loisf

I wash every fabric the minute it comes into the house. That way, I never have to wonder if I've washed it or not. Even so, I've had a couple dark blue and green batiks continue to bleed.

bearisgray

I also wash "scrap" pieces that I have acquired. I dry them on a drying rack or flat on towels. It is a "bit of a bother" - but a small piece of fabric can be as much of a problem as a large piece if it has "issues".

rjwilder

I wash all my fabric to avoid bleeding and also not all fabric shrinks the same. I always buy 1/4 to 1/2 yard more fabric to allow for shrinkage.

katiebear1

I do the same thing, except I just cut a small strip and wash that in detergent and hot water in the sink. If it runs then I wash it. I have never had a problem with colors bleeding this way.

bearisgray

It seem that if you can cut a small strip and wash it - why not wash the whole piece and be done with it?

aashley333

I wash fabric because it is cotton, and I want it to shrink before I use it. For those that want to wash smaller pieces and want to minimize the roughness of the machine agitation, try putting in a pillowcase and tie a knot at the end before tossing in. I also use this on delicate shirts, or ones that have embellishments.

Iceblossom

Seconding Aashley, before I found the wonder of mesh lingerie bags, I used pillow cases to wash my delicates back when I wore lacy things without a lot of structure Both are great for fabric pieces. I have long hair and elastic hair bands, those work just great through the wash and dry to keep the pillow case closed.

Lingerie bags come in various sizes and different weights of fabrics from loose open weaves to tighter. Can even find smaller ones in the Dollar Store some times. They help greatly when washing small scraps without all the tangles. When I find/buy a bag of small scraps at the thrift store, I still wash them and consider that if they are "too small to wash/too small to keep". You can dump that whole bag in the wash and come out with a terrible lump you have to fight with, or you can break it down into 6 or so lingerie bags and life is a whole lot easier.

Before I wash I do sort and maybe do some trimming of pieces, as well as culling out the things I'm not going to bother with. After washing and before drying, I cut off any snarls or snags of fabric and then give it a nice Snap! to help set the grain. You know the sound when you hear it... I do this for the pieces in the bags before going in the dryer as well as the loose pieces.

I really don't like ironing, and I find I have a tolerance for dealing with maybe 6 yards of fabric at a time. Mostly I try to include my fabric washes along with like colors regular laundry because I do want that agitation and such.