Which is why we wash fabric first
Jun. 21st, 2008 07:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gracedpalmerToday has been a day of interesting sewing accidents. I'm putting together a quickie underbust corset, so that when I have back aches from bad posture, I don't have to fiddle with my bra, as I would with an overbust. Underbusts are easy to fit. I grabbed a chunk of purple poly/cotton twil that'd been sitting around in my fabric stash from making garb for someone else ages ago, and set to ironing it out flat for cutting.
Now, it should be noted that I've recently given up steam irons. This is because I am too incompetent to use them properly - I always under or over fill, and end up slopping water on something before I'm done. I currently have a very small travel iron that appears to be about 50 years old, which I got from Habitat for Humanity for about three dollars. It's old enough that the only synthetic it has a setting for is rayon.
Because I'm not using an iron with built in steam, I've taken to using a spray bottle instead. I laid out my fabric on the table, heated up the iron, and gave the cloth a spritz. Which smelled surprisingly swimming pool like. This should have been a clue, but I continued, and spritzed about half the length before I realized that this was not the iron bottle. This was a cleaning bottle with 50% bleach solution in it. My purple fabric is now speckled with pretty pink spots. Fortunately, this is no disaster, because this is a utility corset, and the effect is still reasonably attractive. So I went ahead and spritzed the rest of the length, let it dry and the spots finish developing, etc.
On to stage two. With the correct bottle, I set to ironing. However, things seemed weirdly sticky. Ah, of course. When I got the fabric out, it was very crisp, rather like the finish from the fabric store was still on it (they put various treatments on fabric at the store, which is why some things that can be washed are dry clean only - you'll wash out the finish). Since it was going to be a corset, I didn't bother washing it - corsets rarely get laundered, and never in the machine. Normally, if it's a garment that'll go in the machine, I wash it on the hottest setting I can. The theory is that nothing worse will happen to it ever again. Of course, this fabric has to be one with a size that dissolves when moistened and heated, rather than with soap and soaking. Eventually I got the fabric laundered, but I've had to clean the iron twice.
All the chunks are now together, and awaiting seam pressing. Then I'll get to dig out my grommets, run to the store for a zipper, and put the boning in. I'm still undecided whether I'm going to go with zip ties or cord, however. Both have their merits (this corset is going to be far too humble for steel - corselette might be a better term).
Onward!
Now, it should be noted that I've recently given up steam irons. This is because I am too incompetent to use them properly - I always under or over fill, and end up slopping water on something before I'm done. I currently have a very small travel iron that appears to be about 50 years old, which I got from Habitat for Humanity for about three dollars. It's old enough that the only synthetic it has a setting for is rayon.
Because I'm not using an iron with built in steam, I've taken to using a spray bottle instead. I laid out my fabric on the table, heated up the iron, and gave the cloth a spritz. Which smelled surprisingly swimming pool like. This should have been a clue, but I continued, and spritzed about half the length before I realized that this was not the iron bottle. This was a cleaning bottle with 50% bleach solution in it. My purple fabric is now speckled with pretty pink spots. Fortunately, this is no disaster, because this is a utility corset, and the effect is still reasonably attractive. So I went ahead and spritzed the rest of the length, let it dry and the spots finish developing, etc.
On to stage two. With the correct bottle, I set to ironing. However, things seemed weirdly sticky. Ah, of course. When I got the fabric out, it was very crisp, rather like the finish from the fabric store was still on it (they put various treatments on fabric at the store, which is why some things that can be washed are dry clean only - you'll wash out the finish). Since it was going to be a corset, I didn't bother washing it - corsets rarely get laundered, and never in the machine. Normally, if it's a garment that'll go in the machine, I wash it on the hottest setting I can. The theory is that nothing worse will happen to it ever again. Of course, this fabric has to be one with a size that dissolves when moistened and heated, rather than with soap and soaking. Eventually I got the fabric laundered, but I've had to clean the iron twice.
All the chunks are now together, and awaiting seam pressing. Then I'll get to dig out my grommets, run to the store for a zipper, and put the boning in. I'm still undecided whether I'm going to go with zip ties or cord, however. Both have their merits (this corset is going to be far too humble for steel - corselette might be a better term).
Onward!
