I always use hot water. If it is going to shrink or bleed, I want to know it.

I am sorry that you feel that way. I don't believe that anyone is pointing to you. We all have such different opions on things that there is always going to be such discussions. We are all here to help each other and to talk about something that we all love. I hate it when someone gets their feelings hurt. There are no police of any kind here. As I have said before we all have to do what we think best and what works for us. Take care and hugs to you. BrendaK

I had the same thing happen to me. I returned the fabric. That's why I was everything first. I want the damage done before not after I've spent hours on my quilts.

Alison - LOVE your sense of humor and the quirky & fun way you put your thoughts into words!
This was an interesting and helpful post. I too am in the prewash and abuse the fabric beforehand sisterhood (ala QuiltE ;) ). I have always wondered how quilts with fabrics that were not prewashed fare in normal use. (which to me includes machine washing, at least with warm water)

I asked a friend who makes truly magnificent quilts (but never prewashes) this question. You know what she said? That if the quilt shrinks too much, she just makes another one. i about had a heart attack... and it convinced me that I never want to take that risk. It takes me forever to make a quilt...let alone considering the expense of the fabrics, which has become plain ridiculous.

I use a hot water wash and dry on hot for lots of things....whites that I want to stay white, towels and sheets that have a tendency to stink and anything else that needs the heat to eliminate any chance of bacteria......with all the bacterias/virus going around, as well as dealing with DH ostomy leaks, I wash lots of things in hot water.

Thank you for this information. I have on occasion simply wet my fabric and dried in a towel, hanging to complete the dry, feeling that this would take care of shrinkage and color bleed...boy this note has changed my mind. I will from now on wash and dry my fabric on hot heat! So many good reasons to do so, health concerns being #1 (allergy to dies and bed bugs) and endurance of quilts #2.

This is amusing as I have been looking for a lettuce spinner at thrift stores. The latest tip I was excited about dealt with fat quarters... wet in kitchen sink and put through the salad spinner to take out most of the water... then dry naturally from there... Will quilt looking as I consider this a more viable issue.

Thanks again.

The fabric I bought to make up the extra fabric needed due to the shrinkage of the Henry Glass back is an Anthology Batik wide back. I bought 2 yards of backing listed as being 108" wide. I measured the 2 yard length before washing, and it was 2yds plus an inch or so. I didn't measure the width.

I have now washed and dried it: length 2yards, width 110". Now that's better!!

Alison

I see on fabric.com they recommend this fabric be washed in COLD water. Now I don't know about anyone else but my quilts get washed just like the rest of my laundry. I don't think I would use a fabric that could only be washed in cold in any of my quilts. That is just a ridiculous idea for a fabric manufacturer of QUILTING fabric to make fabrics that could only be washed in cold water. Sounds like they already know there is an issue with shrinkage. Sorry this happened to you

Ditto for me.

That is a lot of shrinkage, but I'm puzzled as to WHY you would wash and dry quilting fabric on a HOT setting ???

I rarely wash fabrics anymore but when I do, I wash on warm or cool only ...