Should all materials be prewashed when quilting? What if it has not been prewashed before you make your quilt? What should I do?

I'm no expert, but I think it's a matter of preference. The ladies who own the quilt shop near my home tell me they never prewash unless it is a very dark color such as red that looks like it may bleed onto other fabric. :)

Shrinking, dye problems, uneven fading, and chemicals. For the little bit of effort it takes to wash, why would you take a chance?

Sounds like good reasons to prewash to me, Moonpi. :) :) :) :) :) :wink:

I always prewash. Material is just one big chemical bath and I have a lot of allergies. Besides I have had dk fabrics, mostly red and or green fade on me. So I wash all be before sewing with it. If however you do not wash thats a personnel preference and none of it should be washed. but as someone said, why take the chance. Marge

I always prewash and a lot of the "experts" say to do so always, even our fearless leader Konstatin says to prewash all fabrics,but if you haven't done it and the quilt is already made,then you can only wash it and see what happens

A lot of times I don't prewash because I do a lot of scrappy quilts and I like fat quarters. I worry they might ravel our bad, but I don't know that they would...I've never prewashed a fq. Has anybody else?

leaving them in some hot, hot water in sink will tell you if they'll run, but I throw small stuff in lingerie bag, and then wash as usual. If I think something will badly ravel, I'll run a wide zigzag along edge, wide enough to rip out easily. I have a drawerfull of old thread I use for that

I prewash why take a chance. I don't lile when I lose the cprispness of it,but they can be sprayed with sizing. I use Mary Ellens.

Donna

Any instructions you read about quilting will say to pre wash-unless otherwise specified. Your quilt can buckle and obviously your fabric dyes can bleed into one another.