More on making a lined hunting pouch

[phoenix511]

Do you hunting pouch makers wash the cotton pillow ticking to be used for the lining or use it as it comes?

I bought some 100% cotton pillow ticking, measured around 0.023" thick (I know it is difficult to accurately measure fabric thickness with a caliper, but that's the best tool I have for that purpose...).

The fabric was very stiff so I'm guessing there was some residue from the weaving process, so I rough cut the pieces for the lining and washed them in cold water in a washing machine, then into a tumble dryer at low heat. Not sure if that was a mistake or not. The fabric is now nice and soft, now measures about 0.028 thick, and shrunk about 30% in height and 10% in width, which I had not anticipated! So I have some nice scrap pieces.

I'm making a Elk hide bag and the leather is very soft and needs some strengthening, so I like the new, stiff ticking, but what happens if the bag gets wet and the lining shrinks?

 

[Birdman]

WW yer best bet is to wash the fabric BEFORE ya measure n cut it out. That way it's preshrunk n ya won't have to worry about it later. Ya may want to iron it flat before ya measure or just ruff cut the piece, glue it n the leather together n then cut out both pieces as one, at least thats the way I've done it in the past. May not be historicly correct but it worked. Just some thoughts YMHS Birdman live n learn :redface:

 

[Black Hand]

The stiffness comes from the sizing (similar to starch). I wash all my fabric and then shrink it in the dryer (this is primarily why your fabric shrunk). Getting the unwashed fabric wet will not cause it to shrink, but the sizing is water-soluble, so if the pouch gets wet, the sizing will "melt" - sort-of...

 

[MSW]

Wet, you really do want to wash and dry the fabric (in a warm or hot dryer, in order to pre shrink the fabric).

If you iron it before you cut out the pattern, the cloth will be easier to work and you'll have more accurate cuts as well.

good luck with your project!