Today I bought fat quarters from the Black, White & Currant by Color Principle for Henry Glass collection. I'm trying to decide if I should wash and dry them. There is so much debate about this, what do most of you do? I'm sure this is on the board somewhere but I don't know how to look for it. All of you are so wonderful and helpful, its like all of you are friends. Happy New Year to everyone.

I always pre-wash, especially to make sure they're colorfast. I often will put an old white sock in the load so I can easily see if any dye comes out of the fabric. I knew someone who did a red and white quilt once without pre-washing. First wash of the finished quilt was a disaster.

For fat quarters I usually do not wash unless it is for a swap . They are so small to begin with and can tangle really bad. But if they were red I would probably try since that is the color that tmeds to run the most

I agree with Sharon...sometimes I cut off a corner and drop it in a clear glass with a little bit of hot water and see if it bleeds.

I don't ever pre-wash except when requested for a swap. I haven't had a problem and I use brights all the time, especially red.

I seldom wash fabric before using. If a dark or bright color I'll check it for bleeding first and if it does I don't use it in a quilt, it will just fade fast.

That is what I do too.

I always prewash everything. Fat quarters are the smallest precuts I ever buy, and not all that often, but those get prewashed just like everything else.

Please prewash. Recently I was working on a shower gift for a niece (placemats, napkins, tablecloth etc) her colours were black and a deep red. I thought I was safe to wash these colours together without thinking about the fact that two of the fabrics had white polka dots. I ended up with blacks and reds with pink polka dots. Needless to say I headed back to the fabric store to correct the situation. Lesson learned

I always prewash. I hand wash the smaller pieces.

I sometimes do the Q-tip test. Wet a Q-tip with hot water and rub it over the fabric. If the tip discolors. then wash.

FQs can be rinsed in a bowl of water and wrung dry inside a bath towel. The final drying comes from the iron. Quick and easy.

I like your tips, Mad Quilter. I'll remember the Q tip test, and the bowl of water/ironing trick.

I pre-wash everything. I serge the cut edges first so there is no raveling. If a fabric is cut off grain or the color runs or it shrinks, I want that to happen before I use it. The serged edges are a sign for me to know that it has been prewashed when I throw the remaining fabric in the scrap box or back in my stash........depending on how much is left.

I very seldom pre-wash. Today's fabrics do not run like they did years ago. If I am using a dark color, I will do a test on it to make sure the color does not run.

I pre-wash by hand. That way I do every piece individually and if the colours run, they don't run onto anything else. I have found lots of colour bleeds from current fabrics. There is always shrinkage with cotton, so by pre-washing I am hoping to avoid too much puckering from later washings. I add enough puckers!!

I prewash too. My son sometimes says that the upstairs bathroom looks like a labratory with all of the little bowls set out.
lol,
lots2do

I hand wash fat quarters and then toss them in the dryer. Seems to work ok.

I must say that I wash everything, then it usually gets folded straight out of the dryer and I press just before using, though I have pieces bigger in my scrap bin than a FQ

I usually don't wash my fat quarters. Only when being used for a swap.

I prewash everything...by hand if its tiny. I just can't imagine putting hours of work into something and having one "renegade" fabric mucking it up.

I also hand wash and dry in very low setting in dryer, take out before they are totally dry and iron .

No I don't. I only buy top of the line quilt fabric. THAT said a batik or hand dyed one would get hand washed first.

I've had expensive quilt shop fabric run before, be careful.

I LOVE this hint Mad Quilter!! Thanks so much, never thought about doing it that way and it makes it much easier.

What about bom? I have not prewashed those. But yesterday I did have a block that is pretty red. I put it together anyway.

Unless it's a kit, I prewash mine. I always throw a color catcher sheet in with them too.

I Never thought of pre washing pre cut squares but I will from now on. Worked on Christmas place mats, spilled something on one the first time we used them and had to wash it, was totally ruined because one of the squares bleed all over the other ones. I will take the suggestion and hand wash like colors.

I used to prewash but no longer do. Am an avid user of fat quarters and they were a pain to wash. Would do some kind of pretest with bright red or blue.

I don't wash them either. But if I did wash fat quarters, I would do it in the sink.

Great idea.

Growing up, I was taught to prewash everything...more for the shrinkage factor than the bleeding. This was for clothing construction. I still prewash as I find that even LQS fabrics can be just a bit "off" after washing. I would rather know that before I put hours into a quilt and then have the quilt skew after its' first washing.

Patti

If the fat quarters are from a quality, higher end manufacturer I don't wash them. Chain store fat quarters should probably be prewashed.

I use a mesh bag for fat quarters and also throw a towel in the washer. This helps alot.

If it is a dark colour I would wash it, or at least do the swab test. Mostly I don't prewash as I prefer the stiffness of the fabric when new. If I ever prewash I starch before cutting.
I do pre-wash for swaps though as some people seem to have allergies to the dressing in the fabric.

I don't prewash my fabric,unless someone wants it that way, such as a swap etc. But you can do small pieces like fat qtrs in a salad spinner, instead of them getting all tangled in your washing machine.

Don't laugh but I put them in my salad spinner
:oops: ,then iron them dry. LOL Liz

I never pre-wash my fabric. I like to sew on it while it still has some body and I like the look after it is washed as it puckers some. If I am concernd about colors running I put in a color catcher sheet for the first wash. You can find these in the detergent section of the grocery store. If you do have a quilt that runs, you can still save it by washing it with color remover that is sold with the fabric dies.

I washed my fat quarters today, put them in a mesh bag and used a color catcher sheet, put them in the dryer for a couple of minutes. Turned out great. Thanks for all you advice.

Thanks for all the advice...I was wondering this myself....I think I'll gently prewash and slightly dry....

I soak both fat quarters and jelly roll pieces. I don't want to go through all of that work and find that something bleeds. Rather than washing and drying pieces in your machine (will fray terribly), just soak pieces in warm to hot water for about 20 minutes. Take pieces out of machine, squeeze out excess water and let dry on drying rack. This also helps with preventing shrinkage which can cause pieces to pucker later on.
Arlene