Originally Posted by
PenniF
I have found that the easiest and quickesgt way - though you will waste about an inch of fabric - is to sew the cut edges together making a fabric "tube"....takes a few seconds per piece of fabric........after you wash and dry it, cut away the stitched edge and press as usual.
I've tried this, and notice a crease in the center opposite the seam...I don't do this anymore. I don't zigzag the edges, just do a 1/8" seam down each cut edge of the fabric before washing, and it works fine for me. If the fabric frays and I end up cutting it free from each other, then it frays, but I'm a huge fan of pre-washing so I just deal with it. I had a MUCH SMALLER STASH when I first started quilting, left over from babydoll clothes making days, so I spent one weekend prewashing everything and now I prewash everything as soon as I bring it in the house. I smooth it out but don't iron it, rather I iron it before cutting, so there's no question whether it's been prewashed or not. I would use gloves (latex?) when handling the fabric while preparing to wash it. Good luck, and remember not to wipe your eyes, face, or other parts of your body while handling unwashed fabric!