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Monday, December 31, 2012

ARRRRGH!!!!

It started out to be such a quick and easy project. Heck I had just finished one and it went so well...  Ever heard those famous last words?

I spend my weekend saying some not so lady like things in my sewing room. It's a good thing hubby was at the casino so he couldn't hear me!  :-)
I decided to make another of the Samurai quilts for a friend. I bought some beautiful fabric at the LQS for it, but I needed 1 more piece for a 1 1/2" frame around the center of the block. I had a piece of black tonal that would be perfect. I pieced together and stitched down the lettering in the center of the blocks, and noticed that there was some dye transfer on my machine from the red fabric I chose for the block centers.  I knew I should have prewashed, darn it!  So I made the decision to serge the edges of the top and wash it before I put the Samurai on it, just to be safe.   Well, I thought that was a good idea until this mess came out of the washer.


 
Horrors!   Never in a million years did I expect the tonal to shred to nothing in the wash. I was so upset. The entire quilt had to be taken apart and put back together. (with a different border no doubt) Yes, there was steam shooting out my ears like razor blades!!!!!
 
Lets back up a bit. I have always be a proponent for using all types of fabrics. I have never been a quilt shop fabric only snob, and really do feel that a mix of fabrics, is quite acceptable. Heck our budgets can only afford just so much. But after this mess, I am second guessing my decisions all together.
 
You see this black tonal was a JoAnn's Fabric Keepsake Calico and was $7.99 a yard.
 
I love the looks of the fabric, but after seeing just how it held up in the wash, I have to ask, just what kind of keepsake could it possibly make? The one that is shot after 1 wash????   Does the fact that it came from China have anything to do with it? After all, we have been bombarded with inferior Chinese products in recent years.  I am putting this mess, on the growing list of why I won't buy Chinese "crap" anymore.
 
I do realize that washing without something being quilted probably puts a little more stress on the fibers, but for the most part none of the quilt shop quality fabrics had such an issue.
 
 
Although it was the red that started it all, and it was a quilt shop fabric that I paid over $10 a yard for.  In it's defense, there was never any issue with dyes running after I washed it. I even thru in a color catcher and there was no sign of red on it anywhere.  Good for that, but you can see, there was some significant raveling that went on with it, in the wash, although nothing like the black.
 
I wish I had taken more photos of the back of the quilt when it came out of the washer. It was so full of strings that had twisted together, that it took me an hour to trim them all off, so it would lay flat. I had a huge fist full of loose threads.
 
There is a happy ending to the story. The quilt top is all done and ready to go on the longarm for quilting.
 
 
As for myself, I am going to have to do some sole searching about fabrics. My feeling right now is, if I use cheap stuff, it will be for backings and I will serge everything before using it. Or else it will just be used in and art quilt that will never be washed. Time is to precious, to spend it fuming over things out of our control!  Am I right?
 
On that note I wish you all a very Happy New Year.
If your partying tonight stay safe. As for me the only driving I will be doing at midnight will be the longarm on this quilt. I am hoping that a big ole glass of wine will take the pain of yesterdays torment away!! 
:-)
 

6 comments:

  1. Unfortunately most of our fabrics are made in China, Japan, Korea. And not just the 'lessor' names, but our top contendors as well. I have been very unhappy with Moda pre-cuts purchased over the last 6 months - misdyes, shredding,irregular cuts and flaws. I feel like I am being sold seconds at top prices.

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  2. Oh, how discouraging! Just exactly what you don't want to happen. Interesting comment above. If it's any consolation, your re-make looks great and well worth your efforts.

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  3. Sorry for your frustration. I do occasionally use some non-LQS fabrics but not for anything that I really care about.

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  4. Good grief! This really was a pain in ....... !
    I admire you for sticking with it and still coming up with the final product, which, by the way, looks great!
    We are already enjoying 2013, so best wishes to you for the New Year when you finally join us!

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  5. I don't think I would have had what it took to rework it or at least not at the time. You did a wonderful job on it. It is a positive ending to 2012. Here is to a wonderful 2013.

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  6. So sorry you had all this happen to you, but you ended up with a beautiful quilt. Do you know what the blocks say? Is there a pattern for the quilt? I have some Chinese friends, and I would love to make them a similar quilt. Nancy: rangerer@sbcglobal.net

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Thanks for stopping by today. Your comments really do make me day!
;-)