I only pre-wash if I'm unsure of a fabric. The one thing I always do is to toss my batting in the dyer with a wet hand towel on the highest setting to get the wrinkles out. I've never had a fabric fade and cause any damage to a quilt nor have I had any quilt shrink in an unacceptable way. And I only buy quality fabric and always on sale. I hope this didn't sound too preachy.