To Prewash or not to prewash
 

I used to prewash everything, but I have found that working with non-prewashed fabrics so much easier to handle, to measure and cut and sew. What do you think?

Pretty much I am a washer. I mainly want to take care of bleeding and shrinkage (if any), then secondly the 'dirt'.

BUT, I do a BOM at my LQS and receive enough fabric to do the one block, so washing is not in the cards. Yes, with the sizing still in, it is 'easier' to handle.

Another BUT, sizing/starch to the rescue. I now invest in Best Press. :)

This is a regular topic on the board, and you will find there are fanatics on both sides. Funny thing is, there are seldom people switching from the wash to the don't wash camp as you have; it's usually the other way around, when a non-washer has a problem with fabric bleeding after not washing. I wash everything, and the only time I feel there's a big difference in how the fabric feels is when it was too full of sizing to begin with. I use starch or sizing before cutting.

i prewash mostly for the shrinkage issue. if i'm having trouble cutting, etc., i just restarch.

I quit pre-washing years ago. Bleeding is a non issue. Any dye that's not set in the original will still not be set in whatever picks it up. It'll wash out of anything that picks it up. Shrinkage isn't an issue either since quilting stabilizes the fabric. The batting has more to do with shrinkaage than the fabric anyway.

I waffle between. But after the last batch of FQ's that I washed, I may be back in the non-washing group. Shredded like crazy, and even starching them didn't help with the sewing.

Very true. Usually you read about the "non-washer" crying here when their project is ruined or begging for help on how to fix it....

I can fall on both sides of the aurgement, except when it comes to batiks, I ALWAYS pre-wash and treat with retayne. I am a firm believer starch is a sewers best friend! I starch prior to cutting .

I tend to waffle between washing and not washing. Cheaper fabric always gets washed with any other fabrics I plan to use in the quilt so I don't have randome shrink issues. I wash reds and blues as I have had issues -- and I wash all flannel since no two pieces seem to shrink the same. I starch and iron like crazy whether washed or no.

I ALWAYS prewash...no surprises. When I wash the fabric I clip the corners so when I go in my stash I know that it's been washed. When I first started sewing I made a blouse and it was beautiful.....until I washed it. So when I started quilting I always washed because I hand dye a lot of fabric and don't want to cry after I do all that work and it bleeds anyway. Even if I used retayne.

Ever since the appearance of bedbugs at reputable hotels, I have been washing all my fabric. If bedbugs can infest linens, who knows what creatures might lurk in the fabric warehouses...

I am a prewasher, all fabric gets washed before it goes in my sewing room. I want all the chemicals and
excess dyes removed before I handle the fabric.

That controversy will never be solved. You do what you like, as long as you are using quality fabric. "Cheaper" fabric should be prewashed. And your quilt should be made with either all prewashed, or all not prewashed.

No washing for me unless I know it is a color to bleed. Take snips of fabrics and snips of white and place in warm water. If it runs, tosss it, if not you have saved tons of time and I hate ironing

My feelings exactly.

For me it's either - or. All of it has to be washed or all of it has to be unwashed and that only if there are no questionable fabrics (bleeders) in the mix. Since I do not keep track of what is and what isn't washed in my stash - most of the time, I wash. As for the handling - spraying the fabric with sizing gives you that crispness and handling.

The only thing I have ever worried about bleeding is Batiks , so those got prewashed ,otherwise unless a swap says to prewash I don't - so far I have been lucky :)

There never seems to be enough time in the day to prewash. I might be lucky that I have never had a problem before. I do also lightly starch.

Was wondering when the subject would come up again - it's been - what - over a week?

"made in China" fabric I have to wash because I am allergic to the chemicals they use, and so is my family.

There are advantages and disadvantages. I don't prewash anything except cheap fabric and batiks. Flannel is going to run - so don't use white and use a lot of water. I have not had any fabric from a quilt shop run since about 1997, although I would not trust batiks not to run. Keep in mind that all fabrics have been treated with pesticides. This could have a negative effect on a small number of quilters.

i wash every thing even muslin she way my quilt teacher taught us in her classes

Starch and sizing is "makeup" for fabrics.
I like to know what a fabric is like in it's - more or less - "natural" state
I still think that if a fabric is "too limp" or "too flimsy" to use after washing - it is not worth using at all.
I've also found many moderately priced fabrics to behave as well or better than some higher priced fabrics.

I usually don't pre-wash, however, there are a couple of exceptions. I ALWAYS pre-wash any fabric that I have been given that was part of someone elses stash, or fabric that I got from yard sales or thrift shops. I ALWAYS pre-wash batiks. I serge the cut edges of all pre-wash fabrics before I wash them to minimize fraying. I ALWAYS wash my finished quilts before gifting them.

I pre-wash everything except pre-cuts (jelly rolls, charm packs, layer cakes). I use a gentle/slow cycle on my washer ando not have a problem with fraying even on the fat quarters. The fabric gets washed as I select it for a project not once it first comes home. I have a friend that washes all fabric as soon as it comes in her door and, therefore, it is always ready to go. I prefer my method as when I am ironing it (with starch), I review my selections and often times will change something out. I guess I just like playing with the fabric until it's time to cut it.

I've also come across imperfections or nicks - even in LQS fabrics - GASP! - while ironing/pressing it before cutting it.

Duplicate message. Oops

I mostly pre-wash, as I can't stand the smells on the fabrics! Sometimes it doesn't happen. I then use Magic sizing before I iron, as it doesn't smell too much for me.

I prewash for shrinkage and running colors I would prefer not to wash ahead of time so what is this Best Press and where do you get it if you don't mind my asking. Thank you in advance. Sue

I only prewash fabrics that may bleed. I stopped prewashing a while ago because I like to keep the pretty sheen of unwashed fabric as long as I can. I don't mind a little shrinkage on the first wash, as it gives the quilt a nice, crinkley look.

i tend to not wash my fabric, unless its a red or a batik..

if life gives you melons.....ya could be dyslexic!!

katz

After seeing a beautifully quilted quilt come in to Project Linus made from a high end fabric, I became convinced that pre-washing is the only insurance against problems. The fabric had a bright red and dark blue print on a white background. The dark colors had bled onto the white, and it looked terrible.

I prewash due to possible shrinkage and bleeding.

I prewash and then apply lots and lots of starch which brings back the easy to handle.

Cheers, K

Actually I think it all has to do with which type of batting you intend to use. If you're going to use cotton batting, then it will all shrink together and that's fine, but if you are using any type of non shrinking batting and cotton fabric for the top and bottom, then the cotton fabric will shrink and the batting won't, and I think that would not look very good. You can always take care of bleeding by using the Shout Color Catcher which works just great. I'm no expert believe me, but this is what I reasoned out in my poor little senior brain. Maybe I'm all wet!!!!!