Precuts shrinking
 

I posted the other day, indicating that I prewash all my precut fabrics. I use lingerie bags in the washer and a drying rack in the dryer. Well, I as thought the charms and layer cakes did shrink. I measured before and after.
Instead of a charm 5 x 5", they run 5" x 4 3/4". The layer cakes are now smaller than 10". They seem to have shrunk on crosswise grain. I will have to cut
them down to be a square. It would seem that the patterns for precuts, will result in a bit smaller end size. Any thoughts will be appreciated.

This is why I avoid pre-cuts.. it just seems like a lot of hassle as apposed to purchasing yardage or even fat 1/4's.

Sometimes pre cuts aren't cut perfectly, even name brand precuts. If they are smaller to begin with, they will be even smaller after pre washing.

This is exactly why I feel that pre-cuts are just not worth it. The quilter pays top dollar and seldom gets the correct measurement (I know there are exceptions but I've seen too many that are short!) The only advantage is that they are pretty and do co-ordinate. As for me, I'll just keep on cutting.

Pre-cuts are what they are. You gain some and lose some. JMHO.

I just don't wash or worry about shrinkage, has not been a problem for me, the batting will shrink and make the quilt crinkly . I like the traditional look. Even without prewashing my quilts and my aunts quilts still look very nice. cotton continues to shrink anyway after multiple washing as i have had t-shirts shrink more and more after years of use and washing so I figure why be so overly critical of everything.

Thank you. This is good information to have. I only just recently purchased my first pre-cut fabric Charm Pak. Haven't done anything with it yet. I'll watch very carefully when I do use them for a quilt.
I normally don't prewash unless there's red involved. Then I prewash all fabric that will be in that quilt and iron with sizing to get stability back in the fabric.

That's why I don't prewash precuts. That's really a whole lot of added work. Not only do you have to wash, dry and press but then you end up having to trim them all to the same size. No thanks. I'll use them straight out of the package. And I don't worry about them all being perfectly cut either. I can fudge.

If these pre-cuts shrink in one direction only should we be extremely careful on the warp or weft when joining in quilts especially if not pre washed?

Almost all fabric will shrink more in one direction. I'm a pre-washer and my fabric rarely shrinks along the length. If I buy a yard, I still have a yard after washing. Selvedge to selvedge is another story. Sometimes I loose 2". This is why I pre wash everything, including precuts.

I ran into this dilemma when I bought my first jelly roll. To wash or not wash? But the thought of me fishing out all of those strips of fabric (tangled?) from the wash machine and ironing each again one by one...ridiculous. Hopefully no regrets in the future.

Well I don't prewash, cause I like the shrinkage. I love the crinkly look, makes it feel quilty.

I'm not a prewasher, whether it's a precut or not! Luckily, I like the crinkly/old look, so it's all good. I don't buy a lot of precuts, b/c they aren't generally a good value, but every once in a while, I have to have some of everything in a line, or if there's a really good sale, I buy them. Jelly rolls are really hard for me to use b/c I like they way they look on my shelf - they almost become a decoration themselves instead of a supply. Love the quilt on our bed right now, it's a favorite, and was really easy. Chain of Faith from Moda Bakeshop, Jo's Country Junction. It's also the only time I've used the fabric called for in a pattern.

I like pre cuts, jelly rolls and layer cakes especially. I seldom pre wash my fabrics, and quilts turn out great. If I do not want crinkly look I quilt it a bit denser and use poly batting.

And the great divide is still there for washing or not washing fabrics before cutting/using them!

My sentiments exactly. My quilts are definitely not show quilts. They are all just made to be used and loved so yeah, I fudge, too. I don't have a lot of time to quilt, so precuts help me tremendously.