The only time I buy FQ's is when I am going to use them in scrap quilts for the very reasons that all of you have mentioned. That said, did you get your fq's at a lqs or at a discount place. I have found that the fabric that I get at my local lqs and at select on line stores rarely shrink while the ones from the discount places almost always do. Also remember that manufacturers make different grades of the same fabrics for different places, so all fabrics are not created equal.