Quilts
 Often we find that the most appealing textiles are the most delicate. Rarely do
we concern ourselves with fiber care when choosing vintage fabrics in urban flea
markets, digging through stashes in the attic or purchasing limited edition
textiles from remote and exotic locations. Fortunately for crafters, here at
Soak, we explore washing methods and fiber care in general so that you can focus
on your love of craft, sewing and print. We get countless phone calls with
questions about finished projects gone awry when fiber care wasn’t considered at
the onset of a project (or crafty purchase).Our mission is to empower crafters
to confidently work with the best and most luxurious textiles they can find. We
also want everyone to wear the best frocks they can find or make. The more
confident you are taking care of all your fibers, the more you’ll love them and
the longer they’ll last.
 Here are some tips and tricks for specialty fibers, as well as the basics of
hand washing. Remember, the less we know about the origin of the textile, the
more attention needs to be give to how we care for it. Our basic rule is that if
the fabric is going to get washed (even by hand) at some point during its life,
wash it before you cut, sew or alter it so you’ll know what you are in for.
We’ve made hand washing fun, so be creative and enjoy!
Mark Lipinski’s posse voted Soak the top detergent for quilts!
Learn and listen
• Try to learn as much as possible about your fabric. Where is it from? What
kinds of dyes were used? Did it come with special instructions? Often rare
fibers come from people as interesting as the textiles themselves, who are happy
to share their experiences and fiber history with you.
Test for color fastness and shrinkage
• Rub a bit of the wash product on an inconspicuous part of the garment. Leave
it there for 2 minutes and rinse. If there is no bleeding you are good to go.
Don’t worry if you Soak too long, or leave a piece overnight. There isn’t
anything harmful in most wash products. I leave the light on in the bathroom
when Soaking in the sink so I don’t forget.
• If you have excess fabric, wash and test for shrinkage before you make your
project.
Some textiles (especially modern synthetics) were just never meant to get wet.
• Materials with stiffeners, interfacings and sizing (wool suits, for example,
as compared to wool sweaters) can not get wet.
• Many hand-made textiles come with ‘do not wash’ instructions yet can be
Soaked, with little agitation and cool water as needed. Use your judgment or ask
someone who has more textile experience.
• If your textiles come with a ‘do not wash’ warning, consider a crafty project
that doesn’t need repeated washes during its life. Mentally go through the
textile’s life to determine how much washing, if any, will be needed.
Don’t Mind the Dirt
• In hand-washing we get a fresh perspective on how much dirt and oils are
actually in our clothes. Be prepared for the dirty colour of the water if you
haven't washed the piece in a while, or if is a vintage piece.
Mind the Over-Dye
• With hand-knits and hand-dyed fibers, excess color will come out when you
wash. Gentle cleansers, like Soak, allow the over-dye to come out of the textile
piece and trap it in the water. Be aware not to have the garment folded, or
have multiple colours in the same wash.
“At the Guild we had a white quilt with marking pencil tracings that would not
come out despite trying several different methods that usually work. We had a
small sample of soak so decided to try it. We diluted it with a bit of water and
dabbed it on the lines. Magically they disappeared leaving no residue and we had
a much relieved quilt maker”. -customer
“The advantage is less stress on the threads…” -customer
“Not having to rinse to get out residue soap is a real bonus” –customer
“It came out beautifully -soft, clean and unmatted”. –customer
Need an answer on something that isn’t covered here? Ask us a question?
If you would like to stock Soak, we would love to hear from you.
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