Do you wash fabric before you use it? I have had several people tell me not to. I usually test a small piece if I think it will run, but otherwise I don't wash it before hand.

All the time.

I dont wash my fabrics first, unless I am using reds n whites together, which I only did once.

nope! Sometimes I will rinse and hang dry fabric that I am afraid will bleed light the HUGE ammounts of red and blue that are going next to the even larger amounts of white/cream! lol I like to post-shrink instead of pre-shrink!

I always wash fabric.

I had a horrible experience with a designer's brown fabric. I used it in one of my Dear Jane blocks. I spilled my soda on the block and rushed to run it under COLD water. That fabric started to bleed and never stopped. I threw it into the washer and ran it over & over. Finally threw the 2 yard piece away. Thoroughly disgusted and have never bought that designers fabric again!

i only wash batiks. they are a bleeding mess in many of their colors. or if I think that it will bleed then i will but otherwise i don't.

I don't wash. Nice to know that Batiks bleed. I make several baby quilts and always warn the recipients that the quilts should be washed separately the first few times.

it depends on lots of things...if it's batik's, hand dyes, or any i think may bleed, i pre-wash; if it's flannel, homespuns, or a loose weave fabric, i pre-wash. if i absolutely do not want something to shrink, i pre-wash.
if the fabrics are good- high quality, quilt shop fabrics and i am making a bed quilt i usually do not pre-wash; i wash the completed quilt after binding. which i always do, no matter what, even if the fabrics have been pre=washed i still wash the finished product.

I always wash my fabrics before I use them. Not only for sizing and making sure they won't bleed/fade or whatever, but also to wash away the chemicals used in manufacturing. Also, I think about all the "hands" that touched these fabrics before I bought them, washing them gets rid of any germs or dirt that may have got on it (can you tell I work in health care lol?). Washing them gives me a peace of mind and an easy feeling while working with them.
Just my two cents.

I used to but now I don't, unless they're batiks or flannels, unless I'm making a rag quilt.

If you do wash possible bleeder fabrics add 1 cup of white vinegar to the cold water wash and let it agitate for a moment or two then let it soak for about 20 minutes. The vinegar helps the dyes to set. You may have to do this more than once as some fabrics have a huge amount of dyes in it. Also dry the fabric in the dryer as the heat will also help "set" the dyes.Hope this helps.

Also make sure if the fabric DOES bleed to run a dummy load in your washer after washing. This way if DH washes a load of whites after your done, they will not end up pink or some other such color.

Before I joined this board, I almost never washed my fabric before I made a project. But now that I do lots of swaps and things here (and it's required that fabric be washed before you send something to someone), I do wash everything when it comes into the house so when I want to make something I am ready to go and don't have to mess around washing just a couple pieces of fabric for a project. It's nice to have it washed, starched and pressed when I'm ready to start something.

JudyG-You wash ALL the fabric, and starch and iron it. Wow, you're way too organized for me. LOL

Unfortunately, I'm not very organized at all (as you could tell if I was brave enough to show a picture of my sewing room, but if I don't wash it when I comes in, it's hard to tell what's been washed and what hasn't been and as much as I hate to iron, it's easier to get it all done at once when I buy a bunch of fabric, which I do all too often. :lol: :lol:

While i don't enjoy ironing yards of fabric I wash, iron and have it ready for use. It's a practice that has stuck with me from home economics classes and I won't mention how many years.

I wash all my fabric and always have. I just use a dab of Woolite in the kitchen sink, fill with like colored fabrics, swish around a little bit, then rinse, rinse, rinse, until there is no more color in the water. Then I hand squeeze out excess water, lay on thick beach towels, roll up, and press as hard as I can to sock up more water into the towels. I've found this procedures gets out excess dye without generating too many thready strings to cut off. Then it is off to do the ironing. The biggest problem is waiting until the pile of fabric is so huge it then takes daaaayyyyysss to iron it all!!!!!!

I wash all my fabrics. I've got allergies to perfumes and chemicals that the fabrics reek of when I bring them home.
I also don't have worry that a fabric will bleed or shrink in my finished quilt.
I zig zag the raw edges before washing, so no ragged edges.
Sharon

I wash them all my material when I get it home, I am afraid of the colors running or shrinking.

I don't prewash most times. I just find that when inspiration hits, I don't always have time for laundry......

But if you don't prewash, what happens when you're finished and someone washes it and it bleeds?

I always pre wash all fabric with a color catcher. Then I fold and put away. I iron (and starch) when I'm ready to cut.

I give most of my quilts away (friends, relatives, charity, QFK)so I never know how it will be cared for. By prewashing everything, there won't be any big surprises the first time the quilt is washed.

I don't wash mine unless it's for a swap or RR

I don't wash my fabric first anymore. I love the way the quilt looks after it is quilted and then washed. The shrinkage gives it an antique look, my double wedding ring and my fan quilt came out beautiful washing after quilted and I used 1930's fabrics.

If you are looking for that antique look in your finished quilt, using cotton batting will give it, even though you have pre-washed your fabrics. The cotton batting will shrink up and cause the fabrics to get all puckery. I used to smoke and I washed every quilt when it was finished to get that smell out of them. I gave away lovely, puckery quilts!

Me too!
It is my habit to prewash all my fabric, had a few bad experiences when I started quilting (years ago and before I knew the differences in fabric).

My ironing board is full of fabric waiting to be ironed:(

I mostly was, but sometimes don't. If you are concerned about bleeding, throw in a Shout Color Catcher. Those things are AMAZING! I've never had a problem with bleeding when I use them. Also, I don't iron them when they are finished washing unless I plan to use them right away. IfI iron them, and put them away, I have to iron them again before I use them. Just smooth and fold, and you'll save yourself a lot of work.

I wash every piece of fabric when I get it. Have you all tried the "color grabber" sheets yet? They are in the laundry section of the grocery stores and are WONDERFUL! Quite helpful in that you don't have to worry about sorting the fabrics! The colors go to the "grabber" and it comes out all yucky color-wise. Now they are an essential part of the laundry.

[quote=sewingladydi]I always pre wash all fabric with a color catcher. Then I fold and put away. I iron (and starch) when I'm ready to cut.



I do this too. Fabric comes in the house and goes directly in the washer. I want no shrinkage or color runs on anything I have spent that much time doing. Besides the chemicals make me sneeze

I have never in the 30 or so years of quilting prewashed my fabrics, have never had any problems when washing my quilts.Do now use the color catchers.

I learned the hard way...I washed (well, in the sink) some fabric for a Dear Jane swap last year -yes, red- then I proceeded to make my set of blocks...18 were due. I had 11 made...had spent hours and hours on them. I laid the pile on my ironing board (which was damp from ironing something else) and I went to bed. The next day my ironing board was red!!!! and the white on the blocks had splotchy pink spots...I rushed them to the sink...they ran..and ran...and ran...wouldn't quilt.

I threw them in a drawer..threw away the rest of the red fabric...WASHED more fabric in the machine and started over.

YES...I always wash my fabric now...and I give Color Catchers with each quilt I give away.

I always wash all my fabric as soon as I get home from my
LQS. Washing removes excess dye and chemicals on the fabric.
Fabrics shrink when washed, but they all shrink at a different rate. If fabric isn't prewashed the fabrics may shrink differently when the quilt is washed the first time. Some fabrics have a lot of chemicals on them and is necessary to prewash to prevent illnesses like chemical sensitivity and formaldehyde allergies.

The only fabric that I pre-washed was the fabric from the Gee's Bend collection. The red is a nightmare. The other colors were not to bad. Otherwise I rarely pre-wash.

i wash my reds and blacks that is about it

I wash all my fabric since I made placemats without washing the fabric and the first time thru the wash there was shrinkage that made them look awful. I serge the raw edge before washing and that stops ravelling.

I wash my fabric. I have kids that divelope rashes from the chemicals.

I run test reds, purples and blacks all the time plus dark colors as I have had them put excess dye on to many projects. Put in hot water and squeeze a couple times, if water is clear -hang them to dry and press. Most of the sizing is still in there so they are still crisp. If they bleed, I use Retayne and Synthrapol to get excess dye out.
Just had 3 reds that bled like crazy. Thank goodness I tested them before putting them into my applique.

i normally put mine on permenant press with salt and vinegar only in my water

I didn't wash when I started, but then heard so many stories that I started washing almost everything. It gives me peace of mind. If I don't wash, I worry constantly as I'm sewing that the thing will bleed the first time it's washed and all my beautiful work will be ruined. It's not worth it.

I always at least pre-rinse fabrics to get the chemicals out and put them into the dryer to pre-shrink. If it is a red or a fabric I think will run, I place it into warm water, let it soak for 24 hours and keep changing the water until it stops running. Sometimes it is up to a week before all the excess dye is gone, then I do the vinegar trick to make sure it is set and let it soak again in warm water to make sure it will not bleed. Only then do I feel safe using the fabric.