[Ansteorra] Applique

[Deirdre]

I highly suggest pre-washing (BEFORE you start cutting and sewing) your
fabric (anything you don't intend to dry-clean from the start, anyway) in
the hottest water setting possible, with a hefty splash of white vinegar
(for color setting), no detergent necessary, unless you are like me and just
consider it wrong to do a load of laundry of any type without detergent, and
then just a tiny bit will satisfy that idiotsyncracy.
Then dry it on the hottest setting your dryer has. Get it out of the dryer
and fold it neatly immediately, because 12 yards of uncut fabric is a huge
pain once its cooled, all twisted and tangled, and wrinkled - think hours of
ironing!

All of your shrinkage will be all used up at this point, which is way better
than getting the garment made, having your hubby accidently wash it in hot,
and finding your brocade and 270 hours of beading and $15/yd trim now fits
your 10 yr old daughter.  (yes, I machine wash my brocades)

Course after this, I'd suggest washing it in cold from now on.

Deirdre, the voice of experience (cept for the daughter part - it went to a
niece)