I always wash my material before use. Some cottons shrink up to 3% vertically, some do not shrink. I think the wash is a good trade for the distortion. Just my opinion. My quilts get heavy use, so I want to know what the fabrics are going to do ahead of time. And red/dark blue color bleeding--the worst! Once again, just my personal opinion about the limited supply of fabrics we are able to get locally.