Originally Posted by
Daffy Daphne
I don't think it's a good idea to wash a quilt top before sandwiching. You're likely to end up with a terrible mess of tangled threads on the back from frayed seams.
If I had the squares, I think I'd put them into a sink of water, hang to dry until damp, then iron them dry. That should take care of any possible shinkage problem.
I would soak the squares in hot water for an hour or so (only like colors together) - one can use the sink or a kettle/cooking pot, or a large bowl - when I have an automatic washer handy, I dump them in and use the spin cycle to get some of the water out of them - (if not, I just put them in a colander until a lot of the water has run off) - and then either put them in the dryer or hang on a drying rack or on a towel until dry enough to iron.
It is important to keep agitation to a minimum to minimize fraying - putting the pieces in mesh lingerie washing bags can help.
I had to wash a quilt top (by hand) once before sandwiching - I would prefer not to do it again. It did cause a lot of fraying that made the back of the top untidy.