BettyGee

NJ Quilter has the answer.

Rosyhf

The other thing is, I use the short cycle and very gently as the fabric is not dirty and it just needs to get the chemical out. If you are going to store the fabric for a long time, it is always best to wash as the chemical, over time will rot the fabric. I never dry the fabrics either. I have clothes lines and hang then outside.

IBQUILTIN

just run a zigzag stitch along the raw edges

MargeD

I have had very good luck with cutting off each corner of the fabric, about 1" or less and it has really cut down on fraying when prewashing fabrics.

M cubed

I guess I am hard on my fabrics. When I bring fabric home, it goes in the washer on med-hot water, laundry detergent, cold rinse, then into the dryer on med heat. I figure that this fabric is going to be used, and hopefully used regularly; and if it can't stand up to being laundered, I don't want to use it in a quilt. I do use color catshers and they have saved me several times (I use the used catchers for foundation piecing - nothing gets thrown out).

tessagin

Very similar and I do use laundry mesh bags for smaller pieces.

Patrick's Mom

I am an obsessive pre-washer. I make scrap quilts and find a lot of fabrics at estate sales. I separate lights, darks and reds, and wash everything separately in a gentle cycle. Most fabrics are smaller than a fat quarter and some as small as a 2 inch squares. It can still be a tangled mess, but I deal with it. Fabrics are dried in the dryer. The small pieces can get stuck on the air return vent in the dryer, so I add a few dry hand towels to the load which prevents them from sticking.

carolynjo

I don't wash the fabric. I learned long ago to just "hot water set it" in the sink and then roll in a towel and dry naturally. It will shrink all it's going to in the hot water. If it runs, then only that piece is involved and I'll deal with that one piece of fabric.

Cecelia363

I don't pre-WASH, my washer has a rinse and drain cycle so I fill it with enough HOT water to cover and soak for 20 minutes or so the drain and spin, then into the dryer on cotton temp, that takes care of all the shrinkage and there is very little fraying. I will do this more than once if there is bleeding.

annette1952

I always snip the corners & wash on gentle. Then in the dryer I check a few times while it is drying & straighten them back out. Especially long pieces because they really get tangled up. I don't usually have any problems doing it this way.