I understand that prewashing the fabric protects the quilter, but it doesn't matter for the baby, as long as the quilt is washed before the baby gets it.

The only fabric I wash is flannel and that is if I am using it with another type of fabric, since the shrink rates are different.

I pre-wash everything
Iron
Startch some of them if needed
Syl

Watch out for batiks if you're putting them into something that will have to be washed. They leak dye like crazy, and I always run them through the washer and dryer a couple of times and then check a (roughly) 6-inch square by hand in my bathroom sink. My sewing student recently made a small quilt out of 5-inch batik squares and I made sure we prewashed every one until the water ran clear. I would only use unwashed batiks in something that I knew would never need to be washed.

I always pre-wash unless it is pre-cut such as jelly rolls, charms, etc.

More and more, I don't bother to prewash, but once the quilt is finished, I like to throw a Color Catcher in the washing machine with the quilt to prevent colors from bleeding.

I wash all my new fabrics before they go in to a quilt or garment. I have allergies and asthma, most of the fabric from the stores reeks of perfume and whatever chemicals were used to process the fabrics.

I always prewash, mostly because I don't want to risk colors running, even if most of my fabrics are LQS quality. However, after drooling over some lovely OBW quilts I may have to grit my teeth and go for it!

Brynn ... don't fret! My OBW has been fine even with the pre-washed fabric. The LQS told me to starch and press it up well and it's be fine ... and it was!

I usually don't pre-wash. May change my habits after this post.