prewash fabric???

[quirkyk]

ok...so I got this lugana fabric for my HAED the company picked how much to send me based on the design. The Pattern says the finished piece is 23 inches long by 13 1/2 inches tall.. But the fabric I got is 48 inches long by 29 inches tall...Even if I allow the extra 3 inches on each side for finishing I would only need 29 inches long by 20 inches tall...So I sat down to start cutting off all that extra but then it dawned on me...do I need to wash the fabric to preshrink it?? I've never done that for a cross stitch but this is also the first time I've used anything other than Aida...Any ideas???

[lacemaker2004]

Hi,
I'm assuming they sent you the size based on that being the yardage they sell that would bit your project. Not sure what the term would be for a piece that size but a fat quarter (18 x26) would have been just a bit too small for your piece.

I've never washed fabric before stitching but even if you did what would happen is that any shrinkage that occured would be due to the overall fabric shrinking, causing smaller holes so your stitches would be smaller, and that would cause the piece to be slightly smaller. Did that make sense? So in other words it may got to 29 or 30 count effectively from 28 count.
Alyson

[Rose]

I have only ever used aida or cotton fabric(with waste canvas) so I have never found a need to wash the material before stitching.

Sorry I am not much help for you.

[Serinde]

I wouldn't bother prewashing lugana. It is a cotton rayon mix, I think, and shouldn't shrink if you are so misguided as to try to wash your HAED.

[lacemaker2004]

Depending on the time it will take you to stitch the HAED I would suggest a few things to keep it clean.
1. always wash in advance (yeah, I know, no dah but some things are worth repeating)
2. store it in a clean cotton cover, like a pillow case. I made a thing that I wrap some of my pieces on the scroll so they don't gather dust
3. if you're like me and it takes long to complete these things, I would either find a good dry cleaner that does this kind of cleaning or carefully hand wash it and air dry.

Some talk about the washer but I have never done that and would be real hesitant on anything that took me any lenght of time to make.

There are some very good products out there for washing textiles that I have used. The only thing I wouldn't use is woolite as I've heard that is terrible for textiles..but that may be an old wives tale.

[quirkyk]

Thanks for all the tips!! I didn't prewash it but did cut it down a bit...I left 4 inches all around the pattern of extra fabric so I think I'll be ok. I'm going to do my Gridding tonight...at least for the pages so I'll be able to tell if it will all fit ok...or if I screwed up And lacemaker I do have a local shop that does cleaning of needle work so I think I'll be ok once it is done..

[lacemaker2004]

Oh you'll have to give me the address, my step mother is in NC and I'm sure we could use the cleaning once in awhile.