You can use draft at any time in your washing process. I do NOT like to pre-wash fabric, but you can do whatever you prefer :)
Hey Erica! Thank you so much for posting this video, i do have one question. Did you prewash your fabric or no? I'm freaking out because I just made a quilt that has mostly red and white in it and I'm terrified to wash it now because of possible (or probable) bleeding and I did not prewash my fabric. Gah! Help!
No, I never prewash. You for sure don't want to prewash pre-cuts because they can come apart easily. To prevent bleeding throw in a couple of shout color catchers and you should be fine. I've washed lots of quilts with super high contrast fabric and been fine so far. I also usually wash them on cool.
Erica, your hair is gorgeous.
Thanks!!
I use my top load, with an agitator. Never a problem. Have washed a lot f quilts. Do hang them on the clothesline. Just MY experiences…Three of my daughters have front load and hate them.
Hi Erica
Do you wash your fabric before cutting?
Hi, No I do not pre-wash my fabric. I do use a color catcher when I wash my quilts the first time, maybe twice if there are really high contrast colors.
Thank you! I was taught to wash my fabric, but always washed the quilt after and it didnt make sense to me to wash twice. I like your way better! Thanks a bunch! Getting ready to my 1st 5in charm quilt. Do you have any tutorials on that?
Thank you!
Thank you so much!
I watch this every time I wash a quilt
I asked a ? On another tutorial, but I have it answered on this tutorial. Thanks.
I inherited my great grandmother's quilt. Is this method still good? Its very old.
You may want to hand wash it if it's looking fragile.
@@erica_arndt what kind of detergent should I use? I'm already using odorless and colorless for our normal laundry.
Do you pre-wash your yardage and/or precuts?
NOOOOOOOOO! I don't pre-wash my fabric at all. Definitely do NOT pre-wash precuts, the edges will fray and they'll be a big mess. I know people are passionate about the debate on whether to pre-wash or not to pre-wash and I'm in the NOT camp.
Ok, thanks. I just watched a video recently where the quilter pre-washes her precuts by hand and I thought that was interesting (but not something I was thinking of doing).
I'm glad to see someone who doesn't pre-wash. If I ever get around to actually making a quilt, I wasn't looking forward to that part of the process. I had visions of opening the washer and finding nothing but frayed cloth. Thanks for giving me the confidence to give it a shot.
good info. thank you
My quilt has a thin batting layer. Should I hang to dry??
I put them in the dryer, if they don't dry all the way then I hang them over the stair railing to finish drying :)
How do I get the free clips
Do you wash your quilts before you give them as a gift?
Yes, I usually do, just to make sure they'll wash okay and I also like to use a color catcher for the first wash to collect any color bleeding.