TexasSunshine

I agree with the comments above,, prewash, don' t crowd in dryer, take out promptly, fold and store until ready to use, then iron and starch lightly when ready to cut.

tessagin

I agree with bearisgray. I have always prewashed everything. One I can't stand the smell. 2nd. many hands touch the fabric and you don't know where they've been.

tessagin

Just for the heck of it since we're talking prepping fabric. I tried something a little different. I prewashed a large piece of fabric. before tossing it into the dryer, I mixed 1/3 cup white distilled vinegar to 1 cup water. Then put it into a spray bottle and spritzed the fabric. Then tossed into the dryer on hot. Came out pretty nice, very few wrinkles but didn't feel really soft. Didn't take much to spritz or spray it. Smelled fresh no fragrance that would irritate some noses. Folded nicely. Cut a small piece 5x10" strip and felt like it had some body in it.

Genden

I prewash by soaking in hot water then rinsing well. Then I line dry and the fabric is wrinkle free. Perhaps it would shrink more in a hot dryer, but removing the sizing is what I understand creates the majority of shrinking. With my method there aren't wrinkles, I have removed the chemicals, and I have controlled dye bleeding. I do not starch and I do not have to iron. I dislike ironing immensely. Maybe it was because as a child, my job was to iron my father's white shirts. My husband's shirts are sent to the cleaners.

ghostrider

Perhaps, but they also have many times more chemicals added than ever before. Everything from stiffeners to insect repellants, sizing to formaldehyde, all to keep them looking fresh on their long journey from the Far East to your local shop.

quiltmouse

One solution to tangling on long pieces, I learned not long ago from a friend:

Accordion fold the fabric, generally I use about 24"
Stitch the fabric together at the selvedges
I use Junk top thread and a pullable bottom thread like topstitch
Wash/Dry
take out the stitching

No Tangling.

I prewashed a knit yardage that was very wide, I only made that accordion about 14 inches

I have been using this on my backing fabrics & anything over 1-1/2 yards.

citruscountyquilter

I do this as well but instead of stitching I just use some large safety pins and pin several across the folded edges. It keeps the layers together and are easy to take out when finished.

coffeecozy

Someone mentioned it so I tried putting dawn dishsoap in the prewash on a bunch of batiks (purples, reds and pale pinks) and didn't have any noticeable bleeds.
I do a hot wash and a "very warm" dry on almost everything except jelly rolls In hopes of controlling shrinkage and colour bleeds and because i want to wash off nasty chemicals.so far that has worked out well. The dryer balls seem to help with the wrinkles but i will try the accordion folds on the huge pieces next time because 4 or five yards of super wrinkly fabric is no fun at all.
I spray best press or starch and iron right before cutting.

Ariannaquilts

I am old school and was taught to always wash my fabrics (obviously can't with pre-cuts) I either dry until damp or store them in a bag damp while I dry iron it all. Never had a problem doing it this way as far as shrinkage is concerned anyway, a few years ago before fabric was the cost that it is today I bought some fabric from a well-known designer that cost $10.00 a yard it did things I've never seen before, it frayed like nothing I ever had and became so wonky that the amount of shrinkage was about 2 1/4 inches. Still have it the shop wouldn't take it back because it had been washed, the manager told me she would get a piece of it and if it happened to her she would give me a refund but she never did! Needless to say they lost my business.

coopah

I just bought two one yard pieces of fabric, threw them in the washer on the rinse & spin cycle, then into the dryer. The trick to not getting wrinkles is to have enough 'stuff' in that the dryer isn't overcrowded, but enough so that things don't just 'clump' as they dry. So I added a bath towel and the fabric came out great. I don't add starch until ready to use....as it draws silverfish. Yucky little things. But you need to figure out your way. People on here would choke on their tea/coffee if I told How I do batiks. Do what works for you. Experiment until you are happy with the results.