A word of caution about fabrics

Before I talk about the fabrics, here's how I froze my peppers. I spread them out on a cookie sheet that I keep in my freezer. That way it's cold when I add the foods. It gives them a head start on flash freezing.






You see the liner? This is a bag from a cereal box. Nothing sticks to it. It's better than parchment paper. I can wash it to use over and over again. When the food is frozen I simply roll it up and use it like a funnel to pour the food into a freezer bag.

Here's an example of what happens when you buy "cheap, cheap" fabric and don't know it's content. My SIL bought this fabric on the discount table. I'm all for getting a discount table bargain but sometimes it backfires. She spent the time to cut the pieces for her quilt. I thought there might be a problem so I pressed it.

Instant shrinkage!

Why do I show this? Well, if you ever piece a block that is supposed to be one size but find it has become a smaller size.... this might be the reason.

I think the economy is causing manufacturers to "stretch" the threads out when creating yardage. Fewer threads spread out in the same width so it appears you are getting what you have always bought. You might call it "spreading the threads" too. In the food industry this is called short sizing. Stretching is the fabric equivalent to putting a dimple in the bottom of a container.

One way to check to see if a fabric has been stretched is to see how thin it is. If you can see through it like this then it's either a gauze fabric or else its stretched.

Not only are prices getting higher and higher but manufacturers are getting even more of our money by giving us less in the same size package. Consumers are being hit from both directions. Geeze, when will the short sizing end?!