A Note About Shrinkage

Shrinkage is a factor in planning how much fabric you need for a project. To help you, we took a 1/2 yard of every one of our fabrics, measured the length and width, washed it in a machine with very hot water, dried it on a very hot dryer setting, and then measured it again. We then calculated the % shrinkage in length and width, which we are reporting to you.

Please keep in mind: this is only our experience and yours will vary. We think it represents the worst case scenario, so please do not take this as a guarantee about how much the fabric will or will not shrink in your circumstances.

Most fabric shrinks when washed and dried, especially undyed fabrics like the ones Dharma sells. Fabrics that go through a dyeing process also go through a shrinkage process. Dyed fabrics from a fabric store have already gone through a dyeing — and therefore a preliminary shrinkage — process. When you buy undyed fabric from Dharma, you're buying fabric that has never been shrunk.

Reasons to Preshrink Fabric

• Tightens up the weave, making the fabric denser and more opaque. For sheer chiffons and gauze fabrics, it also makes the fabric more crinkly and softens it up.
• Ensures that whatever you sew or construct will stay the same size after the first washing. Fabric shrinking after garment construction results in distortion and puckered seams.
• Removes sizings, surface treatments, skin oils from handling, and dirt — ensuring a clean surface for dyeing and painting.
• Very important if you are using paint or heat transfers on fabric, so you don't get puckering around the paint or transfer after washing.
• Removes fabric sizing that some manufacturers use, which is better for your sewing machine and makes the fabric easier to work with. Zig zag or serge the raw ends of the fabric to prevent fraying.