I really wish that they made a "Color Catcher" that was unscented, I bought one and it had so much perfume in it that it was unusable. I'm asthmatic and have bad allergies to perfume.

Me neither. I always did wash but then precut fabrics came out (other than fat quarters) and I love those so I just don't wash anything anymore. It's a challenge keeping track of what is and isn't washed but once I use up my washed stash it'll all be the same.

I didn't worry too much about washing until I did a swap one time. I had washed a red fabric and thought it was fine. I ironed it and made my blocks. I set them on the ironing board not realizing that there was a damp spot on the ironing board. They sat overnight...the red ran all over the white in the blocks...all 11 Dear Jane 5 1/2" blocks with a cazillion pieces. I tried and tried..couldn't get the stain out...they were pink and red now. Ruined. Never again...I thouroughly wash everything now. My time is worth more than a little time to throw fabric in with the regular laundry.

I have always pre-washed fabric for the above reasons. A couple of days ago, I decided I wanted to take a break from a very complex quilt and do a simple, easy fast project that was waiting in the wings. I needed some solid black, just 1/8 yd, so I found a large piece in my stash and cut some off. I so badly wanted to just start in on it and not prewash, but because it was black I decided to wash for fear of it bleeding. I stuck it in my sink to soak for a few minutes, then went back to rinse it out. It kept bleeding and bleeding, so I kept rinsing, as I squeezed I noticed some pieces of fabric that were loose from the whole piece. When I opened it up, the fabric was riddled with holes and tears, it was disintegrating in my hands! I am so, so glad I didn't get it sewn together and then have that happen! I don't remember anything about where, or when I got that fabric. I only buy good quality fabric and have always, so maybe someone gave it to me. I took the whole large amount and tossed it in the garbage. I doubt if I will ever be able to skip the pre-wash step after this!

Blacks Reds and navys/dark blues get a bubble bath all others Don't worry so much about, unless it has been around for a while. most gets pressed before cut, don't care for the little fold bumps.
But some of the above reason make this rethinkable.

I swear one time I was reading a blog and she mentioned that she used color catchers with certain loads of laundry. well she for whatever reason had a (unused) baby wipe on the dryer it had dried out and looked JUST like a color catcher. She grabbed it thinking that it WAS a color catcher and it worked just the same. I keep meaning to let a couple baby wipes dry out and throw them in a load of blue jeans but I always forget. Grrrr. and I just washed a new red shirt for the first time too! If this indeed does work it would be SOOOOOOOOOO much cheaper.

I wash everything, especially reds and batiks. It's a lot of trouble, but I figure it's better to be safe than sorry. :)

I generally don't fool with ironing until I'm ready to use the fabric. I just neatly fold the washed & dried fabric up and put it in my stash cabinets. It gets a little wrinkled from being folded, so it doesn't really make sense for me to iron it twice. :) (And I hate ironing! :lol: )

So do those of you that always prewash never use precuts or do you wash those too? If you do wash them, how do you keep them from getting all frayed and out of shape?

Dear No Longer Alone. I'll admit I usually don't because I'm lazy. I have yet to have a problem. I do teach and do tell my students to prewash their fabric. So what does that make me? A lazy teacher, a do-as-I-say-and-not-as-I-do teacher?? LOL I do use a color catcher when I wash my quilts.

I ALWAYS pre wash! My friend doesn't and her methond works for her. I just can't stand not washing my fabric.