I would have said a not-nice word, but then, you were going to cut it up anyway, right? Thanks goodness it wasn't a quilt!!
I don't have a serger, I tried sewing and that was too much hassle. So now i pink the raw edges before I wash, and there is usually little or now shreddign. Better yet, I can tell instantly which of my bolts have been washed and which haven't (I can't decide which way I'm going with this issue).