I usually do not prewash anything. That being said, I recently participated in a FQ exchange that required prewashing. I was blown away by the shrinkage in a couple of the pieces. It was some of the more inexpensive fabric that shrank. This has led be to rethink the issue.

Begging to differ here. Washing and drying by machine does not guarantee "fraying terribly". There are as many ways to avoid fraying as there are those of us who manage to prewash with little or no fraying at all. As for line drying to avoid shrinking, that's one of the many reasons I prewash everything...so it does shrink all that it is going to.

I am open to suggestions as to how to wash fat quarters and jelly role pieces so they do not fray. When I soak the pieces I tend to soak them in hot water so they do shrink. I am absolutely looking for the shrinkage to occur before I begin piecing.

I wash everything.

I want my quilts to be used, so, yeah, I wash and dry any fabric that comes into my house before I use it.I learned that horrible lesson on my first peiced quilt, ... after it was washed, I had to fix a bunch of seams.... I've just started starching my tops before I baste them,makes the fabric so much easier to handle.

I haven't gotten the chance to work with FQ but my yardage always gets washed. I made a quilt and didn't do this and learned the hard way. I use the color catcher sheets and they are magic. The last load had solid black and a white and they came out great!

I prewash everything, never with fabric softener.

some fabric shreds worst than others, but at least I know color fast !

A lesson learned !! So sad after a finished quilt !

Only if they are flannel.

I don't wash fat quarters and I really don't wash fabric anymore, period. I used to years ago, but quilting fabrics from the major manuf. are so much better now.
If I were to do just a 2-color quilt (red & white or blue & white etc) I would probably wash them but otherwise, no.

I wait till I have finished the quilt because the fat quarters are so small.