I prewash all the flannel (and I rarely prewash anything) -- I have had some really bizarre shrinkage with flannels regardless of where I have bought it. I quit buying the batik flannel because some of it never softened up when I washed it. I washed some flannels that shrank not a all and some shrank several inches. If I am going to piece with the flannel I want to make sure that if they shrink they do so at the same rate.