laundry test

The fabric I use to make the tiny quilts has not been washed to remove the sizing. That's usually the first step when making a quilt, to wash all the fabrics so they won't shrink up when the quilt is eventually washed.  I make tiny quilts to hang on the wall, so washing usually isn't part of the drill. I like the sizing (stiff, crinkly-ness) still in the fabric because it works better for the tiny appliqué seams I make.

I thought I'd better test a tiny quilt, though. Just on the off chance I wanted to make an appliquéd crib quilt someday that might need a few spins in the washer from time to time. So I whipped up another Fiesta tiny quilt and keep throwing it with every load of our laundry. We don't have laundry equipment (other than a bucket and plunger) on board, so this test piece gets washed and dried in various commercial laundry machines wherever we are hanging out.

Not so shocking news: they do shrink. This one started out 8.5" square. And they wrinkle.

Better news: the appliqué seams are holding up so far. This is after 10 washings.

This is before the washings