To Prewash or Not?
09-11-2012, 12:23 PM
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: The middle of an IL cornfield
Posts: 7,014
You will get dozens of responses on this. Quilters are divided. Many prewash everything and won't go near a piece of fabric that has not been washed. Others wash nothing. One thing they all seem to agree on is washing batiks because they nearly always bleed. Most agree that prewashing flannel is required because it typically shrinks so much. (Unless it will be a rag quilt and then most don't wash it.)
It all comes down to read, research, listen and do what feels comfortable to you. If you don't wash, it might bleed. If you do wash, you might have lots of extra ironing to do.
It all comes down to read, research, listen and do what feels comfortable to you. If you don't wash, it might bleed. If you do wash, you might have lots of extra ironing to do.
09-11-2012, 12:24 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 514
I almost always prewash. If I have white and any strong colors I'm worried about bleeding. I've also noticed that not all fabric shrinks the same. I've seen on line here where alot of people generally don't pre-wash. But I figure the extra work is worth it if I avoid a bleeder or one that shrinks excessively.
09-11-2012, 12:54 PM
#6
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Western MA
Posts: 2,720
Originally Posted by Lisa_wanna_b_quilter
You will get dozens of responses on this. Quilters are divided. Many prewash everything and won't go near a piece of fabric that has not been washed. Others wash nothing. One thing they all seem to agree on is washing batiks because they nearly always bleed. Most agree that prewashing flannel is required because it typically shrinks so much. (Unless it will be a rag quilt and then most don't wash it.)
It all comes down to read, research, listen and do what feels comfortable to you. If you don't wash, it might bleed. If you do wash, you might have lots of extra ironing to do.
It all comes down to read, research, listen and do what feels comfortable to you. If you don't wash, it might bleed. If you do wash, you might have lots of extra ironing to do.
09-11-2012, 01:38 PM
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 1,311
Originally Posted by Scissor Queen
I don't pre-wash anything. Batiks, flannels, reds, none of it gets pre-washed.
Do what makes you happy and don't worry too much about what everybody else does.
Do what makes you happy and don't worry too much about what everybody else does.
with one exception I do prewash my flannels:
09-11-2012, 01:57 PM
#9
Super Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: So. Central MO
Posts: 2,759
[QUOTE=frusratedquilter40;5507327]I also do not prewash even batiks.
Oh goodness! I only prewash my batiks in my pure white kitchen dish pan and had a blue one one time that every time that I squeezed it it squirted out blue ink - just like an octapus squirts out ink. I had to finally throw it away.
Oh goodness! I only prewash my batiks in my pure white kitchen dish pan and had a blue one one time that every time that I squeezed it it squirted out blue ink - just like an octapus squirts out ink. I had to finally throw it away.
09-11-2012, 02:52 PM
#10
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 12,861
it is a personal choice- if you have a hand-dyed fabric or a batik that is very saturated color (deep purple, red, blue ect) you may want to at least test it to see if its' going to run or not- (wet it & rub with a paper towel or white piece of muslin-see if color comes off)
if it's flannel it will shrink more than other cottons- so if you are mixing fabrics- using flannel & regular cottons in the same project you will want to pre-wash the flannel- if you are using flannel for a raggy quilt don't bother-
if you simply not sure- make yourself 2 small quilts- one with pre-washed fabric- one with not washed fabric & compare the outcome- see what you like-
i personally prewash if...i am concerned about a color running, if it feels funky- if it smells funky- if it is stiff & i want to soften it up-
if none of the above are an issue i may or may not bother-
i ALWAYS wash my finished project as soon as the binding is finished- no matter what- doesn't matter if the fabrics have been pre-washed or not- last step is to launder the finished project.
if it's flannel it will shrink more than other cottons- so if you are mixing fabrics- using flannel & regular cottons in the same project you will want to pre-wash the flannel- if you are using flannel for a raggy quilt don't bother-
if you simply not sure- make yourself 2 small quilts- one with pre-washed fabric- one with not washed fabric & compare the outcome- see what you like-
i personally prewash if...i am concerned about a color running, if it feels funky- if it smells funky- if it is stiff & i want to soften it up-
if none of the above are an issue i may or may not bother-
i ALWAYS wash my finished project as soon as the binding is finished- no matter what- doesn't matter if the fabrics have been pre-washed or not- last step is to launder the finished project.
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