I received fabric strips from Homespun, and I did what I thought would be a no-brainer. I washed the strips. The fabric unraveled on the edges unbelievably. It was incredible how much time it took me to cut away the unraveled part and get the strips back to what they should have been in the first place. I would NOT wash them before I made the quilt. I would wait to wash the quilt until it is finished. Either that or use a serger to go around the fabric before you put it near a washing machine. I also washed it on a delicate cycle.