Before sewing your fabric, do you -
 

Pre-wash it?

Pre-dry it?

Pre-starch it?

Pre-iron it?

Pre- cut it?

I prewash and dry before it comes into my house. Can't stand the smell of some of the fabric since I get from different sources. Even the fabric and LQS. Especially from thrift and estate/garage sales. They get a hot water wash and hot dryer. I don't use dryer sheets but sometimes a white vinegar goes into the rinse cycle. Again mainly because of the odor and not knowing who handled it last.

I test for bleeding if the fabric is color saturated. I wet with starch and iron the fabric stiff so no need to prewash. I get all the distortion out before I cut I usually pre wash backing fabric. I will wash the quilt when it's finished.

Pre-wash it? Yes, due to allergy to sizing. I wash in cold water, gentle/hand wash cycle with small amount of Tide Free
Pre-dry it? Yes. On low heat until about 90% dry.
Pre-starch it? Yes. I use a LOT of starch. Helps me get straighter cuts & makes it easier to sew 1/4" seams.
Pre-iron it? Yes.
Pre-cut it? Not sure what that means.

I pre-wash it all, even if it has been washed before (from a friend, thrift shop, guild exchange, etc.).
I prefer to line dry, and iron it when ready to cut. I don't starch.
Drying in the sunshine helps with any odors that may be still in fabric after washing.

I don't do any of that....unless the fabric is red. Then I prewash, and then, of course, I have to pre-dry and pre-iron. :)

Dina

I don't pre-wash. I don't have the convenience of living with a washer/dry.

this is not really a question about washing your fabric. it is a matter of pointing out that the prefix 'pre' is redundant and not used consistently in our quilt dialogue. Oh well, that is the nature of the English language.

I wash, dry and iron my fabric before I use it in a quilt but I don't starch. It makes me itch and spoils the fun of quilting for me.

BINGO! I usually just wash, dry, and fold my fabric until ready to use. then iron/press and - once in a blue moon, I will use sizing/starch on it - iron again - and then cut the fabric.

wash, dry, and fold lengthwise into 4th and then put on comic board holder. I don't cut until needed and then don't starch until working on seams within blocks/rows. I've heard of issues with starching bringing bugs. Not sure if it is true and it might depend on where you live and how you store the fabric.

The only time I have "cut" before washing is very large pieces where I know I need two lengths (backings for example) and I think it is easier to tear/cut prior to washing (usually each piece after is at least 2 yards)


eta: obviously missed the tongue-in-cheek grammar question. I do "pre-wash" which to me means wash (and dry) before piecing. But can't say I've ever used any of the other words

None of the above.

I prewash, predry, preiron. That's enough.

I do all those things except pre-cut---do not know what this is.

I do the same procedure as bearisgray!!!!!BINGO! I wash, dry, and fold my fabric when it comes in the door until ready to use. then iron/press and - once in a blue moon, I will use sizing/starch on it - iron again - and then cut the fabric. Works for me and I get all the stuff out of it that I wouldn't want for any baby or anyone else. I want to know what I am giving them.

Before sewing your fabric, do you -

Pre-wash it? Yes- most often just a soak in cool or warm water with non-machine washing soap like woolite, rince it in clean water, then a quick dip in starchy water.

Pre-dry it? Yes- air dry (no machine) or iron dry if almost dry. I don't iron dry soppy wet fabric.

Pre-starch it? yes, (see above)

Pre-iron it? yes, see above

Pre- cut it? yes, but only after the main blocks are cut for the purpose the fabric was bought. After main use, it is considered scrap, and I cut according to my personal scrap procedures.

I didn't want to be the grammar snob, but since bear posted the thread, I knew there was a "gotcha" in the question. Good one, bear. I wash, dry, starch, iron, and cut before I sew my fabric, yes. I don't "pre-" any of those. However, that doesn't mean I do those steps all at once. I wash, dry, fold, and put away all fabric until ready to sew. Then I'll cut a manageable portion that I need, starch and iron it. I have yet to sew without needing to cut it first.

I don't wash or dry my fabric before working with it. I will press and starch before using the fabric, when necessary. I will precut for a class, if required, and/or if there are a lot of the same size pieces in the quilt (definitely love my Studio for that purpose).

I wash and dry yardage and fat quarters to get the chemicals out and check for bleeding. If I'm ready to use it, I will iron it before cutting. If I bought it to enhance my stash, I just fold it up and put with my other treasures. I don't buy many jelly rolls or charm squares.

I only wash before storing if I detect unpleasant odors (smoke, musty, etc) or if it is stained or otherwise dirty.

If I wash it I dry it. Occasionally I will send something though the dryer instead of ironing.

Don't use starch.

Will often iron before cutting to get out fold lines from storage.

Rarely pre cut although I've been known to create my own jelly rolls or additions to jelly rolls. Do not cut scraps into smaller pieces until I'm ready to use them.

But do you all prewash before sewing? Or do you simply wash before sewing, if you wash at all?

Do you cut your fabric before sewing or do you pre-cut it before cutting or sewing? LOL

"Pre-" means "before". Do you "before iron before you sew"? Do you "before dry before you sew" or do you just dry it before you sew?

I understand that we THINK of "pre-washing" fabric as "washing before" we sew. But think about the meanings. That's really saying "before washing before" or "washing before before". Get it now?

My "prewashing" is overcasting or serging the raw edges of the fabric before i get the fabric wet,
OR
doing something to the fabric to facilitate stain removal or extra heavy dirt removal.

I think we get so used to seeing "pre-" added to words such as "wash" - that the words look "wrong" when used without the "pre-"

I wash, dry, and iron all fabric before cutting. In colors I use Color Catcher. This saves problems with colors bleeding and shrinking in the fihished product. To combat odors, I add Arm and Hammer washing soda to the laundry detergent.

I usually tear off about 1/2 yard of the fabric...giving me a straight line to work with....I starch the dry fabric and iron it...I then put selvages together and make sure the fold hangs straight. The only time I wash is if the fabric has been sitting folded for a long time or has something on it that I did not notice before (like a stain.) I mostly steam press or starch my fabric. I find starch makes the cutting easier if the fabric is thin or drapey. If it is a thick fabric, I only steam press but I always use small amounts like 1/2 yard to do my cutting...so much easier to manage.

i think in "quilter's" definition of "pre", it refers to doing that action before starting the quilt...at least that is my interpretation of the prefix used as it is in the original post.

...and btw, I do not do any of the pre actions...well, I do iron before cutting, and if I suspect a bleeder, I will hot water test a small piece. Don't use starch at all.

I only buy fabric for each project. My 'stash' consists of those leftovers. When I buy fabric I do pre-wash. Then starch and iron. I have purchased some fabrics for a long term project that have yet to be pre washed. When I have all the fabrics collected and start on that project, then I'll do the wash/dry/iron routine but not before.

If it is for backing, border and sashing, I wash it and iron it. If it is small pieces for samplers, I iron first, cut it and then iron it again and then, of course, I have my handy dandy post it notes and mark the size of the cut and pin it and everything is all ready for sewing. I do all the blocks first, and put them in a plastic bag (gallon size) folded in the "recipe" for the block. Very simple, very easy. Edie

PS - I don't starch anything. I am afraid I will pull the fabric and make it larger than it should be. Never have had a problem.

I like the stiffness of the fabric when I buy it. For me it is easier to work with when cutting. I wash all quilts prior to gifting. I do however wash a particularly dark or saturated color with a color catcher especially if a white is used anywhere in the quilt.

Only iron my fabric unless I think it might bleed. Then I snip a piece, wet it and lay on a white paper towel.

I starch and press it before I cut into it. I will cut an amount what I think I'll need for the project but that's all the cutting I'll do till I have it heavily starched and pressed.................then I cut to my heart's content......:-)

There are many times I do not wash and dry, but do pre-iron with heavy starch.

:D funny! (wish I had thought of that first!)

Pre-wash? Yes, I have allergies and I hate the smell of unwashed fabric. Pre-dry? Yes, I throw the wet,washed fabric in the dryer.Pre-starch,pre-iron,pre-cut? No, I don't iron the fabric until I am going to use it in a project. After taking the fabric out of storage to use in my project, I iron the fabric then.

Really? How many times do we have to answer these questions?

The only "pre" thing I do is iron out any creases.

These are things that will be debated forever! So much of it comes down to personal preference. Except for a few rules. If some of the fabric has been prewashed, you should prewash the rest. Things that are prewashed will need to be ironed. If you like the bit of stiffness that the sizing provides on unwashed fabric, then you will need to starch the washed fabric. Then, again, it enters the area of what is best for you. If I am working with a new pattern, I like to cut the fabric for one block and make it. Then I can see if I like the pattern and the color combo. If my orphan block has deep colors (especially reds or indigo blue), I will soak it to see if it has any bleeding problems. Then I cut the whole thing out so I can assembly line sew. I do not prewash, but I lightly starch anything cut on a bias to assist in not stretching.

Always pre-wash fabric, then iron as needed when needed.

I don't. If I used the small amount of time I have to quilt to wash and iron all the fabric I'd never get anything done.

I prewash and predry. I pre-iron when I'm going to use something.

What??!! Perhaps I am like many/most quilters who understand the term prewash as meaning "wash before I use it." In other words, do we wash, dry, starch, iron fabric before we cut it.