I have never used flannel before and I recently got some off of a lady on craigslist. It smells slightly of smoke, can I wash it before i use it?

You MUST wash flannel before use. It shrinks like crazy. Measure it, wash, dry measure it again and wash and dry it again and re-measure. It may take several wash dry cycles before it stops shrinking. It will be very soft and cuddly when you are done.

By all means WASH IT. It can shrink 2-6 inches a yard. I made an ankle length nightgown of unwashed flannel. It shrank so much it was calf length after I washed it. Now I buy extra.

Also tends to fray in the wash. I serge the cut edges before I wash. If you don't have a serger, you can use a zigzag stitch close to the edge.

Sorry, double post.

I agree. Learned this the hard way.

OH DEAR! I may be in for trouble!! I'm a newbie and didn't know about washing flannel BEFORE making a quilt. I'm just finishing a rag quilt and the back is 14" squares of flannel. OMGosh - this should be interesting. I wonder if I just wasted a lot of time and fabric?!

You may have made your 1st truely wonky quilt. Someone will love it.

When I make flannel rag quilts, I don't prewash my flannel. I do use flannel on both sides though.

glad Iv read this post I just got alot of flannel from a friend, I'll make sure to get it washed tomorrow before I start playing with it

Place just a little bit of vinegar in your wash water. It will remove the smell. I bought some material at a yard sale that smelled like the plastic container. I did test the reds to make sure they would not fade.

I never prewash mine either. they look fine after washing several times to fray them. I've mixed denim with flannel, too.