crafty pat

I love fabric from Keepsake Quilting. I just had a order come in last week. I ordered the Yo Gabba Gabba fabric for a quilt for my DGD. It was full of bright colors that I washed it with a color catcher right away, and was so happy when the color catcher came out as white as when it went in. No running or bleeding at all.

NJ Quilter

I do a BOM at my LQS almost every year. Find it's a good skill builder regardless of how much sewing experience I have. I'm also a dedicated pre-washer. All that said, a with BOM when I'm getting cut pieces to sub-cut, I don't prewash. Especially if it's high quality fabrics. They typically don't run (unless it's a batik and then it's a crapshoot) and the shrinkage is generally minimal. Plus I like the 'crinkled' look after washing after being quilting. You are a better woman than me - I wouldn't have bothered. But good on you to finish up a friend's project.

Lavada

hoo ray for you i hate ironing too

farmquilter

When I began quilting in the late 80's I was taught how to check a fabric to see if it would bleed. Take a piece of white muslin and wet a small area of the fabric in question, rub/scrub the muslin over the wet area. IF you have color on the muslin take the fabric and wash/iron it.
But another method that was taught in the early 90's was to steam press the fabric with a hot iron to set the color. The steam and heat represent washing and drying, and you should notice any shrinkage at that time. I still use this method.

psumom

I wouldn't have washed it; especially the little pieces! Now I'm wondering if after washing and pressing them, if you'll have to "square them up" again, or will they stay exactly the same size and shape?

dconroy84

I heard or read can't remember now where it was that you can wash small pieces of material in a salad spinner. I would think there would be less chance of stretching the small pieces this way.

Donna C. Ohio
dconroy84

patdesign

I always wash fabrics, but Iam old school who used to always buy extra because it shrank and I used to make a lot of my clothing. These days it has carried over into the quilting, its my comfort thing. This way I now if it runs or shrinks it wont ruin the finished work. Small price to pay. Now my problem is 5 inch charms, I can't decide whether to wash or not!

quiltmom04

I would have been more scared at ruining the triangles by messing with the bias than I would have any schrinkage of bleeding!!

solstice3

you could always dump the pieces in a lingerie bag and wash with a color catcher or thumb your nose at it and worry later

nstitches4u

That's my method too. I pre-washed all my fabric when I first started quilting, but not any more unless it is red, navy blue or black. It is so much easier to cut when it still has the sizing in it. I know---you can spray starch it and press it before cutting, but that is too much work! LOL. I just use a lot of Shout color catchers.