Originally Posted by Ladyjanedoe

This can be a touchy subject. I know people who are just as avid about NOT prewashing as you are about washing. I have some interesting conversations with these folks.
Personally, I'm a washer.
The maggots were a real bummer but congrats on the rest of your find.

Originally Posted by fleurdelisquilts.com

I'm a NOT prewasher but I rarely purchase fabrics at garage sales or rummage sales. Unfortunately, I can't get to them since I work. I would, however, open and look at everything before putting it away. Not that I'd be looking for maggots and such, but because I'd be so thrilled with my find that I'd want to check-out every inch, sort and fold and whatever else before putting the fabric away.

I admit, I've found a few creepy-crawlies in the studio, but I do live in Louisiana. I don't panic when it happens because the humidity and heat turn nooks and crannies into incubators, so we battle insects a lot, even now when the weather is down to freezing.

I will say, though, I'd have washed that bag of fabric!

Originally Posted by Candace

I always prewash my fabric. I don't want dirt, bedbugs, chemicals or allergens coming into my home. I also don't want bleeding fabric or surprise shrinkage.

Anyway, I'm so GLAD I'm a anal, prewasher. I happened upon a Craigs List ad last week for fabric. I traveled about 45 mins. and found a granddaughter selling her grandmother's stash. I guess grandmom had passed away and they were storing all her fabric in huge garbage bags out in a storage shed. I got 8 HUGE bags of fabric for $40!!! About 80% of it was quilting cottons. The rest of it I freecycled. I found a large spider in one of the bags and thought that was the worst thing that would happen. I spent the day washing and drying it, but left about 10 yards of fabric in my laundry hamper that I didn't have time to get to. I pulled it out today to wash it, and at the bottom of the hamper and I am not joking, were about 50 maggots. I about died. The fabric was all clean looking, no smells or dead things in it. But something had laid eggs in the bags...maybe a fly or moth or catepillar. Bringing the bags into my warm house caused them all to hatch. I quickly washed and dried the remaining fabric and fed the maggots to my chickens. Can you imagine what my sewing room would be like right now if I hadn't prewashed and dried this fabric???? I get the willies thinking about it. <shudder>

Another reason to add to my growing list of reasons as to why I always prewash. I don't want maggots....ewwww.