Laundering Fabric

[Katie Bookwench]

And then it rained, a lot, so now I'll have to hand wash some of the mud off.

I'm sure you realize that the moment you made the decision NOT to wash it, and then stepped out of doors, you were sorely tempting Murphy's Law. 

It will ALWAYS rain on a DRY CLEAN ONLY gown. Well, at least in Hollygrove, it does. 

I've made that mistake myself before, with home dec trims. I ended up with a pink chemise from the burgundy braid on my bodice after a good deluge.   

[Baroness Doune]

Once through the washer (hot) and dryer (also hot) is not enough for cotton velveteen.  The first time I washed (warm) and dried (warm) the completed bodice, which was the second wash for the fabric, it shrunk.

That's why I am making a new bodice this weekend.

[PrincessSara]

Thanks for the help!  There's a part two to this question though, because I just found out that my washing machine won't run the "Regular" wash cycle.  Will washing the fabric on the "Gentle" or "PermaPress" cycle give me the right results?

[Margaret]

I use the gentle cycle and the hottest water the fabric can stand.