When I started quilting, I pre-washed everything. Then so many folks said it was unnecessary that I stopped -- unless it was a vivid color that I was afraid would bleed. Or if I was going to use it for applique. Well, after today's phenomenon, it's back to pre-washing!

Here's the thing. Quilting prevents fabric from shrinking. Sewing it to the batting and backing stabilizes it. They can all shrink together, but one cannot shrink way more than another.

100% cotton batting, which is what antique quilts were made with, could not be prewashed. That is why antique quilts are crinkled; the batting usually shrinks about 3%. If you like the crinkled look, as I do, there is no need to prewash fabric for shrinkage.

In other words, fabric shrinks differently when it is washed by itself and when it is washed in a quilt that has already been quilted with reasonable closeness.

Starching *before* cutting instead of after takes care of keeping the pieces the correct cut sizes for piecing together.

In my opinion, the only reasons to prewash fabric are (1) to stabilize the dyes in a bleeder fabric, and (2) if you like a flat, modern look to your quilts. In the latter case, prewashing fabrics should be combined with a poly batting to prevent the usual 3% shrinkage of primarily cotton battings.

>>In my opinion, the only reasons to prewash fabric are (1) to stabilize the dyes in a bleeder fabric, and (2) if you like a flat, modern look to your quilts. In the latter case, prewashing fabrics should be combined with a poly batting to prevent the usual 3% shrinkage of primarily cotton battings.

Add a 3rd reason. To remove all the nasty chemicals used in the manufacturing process rather than touching/breathing them.

It's making my brain hurt! I have been told it is not necessary to prewash. Now I am concerned about all my projects sitting the in the bins waiting to be quilted. I guess I will not either prewash or starch before cutting. Thanks for the info.

I saw this tip on here before and it certainly makes cutting easier and more accurate. But no, I do not prewash.

Agree with JackieG - I am afraid that I would flip out if that happened to me.

All cotton has a certain percentage of shrinkage, even in clothing, no matter the quality. So I am not surprised by your discovery.

Someone mentioned that she had purchased fabric at a quilt shop and found out later it was a blend. I thought that was the whole point of "quilt" shop - 100% cotton fabric. When I shop LQS I don't look at the fabric content like I do at Walmart or even Hancocks or Hobby Lobby. Maybe I shouldn't be so trusting.

If you don't pre-wash, and then piece...if it does shrink, all your seams will be stretched and at different places. What a nightmare. IMHO you shouldn't "HOLD" that fabric in an unnatural state while you cut and piece it and then wash. Eventually, it will do what it is going to do: either shrink, or bleed. Why waste piecing time if it is going to do that? ALSO, the sizing coated on fabric (pre-wash) is really bad for your rotary cutter and dulls the blade, as does using a dryer sheet.

Wash - dry without fabric softener - iron (and starch if needed)-cut and sew.

I rarely prewash but have quite a few fabrics that had to be "pre-washed" after we had a flood in our basement. So anything that will end up in a quilt with fabric that was already pre-washed I do wash but other than that I don't. But I am not suprised to find that the fabric that had a high % of poly also shrunk because when manufactures put poly in their fabric they usually put it on the machine and the natural fabrics are woven into it. The poly's are stronger because they stretch. Therefore anything that stretches will shrink as well.