Washing Quilts

[jimmie w.]

I made a baby quilt in different size blocks with the seams on the outside, so they will fray and curl when washed. I washed the quilt and dried it in the dryer. The seams curled up and looked good but the quilt would not lay flat and was not square anymore. I had to block the quilt so it would be square and lay flat. My question is - every time the quilts is washed will it have to be blocked again? How often do you wash your quilts and do you have the same problem? Thanks, Jimmie

[Eileen K.]

I've never heard of this before. How much quilting did you do? Did you secure all the blocks?
eileenkny

[Annis C.]

I've made dozens of these quilts from wall size to full size and have never had a problem with them not laying flat.

Did you prewash the fabric? I almost always prewash as fabric shrinks at different rates and the crosswise grain often shrinks more than the lengthwise grain.

How did you finish the edges of the quilt? I sew a strip of fabric around the edge to help secure it instead of just sewing a seam. Sometimes I add a frayed-edge binding.

Did you use batting? I generally use a light-weight batting or at least a layer of prewashed flannel between the layers.

How much quilting did you use? Just sewing with an X may not work if the blocks are different sizes. Try to keep the amount of quilting uniform in each block.

Hope this helps for future quilts.

[jimmie w.]

Thanks, Alcapp - I will try to put a picture in my profile, if I remember how. I tried to quilt the same amount in each block where each block would be about the same. I did not quilt an X. I used osnaburg in place of batting. (Which was suggested in a book with frayed edge patterns.) I washed it in cold water and dryed it in the dryer. I had to block the quilt. When it dryed it looked good. I used scraps and I did not pay attention to the grain line. That could be the problem. I quilted each block as I went along and later sewed the blocks together with the seam on the outside. I put a regular two pieced border on and then put a binding on. It looked great before I washed it and then. This is a baby gift and do I tell them not to wash it? Thanks, Jimmie

[jimmie w.]

Sorry, Ajclapp, I tried but I can't remember how to upload pictures - Yes, I always prewash my fabric. I usually don't wash a quilt before I give it away but I needed to wash this one to make the frayed seams curl up. The other baby quilts I made I did not wash before giving away. I hope if they washed them - they came out ok. Do you wash every quilt you make? Is there any law saying that you have to wash quilts? Thanks, Jimmie

[Annis C.]

Assuming that the baby quilts will be well used I generally wash them before giving them away. I did make a quilt last year that the binding was too tight after it was washed but I didn't prewash the fabric on that one. The recipient didn't care that it didn't lay perfectly flat. I generally add pieced border blocks to my rag quilts instead of using long one-piece borders. It's possible the problem could have been the grain of the fabric or even the type of fabric used. I'm sure the recipient will love the quilt anyway.