Shrinkage
 

I measured hundreds of pieces of fabric before and after washing them - just to see what happens.

For all my quilting cottons - I now do the hot water soak for at least two hours - or until I remember to wash the fabrics - and then wash gently in cool to warm water and dry "until done" - I have a dryer setting that stops when "done".

I do put like colors together - so in case one is a bleeder, it won't make too much of a difference - and I'm not chancing ruining other colors.

From my experience - most of the fabrics shrank more in one direction than another. Very few of them had little or no shrinkage. I have had up to 2.5 inches of shrinkage on a 42 inch width of fabric (a Michael Miller black and some others) with no shrinkage on the length - I had over two inches shrinkage per yard in length on the Legacy muslin (which is a very nice muslin) from JoAnn's.

From what I have heard, fabric will also shrink when steam pressed - and I am going to go downstairs and check that out right now. I have some "virgin" legacy muslin on hand that I was going to use for another experiment, but this one will be quick and easy to do.

thanks for reinforcing one of the reasons i prewash everything

Yup, I'm the same as QuiltnNan.

I agree - I alway prewash and the few times I've tested, I've gotten about 1 inch per yard of shrinkage in length regardless of brand of cotton quilting fabric.

I always prewash fabrics and don't buy kits. I never measure for any reason.

I also always pre-wash. Some fabrics will surprise me with how much shrinkage!

I don't prewash. I think it's a good idea but I have so much fabric and never know what I'm going to use so it would be a gigantic task to wash it all. How do you all mange to prewash everything?

After purchase (or receiving fabric gifts) it goes straight into the laundry room. It does not leave until it is machine washed and dried. Only then is it folded and added to the appropriate stash box/drawer/pile.

Me, too. But the washed fabric is not pressed until I am ready to use it. That makes the job easier.

I have a good sized stash, and I prewash when I use it, that way it only takes a little extra time.

All cotton fibers shrink with water, hot or cold. If they are made into thread, it will shrink when subjected to water. If it is woven into fabric it will shrink. The warp and weft of fabric will also shrink. The threads used are not generally balanced in both directions. But, cotton fibers made into quilt batting also shrink. I do not pre-wash because I know that all components will shrink when the quilt is washed. The amount of shrinkage is more controlled (at least I think so) when everything is washed at the same time. It depends on the look you are happy with.

I wash all the fabric when it comes in the house. Last week I purchased black and red fabric to make sashing around two quilts with great blocks. I got the fabric at JoAnns and from the get go (from all the information from this wonderful Quilting Board) get it to the washer. I started with the red first. I always wash in warm water and threw in 5 color catchers and the catchers were all bright red. I rinsed it again with 5 more catchers and more red. Finally, threw it in dryer for 15 minutes and hung it up. Same thing with the black fabric and the same with the dryer. Now, when I give anyone a quilt anymore, I tell them to wash it in cold or warm water and use color catchers. That is the best I can do.

I agree with your observations, and it is also why I usually prewash as I don't prefer the 'crinkly' look after a quilt is washed. I can verify that steam pressing already cut out pieces Do Shrink. I had this happen to me a couple of years ago, when I did Not pre-wash, and had cut several 8" squares for a quilt. They had gotten wrinkled in storage, so I pressed them (with steam as I always use steam), and when I went to use them I found they had shrunk down to 7 1/2"-7 3/4" and they would not fit in my quilt assembly. Learned that the hard way.

And flannel? Boy, that stuff can really shrink....

i actively dislike " the crinkly look".

my quilts get "some puff" anyway - even after using washed fabrics and batting.

I dislike the crinkly look, too. I had a RJR fabric shrink when pressed. I only needed a few strips, so I didn't prewash that one. it was a strip quilted block and when that one fabric shrunk, it distorted the block. I had to replace every peach print strip - after washing it, of course.
I prewash most of what comes into the house. A few that don't seem to be offgassing are stored unwashed, but will be washed before cutting. Now I'm starting to itch thinking that I may have bugs or whatever in my totes.

I also pre-wash as needed. A lot of my fabrics are made into wearable art garments which will never be washed and I like having a bit of the original sizing in them when working with them so I only pre-wash when I am going to use them in a quilt. Even then it's a bit spotty. I love crinkly quilts so don't worry that much. So far, so good!

Thanks for reporting on your experiment. It confirms what I've always thought, although I prewash less these days. I always prewash batiks and red family colors, but not other fabrics. I find I can cut unwashed fabrics more accurately without washing, and I do like the "puffy" look. After all, when you use a quilt for a while, it will need to be washed and then will get puffy anyway.

I pre-wash when I use the fabric, unless it is a pre-cut, then I wash before gifting with Synthrapol and Color Catchers.
I quit using steam a year or so ago when I saw it distorted or shrunk the fabric.

If you don't pre-shrink your batting and it is something other than polyester, won't you get the crinkly look anyway?
Personally I don't mind the crinkly look as it makes my comfort quilts appear vintage.

I always pre-wash.

That’s the only fabric I prewash.

I had a very pleasant surprise today. I bought some of the flannel that JoAnns has at 70% off. It went right into the hot water wash. There was absolutely no shrinkage! Out of the dryer, no wrinkles either. Hopefully it won't pill. It is the Snuggle brand.