clothing care tips

7 Clothing Care Tips for Sewers

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We spend hours making our beautiful garments as sewers, however, after they are made we need to make sure they are properly taken care of so we can keep them looking good for years to come.

It took me some time to learn these clothing care tips, but after a few worn out pieces I’ve picked up a few tricks.

My best clothing care tips to keep your garments looking new

1. Pre-wash fabrics

First things first, if you are a sewer it is important to pre-wash your fabrics before cutting out your garment. The worst feeling is spending lots of time and effort making something beautiful, only to have it shrink in the wash.

clothing care tips

Go ahead and wash your fabric the same way you plan to wash your made garment and that will hopefully get out any of the shrinking that is going to happen prior to you making the garment.

Obviously, if you are making a very formal garment such as a prom or wedding dress or something of that nature, you are likely not going to be washing it much due to the type of fabric. In this case I would not pre wash the fabric. Use your judgment, and always check the washing directions on the bolt.

2. Wash in cold water with like fabrics (colour and weight)

The next tip, especially if your fabric is coloured is to always wash your fabric in cold water. This will help keep the colour vibrant.

You should also be washing your garment with items of the same color and a similar weight. In other words, don’t wash a delicate silk shirt with a pair of jeans. This will cause unnecessary strain on the fabric and could cause tearing.

3. Try a vinegar or salt soak to set colours

Along with being careful when washing your fabrics, you can also try a salt or vinegar soak to help seal in the colour and prevent fading.

4. Hang clothes to dry

Hanging your clothes to dry is much easier on them than throwing them in the dryer to dry on a high heat. The heat of a dryer can also fade your clothes and cause them to wear out faster.

clothing care tips

However, be careful of hanging clothing in direct sun as the sun will also cause fading. You can hang your clothes inside or in the shade outside.

If you have a sweater or knit type fabric it is better to lay your clothes to dry on a towel rather than hanging them to prevent them from stretching out of shape. This is called blocking.

5. Lint brush and static guard

One thing that can make a garment look worn and used is when it looks like your dogs bed! I know we all have pets and kids and hair that sticks to our clothes, but it makes such a difference if you just take a few minutes to brush it off and use a little static guard before running out the door.

If you hang your clothes to dry rather than putting them in the dryer it can help a bit with the static as well.

I usually keep a lint roller right in my car as well for a quick brush off, if needed.

6. Defuzzer machine

A very underrated tool in my opinion is the defuzzer machine on anti-pilling razor. You can find them here on Amazon. This is the best tool for making that old sweater or some weird pilly fabric look like new again. Just turn it on and give your garment a quick buzz and all of those nasty little pills will be gone in a flash. Trust me, it’s the best!

7. Ironing

Clothing care tips for sewers

The last of my clothing care tips is to iron. It takes a few seconds but will make your clothes look so much better, it is especially important during the sewing process.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to look like I just crawled out of bed and have been sleeping in my clothes for the last 6 hours.

However, using too high of a heat setting can be disastrous. Make sure to use the proper heat setting and also use a pressing cloth with delicate fabrics to ensure you don’t burn your clothing.

I hope these tips were a help to you, please feel free to leave in any of your additional tips in the comments below.

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