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FAQ: General Questions

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How does Stitch Simple get fabric ready to sew?  All Stitch Simple products are prewashed in cold water on delicate cycle and dried using a low temperature setting. This process reduces the possibility of shrinkage in future washes and also helps remove excess chemicals and dyes.

We use only environmentally friendly (biodegradable, dye-free and phosphate-free) unscented or fragrance-free detergents and we do not use fabric softener of any kind. After washing, we carefully press and die cut our products to deliver you consistently straight edges that help your seams line up expertly each and every time.

What's the big deal about organic cotton?  Many companies throw the word "organic" around, but they don't often tell you exactly what it means for their products.  Stitch Simple offers organic cotton fabrics from Harmony Art, and they're the kind of company that digs deep into their production processes to make environmentally and socially responsible decisions you can feel good about supporting.  Click here to read more about Harmony Art 100% organic cotton fabric.  You'll see they do a whole lot more than just slap the "o" word on their label.

Does Stitch Simple offer quantity discounts for business customers?  We currently offer special pricing on unwashed, re-bolted 100% organic cotton sateen items from Harmony Art for eligible business customers.  Visit our Resellers page for more information.

Does my quilt fabric really need to be prewashed?  Honestly, there are different opinions.  We would obviously point out that prewashing reduces the possibility of shrinkage and also helps remove excess chemicals and dyes.  Most folks who oppose prewashing argue that today's fabrics are of such high quality they don't need to be prewashed.  It is true that today's fabrics are of outstanding quality, but the highest quality quilt fabric is still quite frankly just dyed cotton.  We sell only the best in 100% premium cotton quilting fabric, which means we wash quite a bit of it and we see firsthand how it shrinks and looses dye in the process.  Even the firmest opponents to prewashing will likely recommend you wash batiks, whose resistance dyeing process makes them slightly more likely to bleed that fabrics dyed with other methods.

Another argument against prewashing claims it makes quilt fabric limp and difficult to work with.  Most lost stiffness results from the use of fabric softener, which is NEVER used on Stitch Simple products.  We also press all of our products with professional equipment- giving you clean, crisp fabric that's ready to sew.

Want a second opinion?  Gloria Massard has an informative discussion on sewaquilt.com.  Click here to check it out.  You can also refer to your favorite quilt, craft and garment patterns.  Even Amy Butler regularly advises you to begin with prewashed fabric in many of hers.

Does Stitch Simple accept orders for custom shapes? We sure do.  Please Contact Us or call 1-866-610-2577 xt.1 for a quotation.  International customers can reach us for free using Skype (our Skype Name is stitch.simple).

Where can I find a good long-arm quilting service? We've had wonderful experiences with the two long-arm quilting services listed below.

• Sandi Moser of Quilter's Haven in Rosemount, MN
• Ellen DeWolf of Quilt Quest in River Falls, WI

What's the definition of "Children's Sleepwear"?  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission defines Children's Sleepwear as "any article of clothing, such as a nightgown, pajama, robe or loungewear, that is sized above 9 months and up to size 14 and that is intended to be worn primarily for sleeping or activities related to sleeping".  For more information, you can Click here to view a useful summary or you can visit www.cpsc.gov.

Can I use Stitch Simple images and/or tools on my own blog or website?  We'd prefer you link to the page where the image or tool is found as opposed to republishing the image or tool on your site.  Depending on the situation, we may allow you to republish a particular item, but you'll need to Contact Us for permission in advance.  No one is free to republish any item on this website without our advance express written permission.