It's preference but I wash because of the dye and sizing residues. Not only are they a problem for people with certain breathing and skin allergies but who knows what those thigs do when breathed in. Some adhesives products for appliques don't adhere well to the reside. It's up to you. :-D :-D :-D

To add to the reasons to pre-wash, if I lived in an area with known problems with bedbugs, fabric would come in the house and go straight into the washing machine and dryer.

Anything I bought at a yard sale or thrift shop would also be pre-washed, due to my extreme dislike of finding pests like silverfish or cockroaches.

Since I pick up every bug that comes my way, anything that comes from a fabric store also goes straight into my washing machine, due to the numbers of people who may have handled the fabric.

I never used to until recently. Found that a fabric shrunk much more than I wanted. And some others bled more than I wanted also, so now just laundering when it comes in the door... tho have been on 'no buy' recently.

And washing all my previous purchased fabrics in groups by color and using color catchers.

Been really attracted more to quilts with white backgrounds etc lately and fearful of the white getting tinted with the rest of the fabric colors.

I do believe it is a matter of personal preference, but I do prefer to wash mine before I use it. I've had a couple of fabrics "bleed" onto others and I don't want to risk that when I make a quilt, especially since the majority of the quilts I make are ones to be used, loved, and washed.

I don't pre-wash fabric if it is of good quality (because I like working with material with the sizing still in it) and then after the quilt it finished, I include a "color catcher" sheet with the quilt if it is a gift with instructions to use that sheet the first time the quilt is washed. I ALWAYS wash flannel before using it. And if the fabric is of unknown origin then I wash it to be on the safe side.

sadly not bug resistant. smile

I always wash before I use material. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I've had some that ran. I'd rather find that out before I put all that work into something.

LOVE this...

Yes, it is a personal preference..you can do it now and be proper, or you can wait and then spend half you day asking what went wrong when it shrinks differently, or it bleeds, or it ravels, or it is OFF grain when you cut it...you name it...

more things can wrong AFTER the fact than before!

Personally, I wash because of all the chemicals that are on the fabric...and because of I too LOVE the whole preperation process!

Well....I have never washed prior to making the quilt. I do like the look of the quilt when it is finished then washed. I washed my bed quilt yesterday. I did throw in some color catchers, thank goodness, as they were a nice burgundy color after they came out of the wash. But, for the first time ever, my quilt shrunk big time. It does not cover my mattress now! I am just sick as this has never happened before and I didn't wash it any different than I do any of my others. These were all LQS fabrics too. I think I just became a pre-washer. :cry:

Me too !