Hi ladies, I've gone through my cupboards and have found 3 metres of jacquard (curtain fabric I think) and am wondering if this is suitable for quilting?

and, some flanelette - what is this like? I am thinking it may not wear very well.

wash it and see how it holds up- what it feels like-
i've used many different fabrics in quilts- as long as the fabrics (behave) together- i use them together :)

Thanks so much for your help - I'll give it a go.

As a general rule, do you wash your fabric before piecing?

Yes, wash before piecing!

I always wash before quilting. I do not wash precuts, such as jelly rolls and charm packs.

Annie68 and nyelphaba, what's the reasoning behind this?
I understand that the small pieces will ravel and fray but doesn't this indicate that washing larger pieces is also unnecessary?
If washing small pieces doesn't change their properties, then it won't on larger amounts either! (Guess I think the piece will change and not be nice and square anymore - what can I do with that?)
Let's continue this debate.

I wash the fabric for two reasons - one, I want it clean and free of anything that might be on it, and two, I want to preshrink it before I sew with it. I don't want any shrinking surprises when I wash the finished product. When I use the jelly rolls I will not prewash them because I don't think there is enough yardage and I am concerned the fabric will distort to much. However, when I do this top I will not prewash the backing either, hoping when the quilt is completed and washed things will shrink at the same percentage. Does this make sense to you?

nyelphaba, very good answer. I always wash and tumble dry flannelette because it always shrinks a lot. I have even washed smaller pieces by hand, especially if I am not sure about the colourfastness. I usually just hang them on an indoor clothes line and press with a hot iron.

If you are worried about fraying, you can pink the edges or zig zag them first.

I've heard another argument for washing yardage and not washing precuts. Tell me if you think it makes sense please.

The story goes that precuts are cut from high quality fabric and subsequently won't run or shrink and that yardage is generally (?) cheaper fabric and thus may run and shrink after its first wash.

Does this make sense?

Nevertheless, an interesting matter to toss around between ourselves.

Not all precuts are high quality fabric. I have gotten some really bad ones - not cut of straight of grain and/or fabric is thin. Yardage comes in all qualities, high to low. Precuts are not washed because fabric is not washed AFTER cutting. It could go wonky and then not be usable. After it is sewn together there is less problem.

I prewash yardage for several reasons: 1) to get rid of any chemicals in the fabric, 2) to make sure the grain is straight. It can be hard to straighten fabric with sizing in it if it has been stretched on the bolt incorrectly. 3) To make sure it is colorfast, and 4) I prefer working with fabric that is clean, starched and ironed. It cuts easier and straighter and goes together easier.

The yardage at my LQS is the same as the fabric of the jelly rolls and charm packs, and it is all expensive. With yardage I wash, preshrink and then cut what I need for the top I will be piecing and I wash the backing yardage and then cut as I need it. For me, I find the less expensive fabrics are fewer threads per inch.

Thanks for your advice Barb44 and nyelphaba and to anyone I've missed.

I'll take your advice and pre wash, then iron with starch before piecing in the future.

Barb44 - I like your well thoughtout reasons.