I know the trend now is to wash fabrics less. I like to wash it first to find out about any distortions which aren't noticeable before washing, to get rid of that "new" smell, to set the color, and to pre-shrink. I've learned from this site to starch the fabric before cutting, which brings it back to the pre-washed stiffness and then some. I like the finished product better.

The only time I do not wash mine is when I use a precut kit or I go to a retreat where the fabric is provided.

I rinse my fabrics in the sink so I can see if they are fading. Then I dry them in the dryer to take care of any shrinkage.

I don't do this if it's for a wall hanging that won't be washed.

I had one navy blue print that was terrible and never stopped bleeding. I won't use if for anything. I also had a black cotton fabric from JoAnn's Fabrics that faded and faded--the water turned black over and over. I had used the same fabric from a different bolt that didn't do this, so I suspect there was a problem in the factory process.

always wash the fabric - few exceptions - stack and wacks, precut pieces.

I starch everything too

No, I just cut and sew, but when it's finished, I always wash it with a color catcher, and so far there has been very little bleeding. My SIL made her first quilt which was black/white and Red. The black and white were Moda squares, the red was off the bolt and I was afraid some of the red would bleed, so we used the color catcher and it did pick up bleeding red, but not on the quilt. I love those.

That is the first thing we learned in quilt class - always wash fabric first!

i always wash my fabric. the only time i didn't isnwhen i used a jelly roll and when i did a BOM last year. i haven't washed the first or finished the last, but when i do, i'll use a color catcher.(thanks to this board)

Yes I do. I try not to take any new fabric, for any project I buy, into my sewing room when I get home. It goes into the laundry. I wash and machine dry, then fold. I have a couple packages of those bright round stickers that I got from Wal-Mart, you know the kind you can put prices on for garage sales. I put a round sticker on the front edge of the folded fabric, then put it on my shelves. About half of my stash has not been washed first, so these round neon stickers tell me instantly whether it has been washed or not. If I want to use a non-washed fabric, well, it is just washed first. I hate to have anyone, friend or customer, have bleeding or shrinking of anything I make.

I washed and dried my fabric for the winter swap. Clipped the corners that I read in one of the topics and no fraying or tangled messes

I would get the unwashed mixed up with the washed, if I didn't rinse all the fabric I buy. :wink:

Yes, I always wash and dry all my fabrics as soon as I get them home, fold over my ruler and put in my fabric cabinet.

I always wash my fabric before using. Except for fat quarters. they are so small that I do not bother.
Charlene

when i come in from the garage after shopping, i have to walk right past the washer & dryer.

all my fabric stops there, i wash everything in hot water & dry everything on cotton...

never had anything run or shrink after that....

course, sometimes after it gets upstairs to my sewing room, it sits for a while waiting for ironing & putting away...sometimes when i am too tired or distracted to concentrate, it makes soothing work to just stroke the fabric ...

Wow, I'm still confused abt washing material first. My sister in law owns a quilt shop and she has never washed her material first and has had no bleeds... maybe just lucky. Before i was really aware of quilt shops I bought abt 100 yards of material at Jo Ann's pre washed and ironed all of it and had no bleeds, also used white vinegar. I'm now getting ready to sew a purple and white quilt, did not first wash, Hope I didn't goof.

I wouldn't have thought it was the poor designer at fault but rather the type of fabric and ink/dye used.

Maybe1day

I only pre-wash reds to make sure they don't bleed. Otherwise, I don't wash until the project is completed. This gives it the nice wrinkly, puckered look that I like.

thanks for the tip abt cutting corners to stop fraying.

Like you, I have allergies. Any time I am around someone with perfumes or even some body wash soaps, I cannot breathe. New fabrics bother me too, especially those pretty fleeces. I was told by a fabric store worker that foreign countries are spraying fleeces with formaldehyde to protect the fabric from bugs during its travels and storage. Added to months of packaging in plastic only makes matters worse when fabric is opened. Now, if one has regular fabric which has been sprayed, then when you iron it during piecing, you are getting those formaldehyde fumes right into your body. I definitely wash everything.

I always wash fabrics to make sure the shrinkage is done. Especially if I am going to applique

cut a 2" square of your fabrics and pin it to a piece if white fabric then wash it in a pan and dry it. you can check for color runs and shrinkage without using a lot of water and labor.
that said we need a cheap place to buy the color catchers.

I'll check to see if Harbor freight to see if they have any.. lol Lord knows they have everything else...
:-D

I made a quilt but never washed the fabric. In the quilt I made, is a purplish batik used as sashing. I've been wanting to wash it in cold water and in gentle cycle but I'm afraid it might bleed. What do I do?

I don't wash before using fabric.

Many of my friends do not pre-wash and have not had problems but I definitely do pre-wash now all the time. The only time I do not is when using jelly rolls.

I have had a few problems in the past. One was with uneven shrinkage of fabrics where after washing a finished project, some fabrics did shrink alot while others in the piece were very little or did not - it produced an uneven puckering effect. I have also had fabrics bleed after a project has been completed - what a mess and all that work almost ruined! Thank goodness for color catchers, Retayne and Synthropol!

Actually, I went out and bought the Shout color catcher because I really need to wash my quilt that has the purplish batik which I'm afraid to wash.

Oh, honey, please have mercy on new mothers and don't make them wash things separately. They won't have the time nor the energy, and will appreciate your generous gift all the more if it can just be tossed in with the general wash without fear of it muddying or splotching that dirty mountain of pastel baby clothes.

No. Many quilts, especially ones I use for wall hangings I don't, especially since so many of the pieces are from small scraps in my stash. When using batiks or doing a swap, I wash in cold water on gentle with an odorless colorless detergent and add one of those color sheets that catch the color. I know Shout makes the ones I use. I just washed 15 different fabrics, some of them batiks and had no problems

I wash and don't wash, just depends. God bless.

Same here.

I always wash the fabrics when I first get them. Then dry & fold. I only iron when I am ready to use them.

I wash all my fabric before I use it . I use a sheet of color catcher by shot and it does a wonderful job of any fabrics that want to run.
I know the problem of not knowing which fabrics that you have washed and haven't. So I have gone through all of the bins of fabric and serged the raw edges and then I washed and ironed and folded on plastic fgolding boards.
Now it is easy for me to sort all the fabric out.
I have to admit it was a heck alot of work and I ended up with some killer back aches. Also the fabric that I haven't gotten to yet isn't serged yet.
I have decided none is going into my cabinet until this has been done. And so if I cut some off the end it will not be serged but it will be back in the cabinet.
Hopefully this will keep me organized.
kjym Kathy

I wash everything except jelly rolls. My stash is still small.

mine does not go into my sewing room until it is washed

Two solutions for washing fat quarters: 1) put them in a laundry bag - the kind used for washing hosiery, or 2) after washing them, put the fat quarters in your salad spinner, spin it and they are almost dry. Have used both and they work!

Thanks for the tip TX GMimi! Never thought of using my salad spinner.

Wow never thought about using a salad spinner in this manner.
Boy what we quilters can come up with.

I use Retayne to soak my batiks and colors that I think will run.
That way I have never had a problem. The directions say to use
1 tsp per yd of fabric but I only use 1/2 tsp per yd and soak the fabric
in hot water for 45 mins. I then put it through a cold rinse in my
washing machine and then dry it. This works really well for me.
I am a slow quilter and would be devastated if fabrics bled
after I was done. Also, I give a lot of quilts away and so I want
to be sure they don't run since I am not the one washing them.
Judy

I use the Shout color catcher on my quilts and I love it. It really works well.

I ALWAYS wash my fabric first! I spent months on a red, white and blue quilt which became a red, PINK and blue quilt after the first washing! That was in 1994. My daughter's dogs slept on it for years!

I wash my fabric and iron it and then mark if with colored safety pins as to how much is there. Green pins are 2 yds red 1 yd etc.

I do not alway wash my fabric for a quick wall hanging as that will rarely get washed