It worked!
So. For the record, I first washed the voile in the washing machine in a darks load with fabric encased in delicates bag.
Result: stiff.
I then hand-washed the voile in a tub with detergent in the first water, let it soak for an hour or two, then rinsed it four or five times, letting it soak for three or four more hours, then hung to dry.
Result: stiff.
I then soaked the voile in a tub with a cup of coconut vinegar to about 4 litres of water (a gallon?) for a couple of hours, rinsed it a few times, and hung it to dry.
Result: stiff.
I then soaked the voile in a tub with about 4 litres of water, 1 cup of coconut vinegar and a tablespoon of salt. Rinsed a few times, then hung to dry.
Result: stiff. Okay, starting to ease up a bit, but still, it could stand up by itself.
I then tossed the fabric in the washing machine with a load of darks, no delicates bag to protect it, then hung to dry.
Result: soft.
In all fairness, I’m sure the vinegar helped it ease up a bit, but still, this was seriously ridiculous!
On the other hand, if I ever get voile again, I at least know how it behaves.
I’ve since straightened the edges (tearing to get a straight line) and zig-zag stitched the ends to finish.
It now looks nice. And it’s folded in my drawer, ready for use.
Happiness reigns. 😀
