Thank you for all your lovely comments on my gingham dress. I wore it out to meet a friend for coffee the day after I finished it, and I can report that it was very comfortable and easy to wear. I will try to get some photos of me modelling it to share with you, as soon as I can find a willing photographer!
Now I’ve sewn a few garments, I’ve been wondering about how to care for handmade clothes. When I was doing my sewing course, I asked my tutor and she recommended always hand washing home sewn clothes. Given that I hope to build a wardrobe full of me made clothes, hand washing is going to be very time consuming. Do people really do this? How do you care for your handmade clothes?
20 comments
Comments feed for this article
August 24, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Sadie
I only ever handwash really delicate handknits. All my other delicates, including handknits in washable yarns and things I’ve sewn, go into the machine on the wool cycle and nothing’s come to grief yet!
August 26, 2012 at 5:06 pm
agirlinwinter
That’s good to know! I think I’ll be following your example
August 24, 2012 at 8:54 pm
Brooke
You’ve got a serger, so you can definitely wash in the machine!
As a costumer, I’ve seen things get used & abused that I’ve made for a show, and it’s amazing what they can take. Just pre-shrink your fabrics in warm to hot water and machine dry before you cut your garment. Then wash on cold and dry low or hang-dry. Your stuff should be fine. =)
(If you serge the cut ends of your fabric for the pre-shrinking, you won’t get a knotted mass in the wash, either.)
August 26, 2012 at 5:08 pm
agirlinwinter
Thank you
I always, always pre-wash my fabric at 40 degrees (well, cotton anyway) but I have to line dry as I don’t have a tumble dryer. It’s reassuring to know that garments can take more abuse than you think!
August 24, 2012 at 10:09 pm
gingermakes
I do handwash all my handmade stuff, but mainly because I’m paranoid that my workmanship is lousy and everything will disintegrate in the wash!
August 26, 2012 at 5:09 pm
agirlinwinter
I’m quite sure it isn’t! I’ve seen your beautiful projects remember!
August 25, 2012 at 2:22 am
prttynpnk
Delicate cycle, but sometimes no dryer….
August 26, 2012 at 5:09 pm
agirlinwinter
I’ll try that. I don’t have a dryer anyway, so I will let them dry flat on a clothes horse. Thanks for your comment.
August 25, 2012 at 8:00 am
dottiedoodle
So far I’ve put everything in the usual 30 or 40 degree wash and they’ve been fine. I know if I leave them to handwash they are quite likely not to be worn!
August 26, 2012 at 5:11 pm
agirlinwinter
You sound exactly like me! I have good intentions, but if I am going to wear handmade clothes regularly, there’s just no way I’m going to handwash all the time.
August 25, 2012 at 9:36 am
sophie o.
I don’t handwash anything, even my knits – my washing machine has a true “wool” cycle that I trust (of course I did a test before throwing lace shawls in it). Most of the time I just check the fabric content and follow the guide: cotton skirts go with the rest of the cotton t-shirts, etc. Even before I had a serger, when my seams were only finished in zigzag stitch, my sewing still went in the washing machine.
August 26, 2012 at 5:11 pm
agirlinwinter
That’s good to know! I’m reassured to read in the comments that most people don’t handwash
August 25, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Stitched Together
Most of my handknits, with the exception of acrylic and superwash get handwashed in Soak, which you just bung in a sink of cool water and leave for 20 mins then squeeze out and leave to dry. It’s really not hard because you don’t have to rinse it all out, which I think is the hard work bit.
August 26, 2012 at 5:12 pm
agirlinwinter
I always handwash my knits using Soak (really great stuff) but I know I won’t be faffed to wash my sewn garments. I’m far too lazy
August 26, 2012 at 4:54 pm
Roobeedoo
As long as you pre-wash your fabrics before you sew, your garments should be as strong as shop-bought (if not stronger!) although if it is very delicate fabric like silk you might want to take more care. I tend to machine everything – even handknitted socks go in a wool cycle. Mind you, I have never washed my shetland wool cardigan for fear of it shrinking! Some items just don’t get dirty! ; )
August 26, 2012 at 5:13 pm
agirlinwinter
I always, always pre-wash my fabric before I sew so hopefully I should be OK! I machine wash my handknitted socks too (I put them in a laundry bag) and they’ve always been fine. I’m a little paranoid about my hand sewn clothes because it’s all so new to me
Thanks for your comment.
August 30, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Roisin Muldoon
I don’t usually handwash anything but I find the best thing is to wash everything on a cold cycle – or at least a cool cycle like 30 degrees. This stops things from shrinking, colour from fading and it’s more economical as well!
August 31, 2012 at 12:37 pm
Scruffybadger
Me too….I rarely handwash anything and make sure my washing machine has a handwash cycle. I also wash everything on 30 degrees also, no matter if I’ve made it or not. And like the others say, as long as I per wash fabric it’s been ok so far ( touch wood)
October 13, 2012 at 12:38 pm
Tropical Threads
Hello, just found your blog and started reading, and am enjoying it
I live in the tropics so all my clothes, whether hand-made or rtw get heavily washed very frequently. I just make sure all my seams are finished with overlocking, or enclosed as in french seams or bias-bound etc. I find my hand-made clothes actually last longer than rtw.
Also regarding pre-washing, the advice I was given, and follow is to wash and dry the fabric the way I’d wash the finished garment. So for eg a jacket you might want to dryclean, get the fabric dry-cleaned first.
Nice to meet you
October 22, 2012 at 10:38 am
agirlinwinter
Thank you! It’s lovely to ‘meet you’ too