Thanks everyone for both the welcome and the washing tips. I really prefer working with fabric straight from the shop even though I should pre-wash them. I've made two quilts for my soon to be expected grandson and since they are soooo important to me I would hate to see them run for any reason. So are the color catchers/dye magnets better than 'setting' the color first and then using them? The lap quilts I've made in the past haven't been this important so I simply washed in cold water with no issues.