Help Please - My Flannel is a mess
 

I just preshrunk several pieces of flannel, totaling about 12 yds, and now each piece is way out of square. I'm thinking to line up the selvages, getting the fold even, then trimming off each edge straight. Is there a better way of trying to get this flannel straight of grain? TIA

That's how I do it. Sometimes you lose a bit on the end. If it isn't bone dry you could try tugging it into shape but chances are - it is what it is. Flannel is notorious to distort due to its lose weave.

I never prewash my flannel but I only use the heavy QS kind. It does cost more but I don't worry about getting out of square or pilling. When I wash it I put a color catcher or two, depending on the size of the project, and all is well. I've only had the finest of color on the sheets once. None or very, very little shrinkage.

Hi - I made some flannel quilts a couple of years ago and had the same problem. Here is a picture of what I ended up with. I lined up the stripes up as best as I could and in the end I did lose a bit of fabric - but it's still in my stash so I'm sure I'll find a use for it some day.:)
Also as a hint someone suggested I use 1/2" seams instead of 1/4" because of the fraying. I'm glad I did as there was a lot of fraying.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]581277[/ATTACH]

I do the same thing. My logic is if the fabric's going to shrink, better to get it over with before you invest a lot of time & energy. It's usually off a little.

I have had some flannel that I lost up to 2 " trying to square it up but I had enough fabric to make my projects. I would never make a project with flannel without pre shrinking it you don't know what could happen to your quilt. Good luck.

I pre wash and starch and iron it before cutting or using in my quilt. Starching makes the flannel easier to manage.

I don't always pre wash everything, even though I'm better about prewashing now than a few years ago. Flannel I always prewash. I don't want my project to be distorted or shrink. You can rewet the flannel dry to moist and then block it so that it is more even on grain. You'll waist alot less that way. The other thing that I always wash first is now that I'm making clothes, I don't want my finished garment to shrink after I got the fit right.

This is same as me. My cottons I don't typically pre-wash, but flannels definitely.

Try washing again, but then damp dry and gently tug back to some kind of quareness. Before you cut, starch the flannel as stiffly as you can tolerate. My flannel quilt projects have turned out much better since I started to heavily starch.