Hollyburn Sew-along - Prewash and Prepare Fabric

Welcome to the next post in the Hollyburn Sew-Along! Incase you've missed any, here are the posts we've had so far:
- Inspiration (Part 1)
- Inspiration (Part 2)
- Choosing a view
- Sizing
- Choosing and Buying Fabric
- Changing the Length
- An Interview with Tasia
- Pattern Alteration - Removing the Pockets

So, it's not long until we start actually sewing our Hollyburn skirts! Are you excited? I know I am! We will start with the sewing steps on Monday!

So, before sewing we need to prepare our fabric ready to sew with; and that means pre-washing.

Pre-washing is super important incase your fabric shrinks when it's washed - it would seriously suck to spend hours making a beautiful perfectly fitting skirt for it to become unwearable after you've washed it for the first time!

The general rule of thumb to follow is to pre-wash your fabric exactly as you plan to wash your finished garment. If you're planning on washing your skirt in the washing machine then stick it in the washing machine to pre-wash your fabric! If you're planning on sticking your skirt in the dryer to dry it, then dry your fabric in the dryer.

Obviously pay attention to the kind of fabric you've chosen! My first version is made from wool, so I wash (and pre-washed) it on a gentle cycle in the machine on cold and let it dry on a rack. (As that's how I'll treat the finished skirt too).

Once you've pre-washed your fabric you also need to press out any creases. I like to be particularly thorough with this, as you don't want any creases or folds in the fabric as you're cutting (or sewing) as they will affect the finished skirt. My pressing standards for sewing are WAY higher than my standards for regular ironing (not that much of that gets done around here)

I'm making two versions of the Hollyburn skirt for the Sew-Along; the first is this fantastic pink and cream printed linen from The Fabric Store:

The second is this black suiting from Tessuti:

As it photographs better I shall be using the pink linen version for most of the sew-along photos, but as the black one won't be lined I'm making it to demonstrate how to insert the zip when the skirt isn't lined.

What about you? What fabric are you using? Have you pre-washed it yet? Do you have a favourite method or tip for pre-washing your fabric?


Missed any of the sew-along posts, or just want to re-read them? You can find the full list here.