Okay ladies, I went to a garage sale and ended up with 4 bins of quilting fabric. I've washed 2 loads so far, of 1/2 yard to 3-4 yards of fabric. Now I've opened one containing cut pieces of 5" strips, 2 1/4" strips, and 2" squares.

My question is, can I wait to wash after my project is complete, or do I wash them now and end up with a bunch of strings to separate. :roll:

BTW, I actually felt guilty picking up all this fabric. I kept thinking about all the lovely quilts you ladies could make with this stash. Instead, it went to a newbie with only 2 completed tops under her belt. WooHooooooooooooooo!

I'd wash them after unless there is a real need such as animal hair it may bleed or there is something distasteful on them. Then try washing them in a pillowcase or laundry bag.

Wow, you got a good deal if you found that much fabric at a yard sale! good for you! And very thoughtful of you to share like that!

I would definitely wash them afterwards. I've spent too much time separating small peices. Have fun with your new stash. I'm green with envy :)

you can soak them in a sink if they need to be washed for some reason, otherwise i would just dig in. If you are feeling guilty about your new stash, you could always pay it forward on the board and share some of the fabric. just a thought.

If you are worried that one strip may shrimp more than the other you can also iron them as hot as they can handle, maybe with some steam. That will get the shrimp out. ( is the word shrimp of shrink, because at first I used the word shrink everywere but it didn't sound right to me....)

Your first impulse was correct -- "shrink" is what you meant. And that's a really good suggestion! I never thought of doing that.

I think ironing would probably get any shrimp out as well! LOL! (Shrimp are the seafood we eat -- like very small lobsters)

I would just steam iron them also
will save you alot of mess and you will need to iron after washing anyway!
Congrats on your find!
they are rare! you may never find another so don't feel guilty!

Don't feel guilty! We all had to start somewhere. Congrats on your find!

Thanks for the suggestions ladies. I'll give it a try.

Maksi, you are just toooo cute!

After I decide what I need to keep for my future projects, I will be sharing. When, what and how, I can't say. Right now it's a little too hot to iron so it might be a little while.

I've posted pictures of a portion of my new stash.

WooHooooooooooooo!