Sewing Scraps

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Tuesday, January 23, 2018

How to Make a Minky Quilt - Part 7 - Washing

Since my quilts are for daily use - it's important that they stand up to the rigors of machine washing. A large front load washer is what I have and it works out nicely.  I usually wash a quilt before it is gifted 3 times to get it soft, clean and remove any lingering spray baste.
Warm water and a medium spin cycle is what I recommend for front loaders.  For top load machines which can really agitate, I would go with a gentle or permanent press cycle.  Bottom line:  you just don't want your machine to chew up the quilt on the spin cycle. 

 Also good are Shout Color Catchers put in the back of the front load washer each time you wash. I always use two on the first wash to see how much color bleeds.  I couldn't believe how much came from this bear quilt. 
The last thing to do is dry the quilt.  Medium temperature is fine along with some tennis balls to make sure your quilt fluffs & rotates in the dryer.  I use tennis balls with all my laundry - and while they do thump and make a noise (which you might actually begin to enjoy) - your clothes and quilt will dry faster. 
Last words:  
Try making a small minky quilt to start.  See how your machine works, what threads work for you, and even if you like the whole process.  Use up some scraps and give it a chance.  It's very doable and if you have any questions - feel free to contact me.  Ruth :)
All posts are linked at the top of the blog under "How To Make a Minky Quilt"
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1 comment:

  1. NancyFebruary 5, 2018 at 8:38 AM

    Thank you so much for this series! I might actually try working with minky again. When I used it to (try to) make stroller blankets for my twins, it looked like I'd murdered a muppet in my kitchen, and I had all kinds of trouble with it stretching such that in the end, after all the time and pins spent getting everything lined up, the cotton side was smaller than the minky side (and I prewashed everything). It was frustrating and disheartening since everyone else seems to work with minky without any trouble at all! Maybe I'll give it another chance with your tutorial. It's so soft and would be such a lovely backing for a quilt!

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