Date: 10/15/09 12:02 PM

Hello! I'm making Laughing Moon's California Pants, using some lovely wool flannel I purchased from Denver's Fabrics. The care instructions indicate to dry-clean or hand wash the fabric. Before I cut it, I'd like to know how to pre-treat, and then treat the finished garment.

I hate dry-cleaning (it's expensive and I think they use weird chemicals). I do like hand-washing. However one time I handwashed (carefully) a pair of RTW wool pants (which said DRY CLEAN ONLY) and they did shrink a bit - oops!

Any advice is much appreciated!
-- Edited on 10/15/09 12:02 PM --

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Date: 10/15/09 1:24 PM

I remember reading this tip from Pamela Erny in her blog Off The Cuff. This is how she described her method for pre treating wool. Hope it helps.


Serge or zig-zag the raw cut edges of the fabric.
Next, wet some clean thick towels with HOT water until they are very wet but not quite dripping.
Now toss the hot wet towels and the fabric into your clothes dryer.

Set the dryer on HIGH heat, and tumble the fabric and hot wet towels for 40 minutes.
Take the yardage out of the dryer and lay it flat until it is cool.


That's it! Your wool yardage is now ready for the needle!
The appropriate interfacing for this fabric is PRO-WEFT Fusible.

------
Elaine

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Date: 10/15/09 4:03 PM

That is *exactly* what I do. I'm sort of glad to know I'm not the only one. I've never used hot water, though.

You should be prepared that this method might give a *slightly* more fluffy hand to the fabric.

------
~Gem in the prairie

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Date: 10/16/09 9:40 AM

I used Pam's method on my last 2 lengths of wool and they turned out great.

------
Claire
1seamatatime.blogspot.com

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Reply to Claire in Montreal
Date: 10/16/09 11:44 AM

This is so wonderful to know. How I have ached to know how to do this...

------
"I am still learning" ~ Michelangelo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I finally have a blog!
You can visit it at
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Date: 10/16/09 2:04 PM

I love sewing wool, and I hate dry cleaning, so I'm glad to know this. After pre-treating like this, could I "hand wash" the finished garment in the washing machine (on the hand wash setting)?

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Date: 10/16/09 3:33 PM

I actually just steam my wool garments exactly the same way (dryer + wet towels), but the things I've made don't get hard wear. If you're thinking of washing the wool after it's made up, you should probably wash it before you cut it, too. Or at least do a test swatch, to see how much shrinkage you'll get.

------
~Gem in the prairie

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Reply to kellyhogaboom
Date: 10/16/09 4:06 PM

All my wool fabric gets treated the same way. I machine wash in the gentle cycle with cold water.

Finished items get a 'fake hand wash' in the washing machine. I fill the washer with cold water, add detergent and agitate for a minute before adding the clothes. I push the clothes in the water and agitate for a minute, pull wet fabric up and over dry fabric and repeat until the fabric is all wet. Stop the washer and let it sit for a few minutes. Spin until enough water is gone that the spin starts to speed up, stop and turn to rinse cycle. Agitate for a minute and check to see if a 2nd rinse is needed. Final spin is stopped early, clothes will be fairly wet but won't have spun wrinkles in yet. I hang things in doorways over carpet or a couple of thick towels.

Since switching from the gentle cycle in cold water to the 'fake hand wash', I rarely have to iron wool skirts and dresses.

Joanne

------
joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. Isaiah 51:3

so many ideas, so much fiber, so little time
http://fiberfan.blogspot.com

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Date: 10/16/09 8:10 PM

My wool piece is a lovely, heavy wool cashmere shawl that I was given. Would fiberfan's machine treatment be the way to go to clean it or would dry-cleaning be best. Our dry-cleaners are not the most reliable.

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Reply to sewinsally
Date: 10/27/09 1:38 PM

Quote:

My wool piece is a lovely, heavy wool cashmere shawl that I was given. Would fiberfan's machine treatment be the way to go to clean it or would dry-cleaning be best.

Can you test this technique out on a small piece of the fabric first?

I'm actually on here searching for the method that involves wrapping the fabric in wet towels or something and letting it air dry... something like that, anyway. I'll let you know what I find.

------
Formerly Joan1954
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ You can't do things if you're scared. ~Alex Stobbs (google Alex's name)
~ If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. ~Albert Einstein
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
mon bouclier et ma très grande récompense
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