Wunder-Mar

Good to know!

Peckish

When you use starch, make sure you use the fabric right away and don't store it. Silverfish and other buggy critters LOVE starch!

Another online group I belong to recently had this discussion about whether or not to prewash. One of the members there does some kind of work in the shipping industry and said she ALWAYS prewashes because she is well aware that a lot of the shipping conditions include exposure to rats and their feces. I know the fabric comes wrapped in plastic and packed in boxes, but it still gives me the heebie-jeebies!

mrsk

I beg to differ, because if I don't prewash EVERY PIECE OF MATERIAL that comes in my house, I can't breath from allergies to something( stablizer?) in the fabric. I haven't had any constrution problems as long as I use a rotery cutter & I am VERY careful while sewing not to stretch.

catray

I do prewash all my fabrics in hot water with Synthrapol. Why because if you look at the fabric, all fabric is not created equal. Even those you purchase from the fabric store. Even those that come from (example only) Debby Mumm to Ro Gregg and many others. Have you ever sat to sew an had those little threads continuely pop out and have to cut before the whole row ravels. Fabrics come in tight weave to lesser weave and therefore need to be treated so that the possibility of little hand or big hands accidently hitting the hot on the washer cycle is covered. It's no big deal to iron afterwards and before cutting. I have had many shop owners say they don't wash their fabric. Each to her own.

Gramily

I agree. I would never wash a quilt in hot water, nor would I put it in the dryer and dry completley. I never pre wash my fabrics - per Harriet Hargrave. When a quilt of mine needs washing I wash gently for a few minutes, spin on high, shake and put in dryer for about 7 minutes. I then lay on a flat surface and let it air dry. Emily

ube quilting

There seems to be alot of ideas about W or NW material. if you still get that wonderful crinkled look with washed fabric it's because the batting shrinks a little when washed, not the fabric! i like the crinkled look and the smooth look!It's all good!

Margie

I prewash. I dont want to take a chance on colors fading.
Even then, I use color catchers both when I wash the fabric and again when I wash the project.

Gramily

IMHO one should be consistent. If you wash the fabric and are using cotton batting, you should also wash the batting.

watson's mom

I pre wash my batting for the same reason. I also don't want to find any bedbugs imported with my fabrics so I prewash everything. I do have a huge basket of scraps that are mixed washed and not washed that I am making a pinwheel quilt out of. I don't really care if it shrinks evenly or not when I do wash it because it is just for making an extra lap quilt for myself.

maryb119

I prewash my batting, too. I don't want it to shrink after its quilted. Good thought about the bed bugs. I didn't think of that!