I always wash flannels because they shrink so much more than regular cottons and they will often bleed, especially the blues for some reason (red gets the bad rap, but I find that blues are worse). And with Batiks, you absolutely never know if the dyes are set well. I do not wash my other fabrics, I used to but never had a problem with bleeding so I stopped. I might regret it but I don't plan to wash my fabrics in the future, only the ones that are flannel, Batiks, hand dyed or of a lesser quality. I have heard of some embroidery flosses bleeding, though. Figure that one out!!
