I, too, wash everything. Yes, some of it shrinks but when it comes in the house, it is washed. I put the items like charm packs in several (net bags, got at WalMart) bags and put them in the washing machine and when they come out, I lay them out on a sweater net stand till they dry completely. Yep, some companies' charms shrink and I have been now making my own charms from fabric that I have washed. I wash fat quarters and jelly rolls and hang them up on my laundry line and yep, most of them shrink but they don't shrink in the quilt. I open and shake my batting, spritz it with water and put 5 wet wash clothes in the dryer, and every ten minutes, I open the dryer and re-arrange every thing and do this for about 40 minutes. For the backing, I wash it and put it in the dryer for 30 minutes (re-arrange every 10 minutes) and then I hang it up in the basement on my clothes line. Yes, it takes time but I have had some fabric really, really leak their colors and at least they have been wet and washed at least one time (really red bad ones, I just keep washing them till there is only a tad of color in the water). I have only been quilting for 6 years after retiring so I am just learning all this as I go....THANK YOU for the Quilting Board!!!!!!!!!!