For many, quilting is a year-round craft, but the cooler temperatures of autumn and the upcoming International Quilt Market have us thinking about wrapping up in cozy handmade quilts this season! Today we’ll share some of our favourite tips for quilting with Eucalan!
Washing Fabric Before you Begin
Before you begin the actual cutting and sewing, you’ll need to pre-wash any fabric that you intend to use in your quilt.
First, check for colour fastness on whatever you plan to clean. How to tell if something is colourfast? Moisten a clean white cloth (100% cotton or other natural fibre). Press firmly on coloured area in an inconspicuous place. If colour is not “fast” it will transfer to cloth, so wash at your own risk or have dry cleaned. Also, use caution and be sure to wash fabric separately from lighter colours to prevent any colour transfer. Be gentle to your fabric – don’t rub too vigorously. Dark colours most prone to bleed into lighter colours are black, navy, dark green, burgundy and red. We’ve got a great video tutorial on how to do this!
Once you have checked for colour fastness, you’re ready to move on to quilting!
During Quilting
Anyone who has ever quilted knows that half of your making time is spent ironing between sewing steps! Eucalan can help here too. Mix your favourite scent of Eucalan and water in a small spray bottle (1 part Eucalan to 12 parts water). Shake to ensure the soap is incorporated into the water. Use a light misting when ironing your fabric and pay special attention to how your seams are laying.
Washing
Once your quilt is finished, it’s time to give it a good wash before using. If you have a washing machine big enough to handle a quilt, the good news is that you can use Eucalan in the washer!
If you have a top loading machine, set your washing machine to the delicate cycle and fill the drum with cool water. Add approximately 2 tablespoons of Eucalan for a large quilt. Then submerge the item in the drum and run through the gentle or handwash cycle.
If you have a front loading machine, place your item in the drum. Set the machine to the delicate cycle and cool water. Add 2 tablespoons of Eucalan to the detergent compartment and run the cycle.
Drying
To dry your quilt, you have two options. First, you can hang it to dry – just make sure it’s away from direct sunlight which can cause whites to yellow or colours to fade. Your second option is to machine dry, provided your materials will stand up to tumble drying. Set the dryer to low or cool air and dry the quilt gently; it’s important to avoid high heat so that your items don’t shrink.
Keeping Your Quilt Clean
Any time you think your quilt needs some freshening up, you can follow the washing instructions above. If you find any problem areas, you can also spot clean with full-strength Eucalan. If you’re looking for more information about how to treat specific stains, sign up for our newsletter and get a free pdf download of our handy Guide to Stain Removal.
If you’re looking for some tips and tutorials on how to get started or some pattern inspiration, we’ve got a Pinterest board full of quilting ideas!
Like this post?
Pin it!