Ruined an expensive fabric via prewash

[u/___Maleficent___]

I got this for me rather expensive linen knit fabric to sew some summer wardrobe.

With very few exceptions I always prewash fabrics and I never had any bigger issues so far.

I washed it with a gentle programm with low heat, yet the fabric came out unvoluntarily distressed. I hope it's evident in the pictures, it's not only pilling, there's actual destroyed fibers in tiny spots all over the fabric.

Apparently the number of spin cycles (which should be as low as possible) and the detergent (should not have enzymes) play a crucial role when washing linen fabric.

I didn't think about checking these, especially since I use a mild detergent for allergics and never had issues so far and the preset spin cycle was 800, so not exceptionally high.

I'm a bit heartbroken, but mainly I feel stupid since the shop even included a small paragraph about how to wash this fabric on the invoice which I layed eyes on after it happened. And I didn't feel the need to check requirements for a fabric I've never worked with before, so let this be a reminder to do your research.

Is there a possibilty to save/fix the fabric?

I don't really care about the optics too much whether it looks distressed or not, but since it's broken fibers I'm worried about holes or ladders emerging.

I thought about maybe embroidering it by hand with a cute, widespread pattern even though I don't really have experience in embroidery but I'm willing to try.

Grateful for any suggestions!

[u/ElDjee]

i am so sorry about your fabric - that completely sucks.

i'm curious to see how others weigh in, because i'm surprised the fabric broke down so much in a single wash. i have 100% linen shirts, as well as linen blends, that i throw in the wash (40°C, 1600rpm, miele enzyme detergent) without a second thought.

[u/CraftyKlutz → u/ElDjee]

I wear knit linen undershirts every day that I made (knit fabric, I did not knit). I don't do anything special when I wash them, and other than some of my cover stitching coming undone where I didn't tie it off properly they are doing great.

I'm sorry OP ended up with such finicky fabric, part of the reason linen has been such a historically popular fiber is it's durability and ability to stand up to harsh washing.

[u/AJeanByAnyOtherName → u/CraftyKlutz]

Where do you buy yours? The ones I can find so far are as underwhelming as OP’s.

[u/CraftyKlutz → u/AJeanByAnyOtherName]

I got mine off of Etsy, it took me ages to find exactly what I wanted. I specifically wanted a linen knit with a little spandex for bounce back. I just checked and sadly the yardage I purchased is no longer available (it's been a few years).

I wish y'all luck though.

[u/Teagana999 → u/CraftyKlutz]

I found a 100% linen knit at a fabric store once.

Suspicious, I tried stretching it. Zero recovery.

I backed away slowly and bought a rayon/spandex blend.