Today, I’m going to answer a question I’m often asked: Is it really necessary to wash your fabric before sewing it?

The answer for most fabrics is yes, and three times yes! But let’s look at the details together.

1. Know the composition of your fabric.

The first question to ask when buying fabric is its composition. Knowing the material of your coupon will help you determine if:

• the composition matches the pattern you want to sew (e.g., knit vs woven)
• the drape and fluidity suit the pattern
• you can wash it
• and if so, at what temperature or washing program.

The best way to do this is to refer to the manufacturer’s care instructions, which you will find indicated. In our shop, you will find the composition type and the manufacturer’s care advice in the description of each product.

2. Why wash your fabric?

If the fabric’s composition allows washing, wash it according to the recommended program.

"Wash your fabric coupon as you will wash your future garment"

The first reason for this washing is the potential shrinkage of the fabric during the first wash. Indeed, natural fibers tend to tighten during the first wash. High-quality cotton shrinks little, linen and wool shrink a bit more (sometimes up to 10%). It is therefore important to wash your fabric or risk not fitting into the garment you carefully made...

The second reason is to remove the finish that the manufacturer applied to the fabric to enhance it. This finish gives the fabric a certain stiffness and stabilizes it. It is important to remove this layer before sewing your garment to see the fabric’s true drape and to confirm if this is the fluidity you want for your garment.

The third reason is that your fabric may bleed, meaning the dye may run. Indeed, the fibers are saturated with pigments that will dissolve in the wash water. Blue, black, and red fabrics are the most likely to bleed. Who hasn’t had blue hands after handling a new pair of jeans?

You can help set the color a bit more with this old trick: soak your coupon for about 1 hour in a bucket of cold water with 200ml of white vinegar (make sure to mix the water and vinegar well before immersing the fabric coupon). After this bath, wash your fabric according to the recommendations.

Finally, the fourth reason: washing removes dust, microorganisms, and other residues the fabric may have encountered during manufacturing, transport, and storage...

3. Drying

Be careful with spinning! Some fibers like silk and wool cannot tolerate it. Make sure to respect the fabric’s composition before starting this program; otherwise, you might end up with a doll’s sweater!

Ideally, let your fabric coupons air dry. Be careful with sunlight for dark fabrics like black and purple, as they tend to fade in the sun.

Wool should be dried flat to avoid deformation or creasing from the clothesline.

4. Ironing

I encourage you to always iron your fabrics even if you plan to sew them later and store them. Indeed, some wrinkles form during washing and drying that can be difficult to remove except with steam.

Here’s an old trick: store your fabrics away from light with cedar balls or blocks that repel moths and smell much better than mothballs ;-)

And if you sew your coupon right away, ironing will help avoid unwanted creases when you cut your pattern (which could cause crooked pieces).

5. Cutting and sewing

Finally, the most enjoyable moment arrives ;-)

You will have taken a bit of preparation time, but you’ll save so much time during sewing.

One last tip: don’t forget to overlock your pieces so they don’t fray too much and last over time.

Happy sewing ;-)