Use water soluable stabilzer on the top for your design, flannel has a nap to it..........calla

if your using the same type of flannel, as in from the same store and section (not mixing quilt/ crafting with apparel) Washing shouldn't be needed. They'll shrink together in the first wash. If you wash it before hand it will start to ravel and you'll loose the little bit of stiffening agent the manufacturers use to make the cutting easier. Then it could be a pain. If your just using flannel from bits of shirts, those have been washed already and they'll be fine too. But if your going to add other types of fabrics, ie; cotton or silkies, I'd wash them all.

Rather than that, flannel is alot of fun to work with. Less pins needed to make it behave. Have fun. Hope it goes well ^_^

as long as the fabric shrinks together, its actually ok.

some good advice here, will have to mark this for sure

However, she said she wanted to use both flannel and fleece together. the fleece will not shrink and the flannel will shrink a lot, and considering its a dogs bed and will be washed alot, that is not going to work.....Two flannels together, yes...but not with fleece.

ah true. I must have skipped over the fleece part. oops

As several have said already, flannel shrinks a lot. I would even go so far to dampen it thoroughly and dry it on HOT twice. No surprises then because fleece does not shrink.

If it's a color that runs, use retayne on it.

I made a quilt last Christmas withy fleece backing and flannel top. I had washed the flannel and preshrunk it and it did ok. It was a bear to machine quilt because of the fleece on the back. I used a walking foot and had to help pull it through.

what is "Retayne" and where do you buy it ????