Originally Posted by oatw13
I always prewash. I like to see how a fabric will look when it is washed and how it holds up in the wash. I have had a few surprises along the way!
Fabrics are also treated with many chemicals, not just dyes. Those chemicals are terrible for you to breathe in and work with. Recently, I have had some "good" fabric that I washed that had the most awful smell AFTER I washed it. After about 10 washings, the chemicals and smell still wouldn't come out. If I had not washed it first, I never would have known.
This is the same reason I wash the fabric beforehand as well...the chemicals!! They are readily absorbed into one's body through the skin...and quilts are made to be snuggled into. Can't imagine giving a quilt for a baby without it being prewashed...and more than once!! I wash the fabric several times and then dry on low heat...this usually takes care of any bleeding issues of the colors and then preshrinks it before I iron and cut it for the piecing. Then when I'm working with the fabric I know I'm not getting ill effects from the chemicals either. I get terrible headaches from fabrics if they haven't been washed. Same with newly purchased clothing from stores...prewash a lot to get rid of all the chemicals.