Design Wall and BOM
Away Monday
I’m linking to both Design Wall Monday and BOM Away Monday. My design wall includes the finished Block 9 of Raining Cats and Dogs.
Block 9 – Done
Raining Cats and Dogs
Here’s a close up.
I wish I had a bigger design wall but I just do not have a spot for it. So I’m going to have to be happy with my little corkboard.
And just a little rant about Pre-Washing fabric…
When I took my first quilting class, I was told to pre-wash the fabric. I did so without question. When I took my second quilting class, I pre-washed since that was what I did before. But at that class, the instructor (a different one from the first) told me that some people did and some people didn’t. The more traditional (older) quilters (as my first instructor was) did because older fabric wasn’t as good as the fabric is now. I’m pretty sure that the instructor didn’t say it that way but that was how I took it. She probably gave me more specifics about how the fabric was made then and dye used etc but it all went over my head and the only thing I got from it was that I didn’t have to if I didn’t want to. So I didn’t. Thinking back and knowing both instructors better now, she probably didn’t mean that I shouldn’t do one or the other but her way of saying that there is an on-going debate about whether to pre-wash or not. And that it depends on what I wanted to do. Well, I decided then that if I didn’t have to pre-wash then I wouldn’t and I didn’t. Well I recently finished a quilt that I hadn’t pre-washed and my colors bled. Luckily it bled evenly and the quilt doesn’t look bad. In fact, if I didn’t point it out, no one would know. But I know how the quilt is supposed to look and I’m irritated with myself for not pre-washing. So now I’m on the pre-washing bandwagon. I’ve still got a few quilts in the making (all those UFOs) that I didn’t pre-wash the fabric and I’m scared as to what might happen when I wash the finished quilts. But there is nothing I can do with that now and I’ll just keep going on with those come what may. However, going forward, I’m washing all my fabric.
See more design walls at Patchwork Times and more finished BOMs at 
.
Wish I was quilting.
Melanie
Just a suggestion on the quilts you haven’t pre washed, I never wash fabric before I use it, even batiks cuz I want to sew not do laundry! I buy several boxes of Shout Color Catchers whenever I’m in the States and throw two or three colour catchers in the washer the first time I wash a quilt. So far my laziness has paid off and I’ve never had a quilt run! I use quilt shop quality fabrics though so can’t speak to the quality of fabric from other sources.
wonderful! I’ll have to head over to the grocery store! I’d rather sew than wash and iron fabric too! thank you!
Hey! Nice to see you at BOMs Away 🙂 I really love “Raining Cats and Dogs” – your block looks great.
Thank you Lynette!
Melanie–I have had exactly the same thing happen to me–heartbreaking after all that work. I was religious about prewashing fabric until I read again and again how it wasn’t necessary. So I didn’t, which I have come to believe is fine if you are making a mini-quilt wall hanging (that will likely never be washed). BUT if you are making a quilt that will be on a bed and used by children and pets as a favorite lounging spot and thus washed often, I am convinced that prewashing is an absolute must–even when “quality” fabric is used. Why take the risk? Altho’ color catchers are handy and can be effective, I would not rely on them–again, after all that work, why court disaster?
That is a good point! Thank you so much for your comment!