Wow! What a glorious couple of days we’ve been having here in the UK (I hope it’s the same wherever you are). Added to the weather, I also have a new washing machine! OK, so I know what you’re thinking “what on earth has this got to do with sewing?”
The answer is simple, I have been spending my time wearing out my poor new washing machine prewashing all of some of my stash. Somehow this doesn’t feel like it’s breaking my rule of not starting a new project until I’ve completed some of the current ones, so all in all it feels like a complete win!
I’ve only washed materials that I think have a high percentage of cotton, or man made fibres, so all of my wool and wool mixes have stayed safely away from the machine.
My new machine has a 15 minute cycle that washes at 30 degrees C, and spins at 1000 rpm. I’m just hoping that this is enough to ensure any shrinking / colour-loss occurs, as my normal wash cycle is 1 hour at 40 degrees C with a 1600 spin.
Still, it has to be better than my previously non-existent prewashing routine. Do you pre-wash? Do you think the 15 minutes at 30 degrees C is enough?! NB, if you’re thinking that the materials I’ve shown here are the only ones I’ve washed, and therefore my stash can’t be all that big, I’m afraid you’re wrong 🙂
