As I watched rows of freshly washed fabric flapping on the clothesline the other day, I reflected on how much satisfaction I receive from simple pleasures. Whenever life seems to be complicated, I like to take a step back.
During my first patchwork class last century, we were advised to wash our fabrics before using them in a project. We were told that this would remove any excess dye and that shrinkage of the cotton fabric would take place. Since then, I have read all the pros and cons of the process (and I won’t go into those here), yet I still continue to wash all my patchwork fabric before I use it in a quilt.
Why? It’s because I love looking at all the pretty coloured pieces pegged on my clothesline. It is more satisfying than admiring the same fabric in its neatly-folded piles in the cupboard, because outside I am surrounded by the sunshine, gentle breezes and soft fragrance of the drying fabric. You can’t get a much more straightforward appeal to the senses than that.
When I have washed a couple of pieces of cloth in a batch, I enjoy arranging the colours in co-ordinated groups. Sometimes, such as after I have washed a roll of pre-cut strips , I hang them in rainbow order (matching them to the pegs, of course!). The movement of the strips as they flutter creates a secondary pattern and often gives me ideas for their later combination. Other times, I just enjoy the blur of colour and let my mind roam.
While my fabric is drying, I prowl around the garden, pulling out weeds and admiring new growth on my plants. Occasionally I grab my secateurs and trim back a few stray branches – nothing strenuous, you understand, just pottering. I pause frequently to soak up the greenness and a sense of calm overtakes me. By the time I’ve finished my survey of the backyard, the fabric is dry and I gather it in my arms. All is well with my world now and I have surrounded myself with the scent of the fresh air and the promise of imagined quilts.
Do you wash your fabrics before sewing them?