Washing vs non-washing. Now there is a good topic. All I can tell you, as a new quilter, one teacher washes always, the other never washes as she likes the look of a quilt after its wash, looks older? Anyway, if you wash your material, make sure to treat it with starch before cutting. As I have washed and ended up with a screwed up block. Then did it again, after being told to starch "well" before cutting, and it came out acurate.