I don't wash my fabrics before I cut them up but I do starch them, large pieces too by dipping them into a dish pan full of starch, let them drip over the dish pan while hanging above on a skirt hanger. When they're good and dry then I take them to the ironing board, mist them with water and iron away. Most times I use steam.....then and while I'm making my blocks. Just seems to make a crisper block to me.