i wash fabric in a cold water with free and clear detergent and a color catcher, dry in the dryer on high, and fold as I take it from the dryer. I tie a piece of selvage around the folded fabric, put an address label on the selvage and mark the length of the fabric piece for future reference. Fabric is ironed when I am ready to use it.

I don't use starch because of allergies.

Washing removes allergens, chemicals, an odors from the fabric and that makes a huge difference to me. Unwashed fabric literally makes me sick!

Other than the 'health' preparations, I don't do much to my fabric before using it.

PS: Another reason i wash fabrics - I assume that every piece of fabric has been stored in a place that has bug problems. That does not necessarily mean that the place I bought it from had the problem. It means that somewhere between factory and my home it was in a less than pristine environment.

The to wash or not to wash question is probably the most "controversial" question in the quilting world. Some are vehement washers, stating the colors of the fabric will run, it will shrink too much after being quilted and washed, etc. And the other camp of non-washers say there is little shrinkage or color bleeding in good quality fabric and that post-quilt washing shrinkage gives a quilt a vintage look.
probably the best advice I've heard: I you think the quilt will be used and washed often, pre-wash fabric. If it is a wall or decorative quilt, don't bother.

I have never pre washed, my excuse is that I buy good quality quilting materials so they should be OK and have never been let down. In the past couple of months I have started using starch after seeing it on this forum and do wish I had used it before, to me it's magic and the benefits are many.

My process as well.....seems to serve me OK. I do agree that fabrics are better quality (LQS fabrics anyway) are more dependable than they used to be, but I get burned only once!! That has happened and it won't happen again!

First off - I only buy fabric for specific projects - not a stasher here. Usually only buy yardage. I am also a pre-washer. Probably a hangover from garment days BUT my reasons are as follows:

Yes, bleeding/shrinkage can occur. I'm really not overly concerned with the shrinkage factor. I use 100% cotton batting which I do not prewash, so my quilts are going to shrink when completed anyhow. Bleeding - yes, that's a reason to wash.

I wash my fabrics in the machine, warm water; detergent; no fabric softener. Dry in the dryer until completely dry. I am a firm believer that the way the fabric is folded/wound onto the bolt is nowhere near close to being on-grain. I like to work with my fabric as close to on-grain as possible. I think you get more accurate cuts and then sewing as a result.

I also iron my fabrics with starch. Have migrated to Sta-flo 50/50 with water. Use in a spray bottle and mix a bit at a time. I use starch on either front or back, don't really care. I find that if I let the starch absorb into the fabric for at least a few seconds there is no flaking when ironed. Generally don't get very heavy handed with the starch unless I'm working with really small pieces or bias edges.

When I go to press my fabrics I spend a reasonable amount of time hanging/wiggling my selvage edges together to get the unironed piece of fabric as close to flat as possible. Then I lay it flat on my ironing surface (in my case, my craft table covered with folded towels) and smooth until the fabric is as flat/smooth as possible. I usually start in the center of my yardage, pin if necessary to hold in place if I'm dealing with a large amount of fabric. Work my way out to the ends smoothing and then iron with starch. Thats the point where I square off my end to start cutting the balance of my pieces.

I find that taking the time going through this process yields in much more accurate cutting. When your cuts are more accurate, your sewing becomes more accurate - at least it does for me.

I am one who is anal about my material - it's washed and dried and ironed before it goes onto my shelf for future use. The house smells better and my shelves usually look great. It just feels better to my hands when I can grab a color I need, knowing it's all cleaned and ready for my artistic abilities to thrive.

I do not prewash, nor do I starch. Purchased fabrics usually have plenty of sizing in them. If you are using fabrics from clothing, just be aware of buttonholes, places where buttons were sewn, lines where a hem was folded, etc. and go for it. When I am ready to make a project I find the fabric I want and head for the cutting table and get on with it. I've been quilting for 60 years and never had a problem.

Being known for all the charity quilts I do, I get "gifted" with a lot of fabric scraps and boxes of fabric that people no longer want from their stashes. This being the case, I never know what has been washed and what hasn't. It just makes good sense to stay in the habit of washing EVERYTHING, so that it's all consistent. But, truth to tell, I would pre-wash even if it were just my own fabric. I like knowing there won't be future bleeding or shrinking going on when I've done all that work on a finished product. I use starch if I think it needs it, but just spray water if that's enough. I seldom use steam in my iron... even my very expensive iron tends to leak after a while... and spray bottles are cheap. :) I don't iron my fabric straight out of the dryer.... I fold neatly and put it away, and then iron (yes, iron, not press.. go ahead and shoot me....) when it's time to start cutting it.

Boy, you did open a can of worms with this one. My addition is that I pre-wash everything for all of the pre-listed reasons. I do buy yard sale fabrics, so previous storage can be an issue. Also, because while working on a Log Cabin block, using un-prepped fabric, one strip shrunk so bad it pulled from the seam under the iron. So, pre-wash and dry like I intend it to be used for once finished, starch before cutting (keeps it's shape better, especially on the bias), pre-wash and dry the batting, then wash and dry again, once the project is finished. This gets rid of any residue from starch, glue basting and general handling.

I always wash and dry all my fabric. I fold in half lengthwise and fold with my ruler. If I do it very neatly it only needs to be ironed on the tighter folds. I buy 4 - 6 yard pieces.

I've been quilting for 32 yrs and at the beginning, I used to prewash everything. I don't anymore except for maybe if I am using a really dense color like red. That is the only fabric I have used that has run. The fabric quality is much better than it used to be with minimal shrinkage. Why do all that work, ironing a large piece of fabric is such a pain. When washing a completed quilt, I just love the crinkled look.

I think Michael Miller and Moda are considered to be "better" by many quilters.

The Michael Miler jet black - a wonderful black - shrank over two inches widthwise when I prepped it. (From three different bolts purchased at different times.)

A Moda red print - put out a lot of red and turned the selvage from white to pink.
A Moda intense yellow - put out a LOT of color. Interestingly enough, the dark red, green, and brown from the same line did NOT.

This is what I do also although I use Best Press not starch. I like knowing that my fabric won't bleed or shrink after it is in my quilt!!!

I prewash most of my fabric before I start a quilt. I like to get rid of the chemicals before I handle the fabric. I don't usually wash it until I am ready to make the quilt. After washing, I starch and iron the fabric. I actually like to starch and iron.

Thanks everyone! Collectively, you have helped me work through what I believe will work best for me. Given my son's skin sensitivities (and the thought of bugs), I 'm going to pre-wash my fabrics. While I am at it, I figure there is no harm in throwing in a color catcher. Currently, I don't anticipate stockpiling a lot of fabric because I don't have any place to store it. Truth be told, I'm still searching for a place to store my machine and sewing supplies, lol. Thus, I will be buying only what I need for whatever project I am actively working on.

For my first project, I am going to test out using Magic Sizing (is that the same as starch?). I was able to find it Walmart for about a $1. As a beginner, I'm thinking it will be easier to work with the fabric if it is stiffer. In the near future, perhaps for my second project even, I will see how it goes without the starch.

Thanks again for all of your wonderful answers!

Unless I buy a precut kit (rare), I always wash my fabric. In the summer I line dry, in the winter it goes in my dryer - no fabric softener. I fold it carefully and put it with my stash. When I am ready to use it, I press it with starch. Reasons: washing - I hate the thought of the pesticides that are sprayed on fabric in the warehouse coming into my home - allergies and possible carcinogens; bleeding - I know that they dyes of today are good, but I frequently get some lovely colors floating around in the rinse water and I would be so mad if a finished quilt bled and ruined all my hard work! Starch puts some body back into the fabric, making it a little (or a lot, depending on how much starch I use) stiffer and therefore easier to cut and piece, and really reduces the stretch when I am working with bias edges. Starch also helps my seams lay flatter and I don't get so many flipped over seams when piecing blocks or putting blocks together.

I prewash fabric a lot now. It is mostly because I am concerned about the chemicals and bacteria that can be in and on the fabric. When we stop to think about it we know our fabrics have come from foreign places an who knows what they have encountered. Having had cancer I am cautious.

I do basically what you do--except instead of dunking questionable fabric in water, my LQS said to rub white paper vigorously over the fabric--if you see any trace of color, then wash. I also typically pull fabric out of dryer damp to press.

I saw a video of how batiks were made in Bali - and very little men were standing in vats of water stomping on the fabric to get out the excess dye, etc. and the men had shorts on and the men and shorts (think crotch) were all wet. So, I wash all batiks that I buy, no matter what the brand, etc.

As far as fabric and thread quality goes - now as compared to years ago -

Why do some threads say boilfast? I don't think any threads say that now?

There was not-so-great fabric available years ago - there was luxurious fabric available years ago -

As there is now.

When I started quilting I just couldn't wait to get my project underway, however I am now more inclined to prepare fabrics. I will wash and iron yardage but as I don't use precuts very often I probably would not launder them before use. I have very recently been persuaded to use starch in my next project as several quilters indicate it is helpful. I offer no advice other than maybe try it and if it doesn't make any difference then go with what makes you happy.

I always prewash my fabrics because I would not want my quilt ruined by the colours running when I washed it. White on whites seem to go very limp after washing so I starch the hell out of them. Just my 2 cents worth

I prewash if the fabric is a bright colour to stop the dye running.

I usually lay them all out and then give them a good motivational speech. They're usually prepped after that.

I admit it, I'm a avid pre-washer. I zigzag along the cut edges of the fabric, then wash in the hottest water and dry on highest heat. I'll iron it if I'm using it immediately; otherwise, I just put it away until needed. I always iron before cutting, and I starch while I iron, so I figure why waste time ironing it twice...unless it's particularly wrinkled when coming out of the dryer - then I will iron without starch to avoid creases.

I pre-wash all my fabrics. Mainly to get out all the chemicals and other junk that is used in other countries where it is made. Also for shrinkage and bleeding. When you read about washing your clothes before wearing, I will wash all fabric to.

This is exactly what I do. I don't like the smell of most fabrics when I get them home, but love it when they are freshly laundered.

I pre wash everything because all the material makes me sneeze depending on where I've purchased the material. I do it while I have other things going on. I pre iron also while I have someone on speaker phone. I've usually got something going while doing something else. One day DH walked in and I had the washer and dryer going and was on the phone and ironing. I was also winding bobbins. I try to get a few things going at one time but it doesn't always work that way.

I prewash and set blacks,reds and sometimes greens

With few exceptions, and as much as I dislike ironing clothing, I do prewash all my fabrics, with just an occasional exception, and if I don't get to the fabric when it comes out of the dryer, I will spritz them with water, set up the ironing board with my favorite TV program and it makes the time go faster, and I wind up with freshly ironed and folded fabric ready to put away.

I always pre-wash yardage and fat quarters. Then I iron the fabric and either put on my shelves or if a fat quarter, put into my fat quarter storage containers. When I am ready to make a quilt, the fabric is ready to cut and use. I rarely starch fabric as I assemble a quilt or other project because I like the feel of fabric without the starch. I know many quilters do not pre-wash fabrics and whatever works for others is fine for them. I prefer to work with pre-washed fabrics.

I prewash all 100% cotton fabric before using it. I use warm water and very very little detergent. If the colors are to bleed I want them to bleed in wash and rinse water instead of when washing the finished product! I dry the fabric using a medium heat. I want the fabric to be treated as if it were in the final product so all the bleeding and shrinking is done before hand. Sometimes I just use the rinse cycle, but I always dry the fabric in the dryer. This applies to 100% cotton quilting fabric which I usually get in a quilt store. One time I had some Walmart fabric...white and blue with a bit of red and that red bled and bled and bled.

I see that it is folded straight and then lay it out and cut it. So far that's worked for me. froggyintexas

Thanks for the laugh this morning--I needed it! :) I'm off to motivate my fabric now.

I prewash flannel twice but not anthing else. I do press before using it. I only use starch or best press for small pieces or stubborn wringles.

:D :p :o

It's usually me that needs the good motivational speech.