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Do I pre-wash it? If so, how? etc.
I will be using it for piping trim, forepart guard, and a flat cap on a wool gown. I have washed the wool.
I will be using it for piping trim, forepart guard, and a flat cap on a wool gown. I have washed the wool.
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Los Angeles
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Thu, August 13, 2009 - 10:32 AMAll the decent costumers I've ever know have washed cotton velvet before using it.
How, I don't know. I think it involved water and stuff.
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Thu, August 13, 2009 - 11:17 AMYes, prewash. As with any other black cotton, wash in cold water, tumble dry low. If your machine isn't large enough, most laundromats have a bigger machine or two.
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Thu, August 13, 2009 - 11:41 AMI usually Dryel anything made of velvet or wool, rather than washing it, so I Dryel it before sewing.
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Thu, August 13, 2009 - 1:10 PMI prewash almost everything except wool, usually in warm to hot water to help it to shrink, machine on high. I will then wash later in cold water and medium heat to dry (if I don't hang it up, depending). Velvet will usually drop wrinkles on hanging after a short time in the dryer.
If you aren't sure how well your fabric will do in the wash, cut a sample piece (say 4"x6") and wash it with your regular wash and dry. Then compare to the original for both size of remaining swatch and hand of washed fabric compared to original. Sometimes a fabric will do horrible things like microwrinkles that won't come out, or it shrinks a lot... those I will then not wash at all, but at least steam press before cutting to help with some shrinkage. -
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Thu, August 13, 2009 - 3:53 PMJust curious, why no-wash on the wool? I wash all my fabrics personally (in the hopes that they will get their shrink out). -
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Fri, August 14, 2009 - 4:30 PMI've switched my wool washing to cold water using Eucalan no-rinse, which is gentle, leaves a nice lavender scent that keeps bugs away, and doesn't end up fulling my wool. It pretty much just soaks in the machine wash tub, bypassing the rinse cycle and just uses the tub to spin out the water. Unless I want the wool to get heavy duty fulling for heavy duty cleaning later (like for a warm cloak), then I will wash the wool. I am finding many wools are now chemically coated to prevent fulling, which in some cases is rather annoying. -
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Mon, August 17, 2009 - 6:52 AMWow, I didn't know they treated wool to prevent fulling. It makes sense for many modern applications, but that really sucks for some of us! :(
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Thu, August 13, 2009 - 2:02 PMThanks, everyone (even you, Rydell - water and stuff!). I knew you would know!
I'm going to wash it in cold water (worried about fading with hot, and I won't be washing the wool in anything but cold) and tumble dry low. Cross your fingers.
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Thu, August 13, 2009 - 4:47 PMMy rule of thumb is to pre-clean the fabrics however I intend to clean the costume. If I want to throw it in the machine then I machine wash he fabrics. Same with tub washing. Some fabrics and trims are not washable so you have to very careful what you use them for. :-) -
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Thu, August 13, 2009 - 6:28 PMI'm with Alyxx on that one. Clothes in period weren't washed (other than linens/lingerie). But if you're going to wash the finished garment, then most certainly prewash the fabric in exactly the manner it will be treated later. I'm not a big fan of washing. As is evidenced by my lack of friends. -
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Fri, August 14, 2009 - 11:04 AM"I'm not a big fan of washing. As is evidenced by my lack of friends."
Damn you Noel, you aren't supposed to set up the joke AND take the punchline! *grin*
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Mon, August 17, 2009 - 9:39 PMI can't imagine washing any faire costume I've made in cotton velvet, mainly because the trims--especially the pearls!!!--won't stand for it. Court costumes get taken to the cleaners. Part of the expense of being a Courtier! -
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Tue, August 18, 2009 - 3:02 PMGlass pearl beads, fake gold cord, very gentle cycle with short dry time, then hung up across the shower bar to completely dry. I have to make a few tugs on the gold cord to put them back into place, but my one cotton velvet outfit has survived a few washings (tho' I don't do it often, only when needed or before long term storage).
And I've seen too many problems with dry cleaners to completely trust them. They completely ruined a friend's Queen's outfit, as the colors ran, some areas ended up spotted like they were bleached, the fabric was ripped AND shrunk. Not to forget the first time she took it in to a different cleaner, the pearls which should have been covered were instead disintegrated into goo by the chemicals. She's yet to find a good dry cleaner in her area, and she goes to the same store her local theatre group uses (they also do bridal), so one would expect them to know better.
Personally, while my next major outfit will have to be dry cleaned because of the gold work planned, I would rather do stuff I can gently wash myself. And do more removable jeweled ouches instead of beading on pearls and such. -
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Wed, August 19, 2009 - 11:33 AMWell that's true. I guess I've gotten spoiled, having the best dry cleaners ever just a mile or two away from my home. They've been handling my court costumes for close to 30 years, and the only time they ever melted pearls was when I used cheap, hollow, plastic ones. The time I spilled red wine on a white-ground upholstery brocade forepart, the man went over it BY HAND 6 times before admiting giving up, and charged me for no more than a nominal cleaning. (I dyed it green and it came out a really gorgeous color.) My big velvet skirts have had to go in the tumbler alone, so the cost is a bit high, which is why (when I still did this every week) I do it only once in the middle of the run and once at the end. Brushing and shaking take care of everything else.
They are also an organic cleaners, so the chemicals aren't as harsh as elsewhere, and they're very conscientious. I realize not everyone is this lucky. If I had to wash a heavy Court overskirt, I don't know that it would ever get done at all.
What's really amazing is the shop has changed hands at least 3 times since I've been going there, and though it has gotten more expensive over time, the quality has never changed. And they remain delighted to see me :-) -
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Thu, August 20, 2009 - 4:03 PMWhere is this land of bliss?
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Fri, August 14, 2009 - 11:34 AMAlyxx, that's it precisely. And since I use less-than-washable trims when I work with wools and velvets, I Dryel instead of wash.
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Re: Black cotton velvet
Tue, August 18, 2009 - 3:28 PMFYI, I stitched the raw edges together, washed in the washer with Woolite on cold, tumble dried on medium heat - it looks great!
