Spent $80 on a roll of 'eco-friendly' fabric that turned into a disaster

I ordered this new hemp-blend fabric online for a summer dress project. The description said it was breathable and had a nice drape. When it arrived, I pre-washed it like I always do, but it came out of the dryer stiff as cardboard and shrank a solid inch and a half. I tried steaming it for 20 minutes, but it just wouldn't soften up at all. Has anyone else had a fabric just completely change texture after washing?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice3361mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that "pre-washed it like I always do" might be the issue. Hemp and some natural blends really hate the dryer, they just bake stiff. Always hang dry that stuff.

nathana481mo ago

My mom's linen tablecloth did the same thing on high heat. The fibers just lock up tight when they get shocked by that much heat all at once. A cold soak with some fabric softener might help loosen it back up.

tessa_clark741mo ago

Honestly, @nathana48 has a good point about the cold soak. Tbh, I had to hand-wash my linen in cold water and then just let it air dry flat to get it back.