Thread: to wash or not to wash

I use muslin to back my quilts I usually wash the muslem but not the front. I would like to know if I can not wash the muslem. I don't have a problem not washing the quilt top also i am having a problem posting new threads most of the time the post new therad does not show. Is anyone else having that problem. thanks for any help you can give me

117becca - I think we share a brain! Same here - wash when completed. But I also prewash all my fabrics as I mostly use yardage. I don't wash precuts though. But by the time I've hand quilted something, the dog hair, dust, etc. make it necessary to wash it before gifting. And I get the crinkly look I love.

I would say if you don't prewash your quilting fabrics, there's no need to prewash the muslin.

I never prewash. I guess some day it may create an issue with a bleeding color, but so far that has never happened to me. Just lucky I guess.
As to posting threads, I have had an issue with replying to threads..sometimes it gives me an odd message and reopens the page, losing my reply

I never prewash but I used to, many years ago. I believe there isn't much shrinkage nowadays (I was told ~<3%), if you buy quality quilting fabric. Besides, I like the crinkled look after a quilt is washed. The only time I would prewash is if I think the colors might run, as in red and teal. Other than that, I have been very lucky.

I think muslin shrinks a little more...anyone know for sure? Maybe depends on quality

There are alot of different grades and qualites of muslin. Some of the very inexpensive muslin I have seen shrink ALOT. Even the preshrunk - perm press muslin still has a bit of shrinkage. So the answer can vary widely as to what to expect when you wash. As a general rule I buy the same manufacture and code when I buy , so I can have predicatable results. Do note that a manufacture can have several different grades/quality of muslin so do note the info on the end of the bolt when you buy.

I would not bother to prewash the muslin as long as you are doing a reasonable amount of quilting. (This would be more than SID around 12-inch blocks!) What happens when you quilt is that the top and backing become tied to the batting. Once that is done, the batting controls shrinkage. Even though a fabric might shrink more than the batting if the fabric is washed on its own, it will not shrink more than the batting once it has been quilted to the batting. The only rule is that there has to be enough quilting to actually ensure that the 3 layers act as one. A large stipple is enough.

I prewash everything and then wash a completed quilt before giving. For all the reasons given above...

I use good grade muslin on all my quilts, and since I do not wash the fab, I do not wash the muslin. But, I must add I do not use starch in construction either. This way, when the quilt is finally washed (probably a year or two down the road) it will all crinkle evenly. If I use a color fab that I think "might" run, I will snip a piece, put in a cup of very hot water, if it bleeds, I don't use it. This is done before piecing begins......so far so good.....15+yrs.....but we all have our own way of doing things...