Prewashing Panels Before Making Quilt
 

Should panels be prewashed before making a quilt? I have seen patterns that say don't prewash the panel but nothing about prewashing the rest of the fabric. What is the best approach.

I would say either prewash it all or don't prewash any of it. However, prewashing is a very personal thing. Many panels are very distorted when they come off the bolt. Wetting them can allow them to return to their original shape. Wetting them can also make cotton and especially flannelette distort as they dry. Yes, it is all very confusing.

I have had good luck with 'rinsing' my fabrics in as hot water as my hands will take, squeezing, not wringing, and then mostly drying in the dryer. That allows me to see any colour bleeds and provides the opportunity for shrinkage, as well as getting rid of a lot of the sizing that manufacturers use.

If the panel is significantly warped in shape, I will tape down two sides, dampen and gently (or aggressively on occasion) coax the other two sides into uniformity, continue to tape all around, wet fairly thoroughly, and let dry. It usually solves the problem.

I wash all my fabric before using it. Many people are allergic to the sizing and other chemicals that is put on the fabric. Also I like knowing if it's going to bleed.

I've only made one panel quilt, and I did pre-wash the panel (I pre-wash all fabric). I used a pattern for the panel, and it did have the panel cut apart into separate pieces, with pieced blocks in between. It all worked out fine.

I prewash yardage, FQs, and scraps, but I don't prewash precuts or panels. I routinely mix the prewashed and unwashed with no problems (so far). As you can see from the different answers, there is no one right way to do things.