Originally Posted by Lou Lou
Is it a must to wash all fabric before making quilts? I do some but others I don't. What is your thinking on this.
I haven't gone back and read all the responses but I will tell you there are several reasons I always wash my fabric before using it. First, they are full of chemicals and I am allergic to just about everything. So in this instance it is a health issue for me. Also, any fabric that comes in from outside the US is sprayed with insecticide and fumigated (the boxes, not the actual fabric though my understanding is that the fumes can make it to the fabric). For me this is good enough to wash it since I know that many insecticides can be absorbed into the skin and I tend to have a habit of fondling my fabric. There is also a natural grown mold that
loves cotton and washing it removes all the spores, again a health issue for me.
There are also non-health related reasons why I always wash my fabric and it comes down to the same reasons most everyone else does - to shrink the fabric back into its original shape and to make sure none of the dyes will run after the quilt is made.
I have lots of friends who prewash their fabrics and lots of friends who don't. So far no quilt police have come to arrest anyone from either side. ;)