nme1974

I hear differing opinions on whether to wash your fabric before starting a quilt. I'm a fairly new quilter and in the classes I've taken, the instructor said you can wash, but you don't have to. This led to some confusion on my part and now that I'm using Jelly rolls, Charm packs and Layer cakes, the confusion has only increased. Do you wash or not, and do you wash it all??

Misty's Mom

I always wash yardage first. Doesn't even make it to my sewing room until it is. I don't wash precuts. I've used just about all that I previously bought. Now, I just cut my own after per washing my fabric. I do this because of all my allergies and you don't know what all is in or on the fabric or who handled it and if they were sick. Better safe than sorry.

Piper

Whether you wash yardage (fat quarters and larger) is really personal preference. I do because fabric comes treated with chemicals to keep them fresh from manufacturer to your quilt room. These chemicals build up in your quilt room air and can cause headaches, and allergy like symptoms. Even if you are not sensitive to them, others in your house, including pets, might well be. So for me, washing is the answer and an easy one.

Having said that, I would never wash precuts. Almost without exception, those who have tried have met with disaster with too much shrinkage, warping and fraying. I keep my precuts in the plastic they are wrapped in until I am ready to use them in a project to again keep the chemicals out of my quilt room.

Hope all this helps some and welcome to the wonderful world of quilting!!!

loves_2_quilt

I wash all yardage. I have and do wash fat quarters on delicate to lesson the fray around them. The only way yardage isn't washed for me is if it is bought in a kit, which is rarely.
D

QuiltingHaven

Yes, I wash all. I have the open mesh bags that I put the charm packs and jelly rolls in to wash before i use them. I always wash yardage and so that I don't have shrinkage from the precuts, I wash them all. I also use the color catchers in the mesh bags when I wash and you would be greatly surprised at the amount of color that shows up in the wash on these color catchers. Now, I only wash them once, and then when I wash the finished item, I use the color catchers again. I usually put three color catchers in the bags and I do re-use them if they have only a tinge of color to them. If they at black or red when they come out, they are gone!! I schedule my washing and allow time to iron and starch the fabric after it has dried. I usually put them in the dryer for 10 minutes and take them out and hang the fabric up so that it doesn't dry in a ball and I use the woolies (6 of them) in the dryer (they are like a tennis ball only made of wool) and they help make the fabric not as wrinkled. I hang up the jelly rolls on a rack (slightly damp, don't stretch) and lay out the damp charm packs/layer cakes on the top of the dryer. I allow all of this as "quilt prep" and it usually takes a couple of days to just get the fabric ready.

Piper

Oh, I also wanted to add that if you do choose to prewash your yardage, (not precuts), use the hand wash cycle on your washer if you have one. If not, then perhaps place your fabric in a mesh laundry bag and wash on delicate. This will drastically cut down (or even eliminate) any fraying.

And to replace the crispness in your fabric after washing, you can use starch when you go to use that fabric in a project. I prefer a homemade starch that costs just pennies for a bottle-full using just corn starch and water.

PaperPrincess

For me all quilting cottons shrink and many batiks bleed. When I first started I measured the fabric before and after I washed. A yard before seemed to be a yard after, so I was thinking about skipping the washing step. Then I started also measuring the width. I have found that everything, except batik, seems to shrink at least 1 inch across the width, sometimes as much as 3-4 inches. I know that non washers say that the quilting stabilizes the fabric, but I just can't get my head around that! So I wash everything, including pre cuts. I wash yardage in the washer and swish the smaller stuff in the sink, then spin in a salad spinner and air dry.

luvTooQuilt

Nope.. Im not a pre-washer... I dont have allergies, im not affected by my fabrics and i dont have furry pets under foot... I prefer the 'crinkle' look when the quilt shrinks when it gets washed the first time.. I do use LOTS of color catcher in the wash... So far so good,

Stitchnripper

This is pretty much how I do it. So far nothing has caused me a problem. I was watching Jenny Doan on Fons and Porter yesterday and for what it's worth, and I know it won't change anybody's mind, she said she never pre washes, that with the new fabrics it isn't necessary. Of course if you are allergic, or have other issues, or preferences, just keep doing what you are doing.

DebraK

nope. i don't prewash anything prior to sewing, and knock on wood, have yet to regret it. I do wash the finished quilts before I use or gift them.

The one time I did wash a bunch of fabric, was because a mouse got into a drawer of fabric. I really disliked working with the washed fabric afterwards. Too floppy and soft unless heavily starched. I like my quilts soft, but not while I'm making them.

Of course, this does not include my own hand dyes. Washing is part of the dying process.