Normally I don't wash my fabric before or after. But I'm making a special order quilt for someone. What do you all do.

If you wash it, do you then starch it before cutting?

I always wash my fabric. I also "wash" the batting. I want them to pre-shrink before I sew because I don't like the wrinkly look. I have even "washed" the quilt top before quilting if I used pre-cuts such as jelly rolls. I just put them in the water, spin dry on slow, then put into the dryer with a bath towel. It takes some careful ironing to get the seams to lay flat, but I think it is worth it.

Yes - I want it to shrink & relax before I cut.

No. Only flannel fabrics.

when i feel the finished product will be washed then i wash everything before i cut and piece the project.

if i feel the finished product will never be washed i do not wash the fabric before hand.

i also use tons of hand dyed fabric in my work so by the time the fabric is ready to be used in a product it has been in water numerous times during the dyeing process so any shrinkage has already occurred and the fabric has been treated so that it will never bleed.

I wash and dry all my fabric before it goes into my stash. I starch occasionally, depends on the pattern.

I prefer to know if my fabric is a bleeder before putting it in the quilt. I also prefer working with washed fabs. Never know what the fabric picks up between manufacturer and point of retail sale. Have read some real horror stories here but I always washed before anyway. Even before reading about bug eggs, insecticides and other harsh chemicals.

Wash all my fabrics...I can't stand the pesticides/insecticides that are sprayed on them in the warehouses, so if I want to breathe, I wash. I don't iron them until I am going to use them, then I do starch them.

Had a friend make a lovely quilt, hand quilt it, then wash it (no color catchers) and her turquoise bled on the white fabric and ruined the quilt. Too many hours invested in a quilt to risk that, even with color catchers.

I do wash them - then before I cut them I iron lightly then starch. I have found that lightly ironing before applying starch allows the starch to be better absorbed into the fabric.

oops - hit send 2x!

I don't usually wash, I like the "wrinkley" look as I like to do traditional designs and I feel like they look older than they are. I only wash the fabric if when I pick it up it feels like it would bleed or is stiff. Gentle cycle cold always. I only usually iron if it's really wrinkley too. I don't have enough time to worry about washing and ironing fabric before cutting. and as most are scrappy, I don't think it really matters much anyway