Fabric bundles
 

Someone gave me a bunch of fat quarter and fat eighths bundles. I don't normally buy bundles (or FQ for that matter). After searching this forum on the question of prewash/shrinking fabrics, I'm kind of glad I haven't! I have always prewashed and shrunk cotton fabrics but I took these out of the bundles and thought "Self, HOW does one preshrink these little things? Or does one preshrink them?"

Fortunately, I knew I'd find the answer here. :D I'm going to skip it for these and see what happens.

Thanks to all!

I'm one of the "crazies" (said with love, after all I'm in the group) who does pre wash fqs... Mainly due to allergens in many of the people I make things for. The sizing used in many fabrics also gets to me. I also participate in several of the swaps here on QB, and sometimes get fabrics from smokers. Which is not a complaint, because when we sign up for swaps, that's something that can happen.
I usually wash them by hand, warm water, "Free and Clear" soap. Sorry, have to laugh at that, as it's certainly NOT free when I go to purchase it! Badda Bing :p
I either pinking shear them or clip a tiny bit off each corner (supposed to help prevent the unraveling, not sure it really does) then I wash them by hand. There's been a few (especially reds) that it took a bit for the water to run clear, so I'm glad I pre washed on those for sure.
I then carefully "wring" them, smooth them out, hang them to drop dry. Usually when they're damp I press them.
I'll admit, it's work. But there is something nice about putting up a fresh smelling piece of smoothly pressed fabric...lol
Regards,
Kif
PS I had to pre wash a jelly roll once, it turned into a crumb cake...:shock: never again!

Put them in the see through bags that you wash delicate items in warm/cold water and make sure you use a couple of color catchers just in case some bleed or use the new Purex No Sort for colors. Then dry in dryer on low for 10 minutes and finger press them and hang them up. I do the same for the charm packs but they usually always shrink 1/2" on one side so I make sure to use them for 41/2" projects.

I guess some might call me crazy too, but here goes...... I have been quilting since 1975, and I have never pre-washed my fabric! I sometimes wash my quilts after they have been quilted, to get that crinkled look, but not always, and I have never ever had any problems of any kind.

Music to my ears!! I have only been quilting 4 years, but the only thing I have ever pre-washed was fabric that was red. Glad to hear that I may be okay with that...though I know it is really just personal preference. :)

Dina

Neither have I. I have done what Harriet Hargrave taught me to pre-wash a test sample of a fabric and leave it to dry on a white paper towel. Occasionally, I have passed on using a navy blue and maybe a red but usually nothing else has a problem.

I wash them in the sink & spin in salad spinner.

If the precut is a deep color (red, navy, black and some browns) I will hand wash in cold water with dish liquid (usually Palmolive - if I can wash a dog with it, I figure I can wash a FQ!), wring out and iron dry. Never had a problem with excess raveling. Have not tried to wash jelly rolls but have washed scraps (charm size and less) that I received from others by the above method without problems.

If the fabric is not prone to running (i.e., color), I just spritz with water, iron out the wrinkles and quilt away. I am not a prewasher, nor a quilt washer. (Uh oh...is that the quilt police I hear pulling into my driveway? :eek: :D )

I'm with Kif. I pre-wash everything but rick-rack. My washing machine has a hand-wash cycle. I set it to "Tap Water Cold" - "Hand Wash" - "Ultra Short Cycle". I add about a Tablespoon of Tide Free. Then, I move them to the dryer & tumble dry on Low heat.

The only fabrics I've ever had issues with shrinking are the Joann fabrics, but I like to get the sizing & other chemicals out. I quilt for babies & have very sensitive skin myself so pre-washing it is. Doesn't take much time (8 minutes in the washer, 12 in the dryer) & besides removing allergens, it also seems to help the Wonder Under hold a bit better for my applique work.

But... to each her own. If you don't need to pre-wash, save the water & send the quilt police over to my house. I'm sure there are plenty of other things I do "wrong". lol

I put them in the tub, add hot water and a bit of soap and squish up and down. Drain and lay flat to dry

I will test for bleed on red...have chucked a few of those....and navy blue, and batiks( sometimes) by snipping a piece put in cup of hot water, if bleeds, I will not use it....that's the extent of my washing/ drying of fab.....maybe because no one in my life's circle has allergies......so I don't have to be concerned w/ chems either...... We each find the path we want to walk on....

I just put them in a mesh wash bag and wash at 40 degrees.

I first learned quilting from an older woman from Vermont who taught us to boil with salt and vinegar all of our fabrics. It is smart to do this with like colored fabrics. You can actively see the color bleeding of blacks and reds greatly. it certainly is a lot of work........but the extreme hot water does strink the fabrics without the violent agitation, and the salt and vinegar work as color mortants. Hand wash with mild detergent and dry. I'm sure most people will revolve over this extra work. I know that if my quilt tops are going to shrink, it will be minimal and there is no color bleeding.

This is one thing I love about we quilters....We may all do things differently, but we're all after a common goal: to create. And we all can respect each others differences. And learn new things. :thumbup:
Regards,
Kif
PS And generally we all say "No quilt police needed, thank you kindly. Lol

To pre-shrink , fade and bleed test= I don't usually pre-wash FQs but when I do it's in the sink with hot water and a few drop of liquid laundry soap, soak for 5-10 minutes, swish, rinse, squeeze out excess water then squeeze out again with "iffy" pieces rolled in white paper towels. If there is any color transfer I do it again. Toss I hot dryer until almost dry then stack and lay flat while pressing one at a time. After all these years I have only had problems with one fabric line-I loved this fabric and all that was available was FQs - I bought a lot! It was tone on tone in NAVY and in RED the lighter tone was a dragon fly pattern. It bled, faded, schrank and every crease fold faded !
,

This seems to be a perennial question and discussion. The answer seems to be "do whatever suits you best." I never prewash anything except reds and now that we have color catchers, don't usually do that. If the fabric is in small pieces, it ravels all to strings and if it is in large pieces, it takes forever to iron. I agree with maniacquilter. froggyintexas

I have now decided I I'll also wash rick rack. Some of those trims also shrink. Puckers bother me .

I've always prewashed, I guess because that is what I was taught to do when learning to sew as a teenager. Old habits die hard. :)

I never pre wash. I throw in a couple of color catchers when I wash the quilt and things come out fine. The only fabric I prewash is flannel and I only use that when someone gives it to me. I find there is minimal shrinkage, not enough to worry about.
I was taught to prewash but I always wanted to play with my fabric as soon as I got home so I quit years ago.

I have prewashed a few batiks. noticed while makeing a test block that one of them bled on my ironing board so i did prewash the rest. and i wound up prewashing about a 4 yard cut last week. not because i wanted too...... but it turns out that leaving your spray basting on your ironing pad where your starch usually is........well. not a good thing, and i do tend to starch heavily. lol. got a nice clean iron also.

Well, I knew after searching through prior posts on this topic that it was a "hot" topic! I think I'll occupy myself with some stash sorting and knitting while I think about it. :)

I just read in a quilting magazine that you can use the salad spinner to wash these. Good luck and enjoy

It seems like washing the whole piece would be no more effort than what you do.

I never pre-wash my fabrics. To me it's like washing out the sizing to replace it with twice as much starch in order to keep it from stretching while you're working with bias edges. When I'm done with the quilt, I'll often wash it with color catchers, but I have never had a problem doing it this way!!

Because of sensitivity to whatever it takes to make fabric beautiful I previously prewashed. Lately experimented with soaking in hot water, agitate a short time, and spin. That seems to take out what ever bothers me and takes less time. Fat quarters do fine either way but charms would be better done by hand. Jelly Rolls best if left alone. The only quilt I made without prewash was a one block wonder and while it was nice working with unwashed fabric my eyes and skin were really glad when the quilt was done. Have fun with the gift of extra fabric.

Glad ann31039 mentioned batiks. Always wash and rinse. They almost all have left over die and have been through so much in processing cannot be hurt in any way.

Putting the,on a lingerie bag sometimes helps

Thanks for the info on the pinking blade, I use it to make the tie off blankets, I'll know now to use the back of my mat.

I am a smoker but only outside & I wash my hands before I go into my sewing room, the few quilts I've made the people can not smell any smoke on my quilts. My problem is buying fabric at Estate sales that have that musty smell to them. It's the only time I prewash (other than obvious bleeder fabrics) and then usually with vinegar, baking soda & detergent the musty smell comes out great. I was recently given 2 big tubs of fabric with the smell so I went out & bought 2 mesh bags to wash the scraps in. Hopefully I won't have to throw out too many tangled messes.

Hmmm - how do you tell which fabric will be "an obvious bleeder fabric"? I have had at least one of EVERY intense color bleed. And some that I thought would spill color were as stable as could be.

same here, although it's only been about 10 years for me. I give color catchers to the recipients of my quilts if I think the fabric will bleed - so far so good - no ruined quilts!

Dark reds, dark navy, brown ect like you said intense colors I also wet a paper towel & rub the fabric.