I don't wash my fabrics but I do dunk them into a pan of home-made starch and then put them thru my home-made wringer and hang them to dry, the press before I ever cut into the fabric. This most times helps the fraying to be minimal. Also by starching beforehand I find which of my fabrics might bleed too. If they do I can dunk them into vinegar. I've also started adding vinegar to my spray bottle of water I use to mist my fabrics when I press them as well as during my process of making the blocks.

Hi Snooze and All,

Snooze, I was so tempted to dump the whole lot into my bathtub with lots of starch! I did, however, remain calm even though I'm rather ticked at the manufacturer!

I've washed all my quilting cotton by hand with Soak Wash and hung up to dry (no washer or dryer). A little more ravelling along the edges. The biggest problem has been the fraying after cutting out the blocks.

I'm waiting on my order for lots of unscented Best Press and other supplies.

Many thanks,

k

When "hanging" yardage on a line, I am very careful to not pull the selvages out of kilter.

When dealing with small pieces, I hang them on a drying rack - if you have one - or lay them on a towel and let them air dry.

I try to avoid pulling the threads out of alignment.

I'd be tempted to use a slightly wider seam allowance throughout the entire project...you can always aff a border to bring the size up.