I always prewash. First to get rid of all the chemicals. The fumes of the chemicals when unwashed fabric is pressed has made me sick. I don't want my sewing room full of formaldehyde and insecticides. Secondly, I found that I really like working with washed fabrics. After washing it is very easy to straighten the grain with the sizing gone. My fabric cuts easier and my rotary cutter does not dull as fast.

I do starch a little before I cut my fabric, but I do not store it with starch.

Always wash, as soon as it comes in the door.

YES...and if this is a custom order I would definitely wash it..then when you iron it you can decide if you need to starch it or not. Quality fabric with a nice heavy hand normally does not need to be starched..FLannel always does!

THANK YOU.....I thought I was the only one left on the planet to do this...Kudos to you!

Yes, and I use best press to put a little stiffness back in when I iron the piece right before I cut.

I worked in a linen and domestics store - like Bed, Bath and Beyond - only a loooong time before they became a household name. Anyway, ever since I worked in the warehouse one winter and saw how stuff comes into the warehouse, fresh off the boat, to be distributed to the stores, I wash everything cloth that comes into my house within an hour of it coming in. If I can't get it washed immediately, the items remain in the bags and the bags placed inside another sealed bag. It doesn't matter if it is clothing, yardage or a pair of socks.

So, in answer to your question - yes. I wash before I cut and sew.

I personally don't wash before cutting(usually), although I did use to but decided I liked working with the fabric better when not washed. I starch before I even THINK about cutting. LOL

All my fabric is washed, I have allergy problems with the dyes and finishes, even the smell of new fabrics makes my eyes water. Most of the time, I do not starch before using, but once in a while, one will be too limp for easy handling. But, others do very well without pre-washing, go figure. piecefully, the old one

If the fabric is a loose weave such as muslin or a cheaper quality of fabric I preshrink the fabric but I do not use starch. Most of the fabric I buy is a higher quality from LQS's. I am shopping for 30's pastel reprints that I will probably wash and shrink because there is such a wide variety in the quality and thread count that I don't want the finished quilt to shrink unproportionately (is that a word???) I'm sitting here about to take a sip of my first cup of coffee this morning after a late night studying...maybe I should make a sign to tape to my computer that says "DRINK BEFORE POSTING!"

Always wash separately then iron. With so many of the fabrics being manufactured overseas (especially concerned about China), I don't know what kind of chemicals are being used during production. I never use fabric softener either.