I prefer not to wash.

if it is batiks I would dip a corner in water or cut a section in water and test for bleeding. otherwise I wouldn't worry about it. but that is just me. I only wash fabric that is a suspected bleeder. Those are mostly batiks. I always dip a corner in water to check it for bleeding. had some fabric that I didn't think would bleed and I started to starch it and it stained my ironing board. so I immediately tossed it in some cool water a couple of times to get it to bleed out. It worked. sometimes the dies don't wash out completely.

Me too.

I am a washer but one tome I bought a kit that said do not prewash. I know with some of the kits if you wash first you don't have enough fabric . So you need to be careful about pre washing kits.

I usually wash but received a large amount of fabric already cut in 2 inch strips.I'm adding some of my own material so I might have washed/unwashed in same quilt, i know I'm taking a chance but didn't know wht else to do. Has anyone mixed materials witout having a big problem? Except for muslin I don't have much shrinkage in my fabrics. I'm thinking maybe this will be one of my display quilts so i won't wash it. I did put a pack of charms in water and hung them to dry. When I compared them with the unwashed pack there was no shrinkage at all so I didn't wash that pack.
Lori

I don't know where I read it but I read that on the bolt of fabric there is a number that says the percentage of shrinkage on that particular fabric. I have had troubles with fabrics shrinking at different rates. I think I would prewash anything I didn't know how much it will shrink. I would think a kit would have similar fabrics though.
Lynda

I wash everything as it comes into the house. I like to know exactly what that fabric is going to look/feel like when it's in a quilt. I get the fabric finish off and any chemicals that are in the product. When I'm ready to do a quilt, I put the fabric into the washer with starch solution, spin it out, partially dry, and iron. The iron FLIES over the fabric. It feels like new fabric, keeps a good crease, and starch can be "reactivated" with a water spritz. I don't use canned spray for many reasons. For small pieces I keep a pump-spray bottle with 1 part starch to 4 parts distilled water -- perfect.

If there is black, red or dark colors I would probably test a small piece. I put into very hot water then lay out on a white paper towel to see if the fabric will bleed. I learned to do this after I had a quilt top all quilted then wet it to block it, The red bled terribly and ruined the quilt. I washed what was left about 10 times and it was still bleeding. Made a dog bed for my son from it, so it can eventually be thrown away.

I rarely prewash and so far have not had any problems. I recommend using a Color Catcher for the first few washings.

I only prewash if I am using any hand dyed fabrics because they tend to bleed unless washed multiple times. Of course, if you prewash one fabric for a project, you have to wash them all.

Has anyone ever compared 2 quilts, one that was prewashed and one that wasn't?