I have Riley Blake's Old Fashioned Christmas layer cake pkg, which has dark greens & dark reds in it. If I wash these (by hand) before using, they will shrink. I'm thinking my only choice is to make the blocks smaller. Any suggestions? Help! I'm completely lost .

umm....I would not want to wash layer cakes at all, I usually do not wash precuts. I may wash a fat quarter but nothing smaller. I really don't like buying precuts in general as they usually are more expensive if you calculate the yardage you are getting. Also not all layer cakes are the same size and you usually do have to some trimming. What is the pattern that you are using, what are the other colors being used in what you are making? If they all are darker colors it may not matter much if there is slight bleeding and you use something like color catchers. Can you snip a small piece off and see if it is colorfast? Not all reds and green bleed. It is a good brand.

I quit buying pre-cuts cause I most times found them to be cut off angled, frayed or not a size they should have been. The pre-cuts I do still have in my stash I starch by soaking in a tub of liquid starch, run them thru my makeshift winder and hang them to dry or lay them on a towel if small. Then press them and see where they stand on size. I'd rather cut my own precuts after I've starched and pressed them though.

I always wash layer cakes, and they typically shrink to about 9.25x9.5. And they almost always shrink more in one direction than the other. I buy them for variety, so the shrinkage does not cause me problems. But seeing the amount of shrinkage, and the lack of uniformity in the shrinkage has been an eye opener.

As to bleeding, it takes two fabrics for this to happen, one that will release dye, and one that will accept dye. I've encountered times where a bleeder washed with other colors only has affected some of the fabrics, and the others don't show any change. I had one navy turn three pinks into blue/pink, and not affect several other pinks, and not change the white fabrics at all.

I always use color catchers, and lately I've experienced a lot more dye release with the blues/purples. I just bought some fat quarters of Christmas fabrics (lots of reds and greens) and the color catches only showed a hint of color change. I find batiks seem release more dye consistently than others.

I've washed layer cakes, but was not planning to use them as 10 in. squares. My observation is the same as Macybaby's -- more shrinkage one way than the other, but I never measured. If you have a pattern that's calling for 10 in. squares, I think it should work if you just reduce all of the cutting measurements by one inch. You'll just have a somewhat smaller quilt.

I wash my pre-cuts because the chemicals always irritate my fingers. For fat quarters and layer cakes I put the pieces in lingerie bags and throw them in the washing machine and dryer. The smaller pieces I use a salad spinner and let it dry. I wash and dry all my fabric. If I buy pre-cuts I don't use them for the actual size, it usually gets cut down to a shape in a pattern.

I wouldn't snip off a piece to test for colorfast, you don't need to cut it up. Just take a white cotton kitchen towel and get it damp, then rub it real good on whatever fabric you suspect might be a bleeder. If it doesn't bleed, then you have nothing to worry about. If it *does* bleed, then you can evaluate your options and make a decision.

No need to worry about something if it turns out there's nothing to worry about.

I like precuts and buy them before yardage. Easier to store and I have one print or more of the whole line. And they look so inspirational on my shelf. I want to get one and start sewing. I use steam and press them. I put a piece of muslin on the ironing surface so if any bleeding happens I will see it.
Fabric will shrink in one direction. If a jelly roll it will shrink in length not width. So depending on how the pre cut is cut depends on grain line when cut.
I don't use layer cakes or charm squares if I need exactly the square size.

I don't buy precuts I cut my own. I get the size I want.