I admit that I don't prewash most fabric, but I've never had a problem. Today's experience may change that!

My bff and I enrolled in a 4 hour class at LQS. When we enrolled, we got 20% off all purchases that day. So I purchased fabric for the project, a Rapid Hunter's Star wallhanging. I chose My Asian Garden by Ro Gregg, a quality fabric. It's different for me, especially as it has that metallic gold on it. Even with the discount, it wasn't cheap.

This morning, I was cutting for class, 16 - 6" blocks to be cut diagonally. So since bias edges are challenging for me, after I cut the blocks, I spritzed them with Mary Ellen's Best Pressed and pressed them dry.

When I laid them out to make the diagonal cut, they were 6" x 5.75". I assumed I had cut my strip too narrow. I carefully cut another strip and 6" blocks (from fabric for the border). Again, I spritzed and pressed. Guess what! They were small again! So I did an experiment. After carefully cutting one block, re-measuring, spraying, & pressing, I measured it. The fabric had shrunk!

Has anyone else had this experience? I can't believe I lost 1/4" off every 6" block! Is this complaint-worthy? Do I tell the shop owner? Maybe it's common and I've just been lucky up till now?

I had a queen size finished quilt shrink nearly 8" all around. It caught me off guard too.

Starch and press BEFORE you cut. I never prewash, I have seen some fabrics shrink as I am spraying them with starch! I always starch before cutting for this exact reason. Wasting expensive fabric!

Wow, I'd been freaking out about it.

I have had it shrink right on the ironing board , yep just like you spritzed it and could literally watch it shrink.
It typically has happened to me with cheaper fabrics, and have gotten to the point where I can almost predict which one will , but every once in a while one I paid big $$$ will surprise me and shrink dramatically while I'm ironing it.
Most times I starch, iron then cut but ... sometimes when I don't ... Surprise... then I kick myself.

I had a same experience. I went back to the quilt shop and read the bolt end. Sure enough....it had a high percent poly and the heat from the iron shrank it. I adjusted my seams to compensate for the 1/4 inch loss and finished the top. I have yet to quilt it. Guess this one will stay here....the dogs will appreciate it.

While it seems complaint worthy, did you read the care instruction on the end of the bolt? If you over-looked that little piece of information, you probably will not be compensated for your loss. If it is not printed I would request a refund, or credit or new fabric all together.

I'm in the prewashing group, so I haven't experienced fabric shrinking in front of my eyes! It's interesting to note, though, that the fabric didn't shrink evenly - that is, it was still 6" in one direction, but not the other.

I often use starch after I prewash, but like justwannaquilt, I starch BEFORE I cut, not after.

I personally don't think it's complaint worthy - cotton fabric is known to shrink, so you really do take a chance if you use it without prewashing. It's not the fault of the LQS or even the fabric manufacturer - it's just the nature of the fabric.

I did report back to my LQS regarding one fabric - it was a beautiful deep purple floral. When I washed it, it bled. Same thing happened the second, third, fourth, and fifth times I washed it! At that point I decided not to use it, but I did let the LQS know about it so they could warn others to use necessary precautions when using that fabric in a quilt.

I had this happen one time with top quality LQS fabric. I cut the large squares and then starched and pressed. The fabric shrunk over 1/2" and didn't even shrink evenly around, just got all wacky. It was 100% cotton too. The shop was too far away to return the fabric so I washed it in hot water, ironed it dry and used it for small projects. I did contact the shop and was told no one else had complained about it. I wonder how many quilters were so frustrated thinking they were cutting wrong.

Sounds like you learned the same way I did. I am now a fervent believer in pre-washing and starching almost everything.

I have had many fabrics shrivel up before my eyes as I was pressing them and some (the really cheap, thin ones) would shrivel even more as I was piecing & pressing. Now I turn my iron all the up and press everything before I make a cut. If it's just squares--I don't worry about the starch but if any of the fabric is going to be cut on the bias--It gets starched and I don't care if it came from the $1 table at Walmart or fresh out of the Moda factory at the $10 LQS.

Cotton shrinks. The only way to prevent any surprises is to prewash. It's not compaint worthy, but a lesson.

Same here. If I'm going to starch, I starch *before* I cut. I also don't prewash unless a fabric fails a colorfast test. Quilting will stop fabrics from shrinking all wonkie after they are in the quilt. Before quilting, there's nothing to stop fabric shrinkage except starch (and, of course, pre-washing).

I would let the shop owner know about the shrinkage. They may not know about the problem, at least they will be able to tell other buyers.

view it as a lesson learned...

pre-wash all cottons...

a worse lesson learned would be to have a quilt finished then throw it in the wash and the color bleeds...all that work ruined...

pre-wash, press with starch, then cut

Yes, it's a lesson learned, for sure. I guess since it was such a small project, I thought I could cruise right thru it.

As for the info on the bolt, no, I didn't look at it. But the selvage says 100% cotton.

Thanks for the sympathy and advice!

its true starch will shrink the fabric - thats how you block a quilt when its done.

starch to shrink and water to stretch.

Yes, I had this same problem with a fabric I bought from WalMart. I did prewash! Everytime I ironed it shrunk just a little bit more. I finally gave up on using the fabric but whats funny is I have seen this same fabric at many other fabric stores other than WalMart.

I have always pre-washed any fabric I was sewing. I startred sewing garments many years ago, and I always felt it if it was something that was going to be washed and dried after construction, why take a chance of shrinkage. Also, if fabric has been pulled "wonky" on the bolt , then washing and drying will show that it is not on the straight. I then know to pull from the edges and bias to get it as straight as I can, then pressing. It does take a little prep time, but sure saves heartache later. And cottons, linen and wools are always going to shrink!

Me, too.

Lots of great advice here. All worth reading. Never imagined a piece shrinking before your eyes. That would ruin everything.

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.

another case of "you should ALWAYS prewash your fabric"!

seriously...a refund...COTTON fabric shrinks when it gets wet and it hit with heat...it is a world wide known fact that has been on the record books for thousands of years....
Anyone who has ever sewn clothing(and 99% of all quilter's) know that shrinkage occurs with cotton fabric...like don't buy a cotton TEE unless you get a size larger so it can shrink....don't buy cotton towels with heavy banding on the ends because when the towel shrinks the banding does too and it makes your towel funky on the ends....

cotton fabric shrinks...the bolt does not have to tell you that, LOGIC tells you that!

I am still pretty new at this, but I do wash and iron all my fabric as soon as I get it home. then fan fold and put on shelf. so far it works for me.

I am still pretty new at this, but I do wash and iron all my fabric as soon as I get it home. then fan fold and put on shelf. so far it works for me.

I always prewash and have had some shrinkage that is amazing. I lost 4" on the width of a red solid. For this reason, I always purchase at least 1/4 yd more than I need or up to a yard for a 3 to 4 yd length or more. Have also had bleeding problems with LQS quality fabrics. I purchased a beautiful blue Patrick Lose Moda marble that has been washed several times and still bleeds. I guess it is time to give up on it. I always prewash due to the shrinkage and bleeding issues I have come across.

sorry my finger stuttered....

I always prewash the fabric and am amazed at the shrinkage. Rather have it shrink before cutting!

Washing in Retayne should set the dye. A few fabrics need two washings in Retayne.

Definitely try Retayne to set this one. The Moda marbles are too pretty to give up on!

Do you use spray "starch" or spray "sizing"? And do you iron with steam? I've read somewhere that the back and forth motion with the iron will stretch the fabric out of shape.