Drat!!!! I didn't get notices on this topic for several days and with my head buried, I didn't notice! I just read 8 pages!!! Welcome more folks....!!!!

Ducks...get the Color Catchers at Wally's in the laundry aisle.

I'm almost through with Jane, then I' joining the JTGclub!!! I'm thinking I'm going to try the back basting and/or freezer paper by hand applique technique.

Ok, ladies, here I am... the one going against the stream... I prewash EVERYTHING. I cannot work with fabric if I don't. The chemicals irritate my finger tips. Normally I toss everything in the washer on hot water wash, use scissors to cut the strings prior to putting in the dryer. I do use a color catcher cloth but I used to do it without color catchers and still had success.

I agree with the bowl method on 1/8 pieces as it would cut down on a true mess. Just my 2¢ worth. :-D

Well y'all making me think I need to start washing those batiks as I have never used batiks before. I have 10" squares so will try out a few tomorrow and see if they bleed.

O kinda like the feel of new fabrics so am a don´t really want to wash them all, will do the dark ones and see what happens. To be continued ......

LindaAnn, me and you must be the same bat going Against the steam,lol. I can't stand working with unwashed fabrics, but yet somebody make call it OCD, because I wash any piece of clothing when I first buy it before I wear it fior the first time and the list of things I was goes on,lol.

Not that ihave a fraction of the experience people here have, but based on trial and error, I just came to the point where I would buy at a least half a yard of anything, if I need very little, I may get a FQ, but never a quarter of yard, they shrink and fray so much in my washer, while FQ hardly do for me. Regarding batiks, My experience has been very unpredictable with how they react, I've had dark brown not blees, while light yellow bled like crazy...what I do, is fill my sink with cold water and dunk part of the yardage or the whole FQ in the water, swish it around and see if I notice any bleeding, it it doesn't, it just goes in the washer with like color fabric and a color catcher, if it does bleed, it goes with the pile to be treated with retayne before washing. This has worked well for me so far.

Sharon, I would think with your small pieces, just test them in the sink and see how they react, if they are going to bleed, they will almost right away.

Yes, I have found Yellow to be one of the worst offenders for bleeding. It bleeds out of batiks I wouldn't hae thought had yellow in them. Turquoise is the other major bleeder.

I really do like the feel of unwashed fabric, so I press all my washed fabric using Mary Ellen's Best Press. I will tell all ya'll that I dilute it with distilled water at 50% (half Best Press & half water. It works just fine diluted, still has the same fragrance and feels like the full-strength formula.

Sharon,
My suggestion is to hand wash especially since they are small pieces. Simply use bucket of water in the sink, especially the reds/purples/oranges. They seem to be the ones that bleed the most. When I pre-wash I always do it by hand, even the big pieces of fabric. It tends to unravel much less since it is gentler. Remember you only want to wash out the sizing the manufacturer put on it.

So the diluted works as well as undiluted? I use so much of it, and it's kinda expensive, so that would help.

I see quite a few posts commenting on fabric fraying when washed. I don't have that problem as I bought a pinking blade for an extra rotary cutter and I cut the two ends of my fabric prior to washing. I keep the cutter and a small mat in my laundry room just for this use.

It IS expensive - no kinda about it. Have you seen that the gallon size is around $55? I love the stuff & will buy the quart size next time, but even that is expensive. More expensive than gas now!!! :-)

I'm up for info on the Quilt As You Go!!