Is it a must to wash all fabric before making quilts? I do some but others I don't. What is your thinking on this.

I think its a good idea, just because you never know if something may shrink or bleed. Some do, some dont, I just am really cautious!

this is a long discussion as some prefers to pre wash and others don't

almost nothing in quilting is a "must".

i used to be fanatically against prewashing. then i started buying fancier fabrics at higher prices. wouldn't you know it? the color from one of them (a red) rubbed off onto another while it was still in the drawer. another (a blue) bled like a stuck pig when i washed the finished quilt.

both of those fabrics were selling for $9 per yard in quilt shops!

in all but two cases, no fabrics shrink on me by more than "a tadbit" unless they are of the type sold in quilt shops.

so ... as crazy at it sounds ... the more i pay for a fabric, the more likely i am to prewash it.

go figure. :roll:

I don't prewash anything. Been successful. Once had to replace a binding. I don't mind handwork so no big deal.

I have the quilt dry cleaned the first time if there are real darks and light lights together, and or if the quilt is going to ge a special one. They don't seem to bleed or shrink that way.

For me it depends on what i'm using it for, I tend to prewash baby stuff & the reds that could bleed. but if it is part of a pre-packaged kit I don't. I have listened to the arugment for both sides and really don't see a difference. Shout Color Catchers are great so if i don't have to I like to just wash it after I'm all done it.

Thanks so much for the input on washing fabric. I am new at adding things to the message board. I really enjoy reading it all.

If you want to do a search on the topic, you can read until tomorrow morning on the topic. (Maybe even next week)

I've had stuff shrink over two inches in width. Including a Michael Miller black that I just bought this winter at a LQS in Florida.

I very seldom prewash anymore, maybe 10% of what I buy ... only deep reds or greens etc

Use a color-catcher in the 1st wash and you should never have any problems

I've only had a couple of reds ever bleed in 20+ yrs of quilting, and those were Jinny Beyer prints 15 yrs ago