For the Cuties who embroider on the kitchen towels do you wash them first or is it ok not too. I have a couple of new ones and not having tried them before I am wondering what is best

I haven't made as many as Carolyn, but I never gave it a thought to washing first. I've never had one go "bad", either.
I also like the "new" feel of unwashed.
Cindy

wow great question Bev, I never knew this & have not washed mine in the past. I may have to reconsider................~hugs~

I usually wash and iron as others have mentioned. I once bought a bunch of kitchen towels recommended by an embroidery site and after washed are only good for dust cloths. They were not cheap either. I would have been embarrassed to give as a gift to anyone. Becky

I usually wash tea towels but not ordinary towels if they are for a gift. A washed towel never looks or feels the same.

Off to the washing machine. See you later. :)

Never washed a one first in my whole life and i made and gave like thousands lol

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by memasanders 28 Jun 2015

Thanks good to know. Hugs Ronny

Well I have read all the comments and now I am going to wash kitchen towels in the future. I haven't in the past

I always wash towels - they tend to shrink and get lots of fluffies off the first time washing.

I always wash towels ,fabrics & at times trimmings etc first because everything seems to shrink.If it isn't too late measure the towels first & then after washing ,you might get a shock on how much they have shrunk.
Learnt my lesson in the 70's when I washed some embroidered cheese cloth fabric which had a marks on it, in cold water ,went from 45" to 36" wide

I always wash every thing I sew or embroidery, mostly because I was gifted a set of hand towels that were hand embroidered...when I washed them they shrank and were ruined. The threads used weren't color fast, nor was the Aida cloth preshrunk before sewn to the towel.

It is always better to wash them first - they always seem to shrink, no matter what you paid for them.

I always wash first, I have trust issues!

I always do. No matter how much I pay for it, they still seem to shrink. I do iron and starch before embroidering though.

I think we all know that no matter the price most things will shrink to a degree the first time it is washed. If washed first, the design as it has been said will probably not pucker if it's washed after a design. If I do something for someone else I ask them to wash before bringing to me. and explain why. I think if it's something that will be washed it should be washed prior to embroidery./Lillian

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by bevintex 20 Jun 2015

I'll wash them and see what happens. I had some from Ikea once and after washing weren't fit to embroider. Of course they were cheap,made good dust rags

I wash them in hot water since most of the people I know wash their kitchen towels in hot water...that way I know if the towel shrinks and if it will hold its color.

2 comments

by bevintex 20 Jun 2015

I'll give them a washing. Thanks

by Leaha 21 Jun 2015

I use a cup of vinegar to set the colors of anything I wash in hot water.

I wash all towels before embroidering. And most tee shirts.

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by bevintex 20 Jun 2015

Good idea

I wash anything I am going to embroider if it will be washed after gifting.

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by bevintex 20 Jun 2015

Good idea and thank you

I have always washed my kitchen towels first, ironed them, and then embroidered them. I feel this safeguards the towel from shrinking after it has been embroidered, causing puckers in the embroidered design.

2 comments

by bevintex 20 Jun 2015

Thanks

by dino 20 Jun 2015

Good info.I agree. I do the same.