Which is why I do prewash - I have this silly idea that my blocks/project will stay nicer (the way I intended it - which, in my case, is flat and unwarped) if all the pieces in it will stay approximately the same size after being sewn and washed.

Yes, there will be some squaring up of the units - interesting to see how they change shape - but I'd rather do it "before" than have a crappy finished product "later"

I also think one should be able to wash an item such as a placemat, child's quilt, (any item one expects to wash ), put it in the dryer, and it will be "good to go"

Just for the record - I do wash finished items in cool to tepid water on a gentle cycle, rinse in cold (my washer only has "cold" for rinse settings) and dry on a gentle cycle only to "barely dry" Take the item out and smooth it out, fold it and put it away, or put it back to use.

I think having to block a finished item would be aggravating - especially when I can do a bit of extra work "up front" and not have to deal with it again and again over the life of the item.

I always cut my own charms, but I prewash and THEN cut....was always afraid of shrinkage!

well said bearisgray I do not have any trouble with my squares by pre washing by hand if some shrink to much I use them in a different project and if some blled to much I know it before all of the sewing work and I to want my finished projects washable

I do the wash in the sink with hot water, squeeze in a towel and then spin a salad spinner! I now use a color catcher in the wash as I found some Moda prints DO bleed!

ironing while damp finishes the shrinking process.

NOTE, all fabrics contain sprayed on pesticides, so when hand washing keep this in mind in you suddenly get nauseous or get a headache... if you are known to be sensitive to the chemicals, wash outdoors in fresh air!

Terrific way to do that I will try that.
Have a Blessed day
Ellen

If you have a netted bag that ties you can wash them in it. If not pin them at the top and the bottom. I neveer use hot water I only use cold to wash my material and have very lttle shrinkage or color loss. It is just a suggestion though as I do not use charm packs.

Great idea! :-D

My rule is that if I'm making anything that there's a possibility that it will have to be washed in the future, then I always prewash and dry in the drier. If it's charms I wash them in the sink with fairly hot water and soap and let the darker ones soak for a while to make sure they won't bleed. But I wash every square, even the lighter-colored ones. Then I dry them in a mesh bag in the drier.

They do come out crinkly and messy and must be ironed, but when I do it this way I can be pretty sure I won't get any surprises re shrinkage or bleeding.

I for one don't think it's too surprising if fabrics by a certain manufacturer, Moda for example, shrink and bleed differently. They all contain different dye and often probably are printed on slightly different fabrics with different shrinkage potential. That's my take on it anyway.

I've pre-washed charm packs and will never do it again. They not only shrank considerably but were all out of shape. I won't even use a charm pack now I'll just cut my own stuff.

I must be "charmed" so far! :roll:
I've used charm packs for a number of quilts and have never pre-washed those, (and believe me...I am a pre-washer!).

Actually getting right in and actually using a charm pack or oneof those jelly rolls was difficult because I couldn't pre-wash them easily.

That being said, I have never had a problem with shrinkage with any of them. Maybe it's because the first wash I use is on a gentle cycle. That plus I also take it out of the dryer before it's totally dry.

I'll probably have a major shrinkage problem with the next one just because I've put it in writing! :shock: