bearisgray

Again - whatever works for you -

This is why I do as I do now.

I've even had washed fabrics (RJR, by the way) bleed when I sprayed starch/sizing on them. Or left them wet in the laundry basket too long.

I started to measure before and after washing after I noticed that a lot of pieces (cat prints that I paid more than usual for) were measuring only 35 inches when I was going to use them - and I KNOW I purchased a yard (from a LQS ) Some fabrics had very little shrinkage - some had a lot - some shrank over two inches WOF (Michael Miller solid black purchased from LQS) - VIP usually did not shrink at all. One of the times I did not wash/preshrink a fabric was when I made covers (like huge pillow cases) for couch cushions. There was plenty of ease to get them on and off easily so I didn't bother to wash the fabric first. Then I washed them - now I need to wrestle them off and on because they are very tight.

Also because of some 5x5 squares my Mom had given me that she purchased from a catalog quilt store (I think it was from Quilts & Other Comforts) - most of the squares did end up being about 5x5 after being washed and dried. One ended up 5x4.5. On a 40 inch WOF, that would end up being a 36 inch WOF after being washed.

Perhaps I should have said "inaccurate cutting" or "inconsistent cutting" instead of "sloppy cutting" - this same neighbor brought over "squares" for a layout that I think she just eye-balled. When actually measured they varied a lot. I bought some cut strips at a garage sale - I was all excited about them - until I unfolded them. They were Ws!

I don't even try to rotary cut a lot of layers at a time anymore. It may be more efficient for some - it isn't for me because I have slippage. If I goof up, I have eight goofs instead of only one or two.

Checking out a pattern first - I had bought these printed plastic templates - they should have been accurate because I bought them, right? I very carefully cut them out on the center of the line and was using them. Every time I tried to join a square, it needed to be eased or stretched to fit. I FINALLY measure the template - it was 1/8 inch longer in one direction than the other. Of course, I didn't figure that out until a year or so after the quilt was made!

Another older book had this pattern - but the angles were way off - so if I had done it 'as is' - it would have never turned out flat.

Most of the 'knowing when a pattern is wrong' does come from experience.

As far as fabrics that either had excess dye or bleeders - for an applique project I bought Moda marbles - dark brown, dark green, dark red, and intense yellow. The intense yellow kept turning the water yellow. I don't remember for sure about the other colors, but the yellow surprised me. One of the Moda reds I had turned the water red and dyed the selvage pink. I do remember at least one fabric from almost every color family being a bleeder. I have enough stained pieces to remind me to NEVER assume that a fabric is colorfast.

I'm not able to tell just by looking at a fabric whether it's going to have excess or unstable dye, or if it's going to shrink.

It's just EASIER FOR ME to treat everything before cutting it, so I don't need to worry about it later. I resent the need for additional caution when washing a commercially dyed fabric. So I do what I can to make it easier for the owner of the finished item to take care of it. I figure that most Moms that are tossing a quilt in the washer that Baby has put something on are not going to be thinking about color catchers or Synthrapol .

I do have some cottons in my stash I would not buy again. There was a Kaufman that the LQS person INSISTED would straighten out after it was washed. It didn't. I try to check the grainlines on a fabric before buying now. If it's printed off-grain, no amount of tugging is going to get that print on-grain. I just don't like the texture of some of them now. I try to buy as much of a given fabric at one time as I think I will need for a project. Dye lots can vary.

These are some of the reasons why I do as I do.
I am not pointing a gun at anyone's head to do the same.
I am not trying to make anyone feel foolish or dumb or offend anyone. I'm trying to show where I have been uninformed/unaware and where trying to save myself a nickel cost me a quarter or trying to save 20 minutes cost me hours in re-do time later.

I usually only continue to do something if it is relevant, reasonable, or rational to my way of thinking - and it has been more useful/helpful to do so than to omit the step.

Different people think differently and what is imperative to some (starching/sizing, for example) is not imperative to all.

Maybe I've just been unluckier or dumber than many of you?? (I've even had issues with LQS fabrics - although maybe Alexander Henry, Benartex, RJR, Kaufman, Kaufman of California, Michael Miller maybe aren't 'good enough' to count as 'good' LQS fabrics?)

Take what is useful and or helpful to you - ignore the rest.

There are several topics that quilters strongly disagree on - washing, starching, seam pressing, etc. - eventually we come to terms with what we are comfortable with - (And we wonder why nations don't/can't get along?)

One last thing - I make a lot more mistakes when I am tired - so going on when I should stop and take a nap is counter-productive.

Recent example: I sewed buttons on wrong - I marked them three inches off where they should have been. I had them spaced perfectly - just started in the wrong place!

Peace.