I always wash my fabric before I sew with it and sort the fabric by colors. If the fabric is light weight I spray startch the fabric and iron it.

I've done this several times...most recently in a baby quilt that had pre-washed fabric for the outer border and backing and un-washed jelly roll strips for the inner border and binding. Came out great...lots of crinkles and very soft.

But I do always use the Color Catcher things...and if the quilt is a gift and has colors I'm afraid will bleed, I give a box of the Color Catchers also along with printed washing instructions.

It is funny. I was at the library today and I was looking at a book that talked about this. I always thought it was the fabric that caused the crinkly look but now I know it is the batting. I don't pretreat my batting so I feel better about using the mixed fabrics now.

I will definitely try the color catchers. I've been lucky thus far, but I'm not one to tempt fate. I will start using them to be safe rather than sorry.

I mix washed and unwashed all the time. No problems to date.

i prewash everything. i don't want any surprises after the work is done.

When I started quilting so many years ago I did indeed not worry about mixing W & UW fabric. Not any more. I wash everything before cuting it. Different fabric shrinks at differenr rates and as much as I love the old wrinkeled look of a washed quilt. If the shrinking is not even it doesn't look as good and it will not wear as well.

I too wash everything that comes in to my house. Some of it comes from LQS, some of it is from Handcock's or Wall-mart, & finally some is from estate, & garage sales. With all these different fabrics I need to know that they won't shrink differently or bleed.

I do like the crinkled look. I use wool batting. It shrinks wonderfully, is warm in the winter, cool in the summer, & the quilting needles go through it like butter.

As soon as I finish putting the binding on I wash on delicate & dry in the dryer. I then get the look I want & know if it needs any thing fixed. I then instruct the recipients to only line dry it (so it won't shrink any more!)