Sewing question

[figmo]

I have a brocade made of acetate with laundering instructions to "hand wash in cold water and line dry."

Can I get away with not prewashing this fabric before using it? I ask because Warren has been buffing the dryer since 7:00 last night and is still at it.

Comments

[trinsf.livejournal.com]

Yes. In fact, being acetate, you should avoid washing it at all, if you can avoid it.

[trinsf.livejournal.com]

Let me be more clear. Acetate, by its very nature, is a fiber that is weakened by water. It's also prone to heavy fading, and is generally an evil thing. Brocades are subject to fading, bleeding, and wear because of the way brocades are typically woven. Combining the two things means a fabric that is especially fragile in water. *Can* it be washed? Well, yeah, it might say that. But you know, just because you can doesn't mean you should, as we say around here.

If I were going to make something out of acetate, I wouldn't prewash it. Prewashing has two uses: 1. To remove sizing or fabric finishes you don't want, and 2. To preshrink fabric that would otherwise shrink in the future, perhaps unevenly.

Acetate isn't subject to shrinkage, so #2 is not useful for it. As for #1, well, the danger of weakening the fibers is so high that I would just deal with the finish. If/when I sew with acetate, I assume that it's never going to be washed using water -- it will be dry cleaned, and it won't be drycleaned that often, because *that* damages it, too.

And because of all of this AND the way acetate fades so quickly (a few months for some colors, in light) I almost never sew with it, unless I'm making theater costumes for short term usage.

[figmo.livejournal.com]

Cool. This means when Warren goes to his parents' house tonight I can make the dress and not care. I'll just dry clean it.

As an aside, I have always wondered why anyone would want windows in a clothes closet.

[artbeco.livejournal.com]

Seconded. Acetate doesn't shrink, and washing will seriously alter the finish on it. Perhaps dry cleaning after you make it would be best, though I am of the camp that washes everything. It'll be a gorgeous dress, but if you put it in the wash it will change, and probably not in a way you want. ;)

[figmo.livejournal.com]

Sounds like it's a dry-clean only thing. I can deal with that, as a) I have a "regular" dry cleaner here (the woman who runs it knows my name!) and b) I don't wear dresses very often anyway.

If I get it done tonight I'll post pictures.

[callibr8]

Thirded. I was stupid enough to make a blouse out of acetate, once. And wash it - once. It was unwearable after that.

Not that this is relevant

[capplor.livejournal.com]

in the light of every other comment, but when the label says "hand wash & line dry" why is the state of your clothes drier important?

Re: Not that this is relevant

[figmo.livejournal.com]

When I pre-wash, if the fabric is at all washable I tend to put it through a "worst case scenario." I'd likely wash it in hot water and put it through my normal dry cycle. The idea is if someone mistakenly washed the garment the wrong way I wouldn't have to worry about shrinkage.