I'm using all flannel for I believe the first time and need advice
 

I don't know if I've used flannel before, but if I did, it could have been in 1992 and I need a little advice. I don't ever wash my fabric. Could I not wash any of this fabric and have it all shrink the same or do I need to wash it? I'd rather not, if I can get away with it. But if I need to, I will. What is your advice? Thank you in advance.

I always wash my flannel on warm and dry it on warm because it does shrink. If you have a very high grade of flannel it may not shrink as much, but there will be some shrinkage. You can always starch the fabric after washing it.

I have not made a flannel quilt, but reading and hearing the advice of others, it seems it would be smart to wash the fabric first, because of shrinking. I fact, I have heard of some who wash their flannel twice before cutting. I guess that depends on the quality of the flannel. I hope to make a flannel quilt eventually.

Just curious, why you don't want to wash it?? Is it the time involved, or is there a property of unwashed fabric that you prefer?

Personally, I wash all of my fabric as soon as it walks in the door, but even if I didn't - I would still pre-wash flannel .... twice ... in HOT water. It shrinks a LOT and not necessarily evenly (especially if you have flannel from two different manufacturers).

I have done it both ways and really didn't notice a difference. That being said, I'm always a bit leery of deeply colored flannels--the colors sometimes run.

Good luck to you--I love working with (and covering up with) flannel.

I have bought flannel from Walmart, JoAnns' and Connecting Threads. I wash and dry it all. Each piece is different, not any store better sometimes!!

my concern would be that the flannels would shrink at different rates.

I wash and dry flannel. I iron with starch before cutting.

I don't normally wash first but unless I am doing a rag quilt I do wash my flannels. They don't all shrink at the same rate it seems, so best to be on the safe side.

Flannel is about the one fabric I do pre-wash. It generally shrinks more than regular quilting cottons. The inexpensive stuff from Joanns can shrink a bunch, high quality quilting flannels not as much. You can tell which one you've got by how close the threads are. Loose threads, lots of shrinkage.

Pam