juliasb

Pre-washing is one of those things I don't like to do so it depends a lot on the fabrics and what is being done with them. I always pre-wash fabrics used in swaps. That is one of the rules here. When I am doing things for myself I only pre-wash darker fabrics that I feel might run like reds or dark blues. I will also prewash fabrics that have a heavier than usual amount of sizing. All others are at how I "feel" the fabrics are responding to touch. I don't prewash layer cakes as an example or packages of pre-cuts. It is up to you for the most part. You pattern may say to prewash, then you might want to consider it.
Puckering is something I rarely see. I wash all my quilts after finishing them because I glue baste my quilts. The small amount of puckering I see gives the quilt the perfect look of a much loved quilt. But I have to tell you puckering is far and little between.