Even Long Time Sewists Get the Blues...

I am laughing and crying at the same time today.  I knew better, but did I listen to myself??

Nooooooo... of course not!

Always.  Prewash. Fabric. Before. You. Sew.

ALWAYS.

I have been quilting for such a long spell, and getting away with not prewashing, that I got careless.  Sloppy.  Lazy.  Stupid. 

Having been making garments for more years than I want to admit sometimes, I know very well that what goes into the washing machine is not always what comes out.  If you want to put a garment in the washer and dryer after you wear it, you need to know how the fabric will react.  Some stuff (like batik and polyester) comes out looking the same.  Some stuff (wool, 100% cotton, rayon) does not.

I took out a piece of gorgeous fushia knit the other day.  OK, granted, I could have done a fiber test, burned a piece to check the results, or just serged off the ends and washed the danged thing, but it was late in the afternoon and I wanted to actually FINISH something.

I left the top I made folded nicely on the quilt rack that's in my downstairs hall because I had to stop in the downstairs bathroom.  When I came out, I forgot to pick it up.  I should have put it on a hanger, or remembered where it was.  I should have gone down to grab it the next day when I wanted to wear it!  Shoulda, woulda, coulda.  I know.

DH grabbed the laundry on Thursday to take it in the basement.  He must have thought I intended that top to go all the way downstairs instead of all the way upstairs.

The picture will speak for itself.

Originally this top was longer than the jacket.

<sigh>

Sew on!