This is personal to the quilter. Many wash and dry every piece of fabric while others don't wash a thing. Personally I never wash anything even the reds. I like the feel of the fabric before washing and I"ve never had any trouble with shrinking. Some people will wash because they have allergies to the dyes and perfumes in the fabric. My suggestion is to try both washing for one quilt and not wash for a different one, and see which method you prefer.