There was recently a big discussion of this. It came down to, as usual, different experiences for different people. My experience has been that it does not bleed. I use it regularly for baby/kids quilts. I wash all my quilts when they are done with color catchers. Nor do I find it as difficult to work with as some people do. I quilt on my DSM. On the other hand, if you have concerns, it never hurts to prewash. Your recipients will love their Minky backed quilts!