Pre-wash fat quarters?
 

Is it a good idea to pre-wash fat quarters? The first time I used them, I did Pre-wash and there was a lot of fraying and threads coming loose on the ends. I started a new project with fat quarters but didn't pre-wash this time. Hoping it won't shrink when I wash the finished project.

If they are cotton they will shrink after you wash them. Some people wash all their fabric and some don't, both groups have quilts that look beautiful when done.

I wash most of my fabrics because I don't like suprises in shrinking and I prefer not to handle the chemicals in fabrics for long periods of time. If you put them in a mesh bag it will help but I find you don't really loose much, it just looks worse then it is.

One of the downfalls to washing pre-cuts and fat quarters is that they will often not fit into patterns(since they are writen pre wash) after and you need to adjust the patterns to be smaller.

I have heard that if you snip a tiny diagonal piece off each corner they will not fray as much. I have not tried this as I generally don't prewash so I can't verify from my own experience.

i always always prewash everything. i just finished washing, starching and pressing 2 fat quarter packs and am trying to figure out if i have enough of the fabrics i need to make the quilt i am working on. it's making my brain cramp up.

i want the owners to use, abuse, love and get these quilts dirty. the first way i can feel confident about them doing that is make sure the fabrics i am using are stable, run free and good to go.

i don;t like feeling constrained in my design work by the scarcity involved in using these packs. for my current project it looks like i might be about .5 a yard short of one print to do the design i want. so now i am trying to find it online in a canadian shop. it's not a fun experience. sorry for highjacking your thread.

aileen

I wash ALL of my fabric and because of that I generally don't buy pre-cuts (I have, but I don't like to). I do however buy and wash FQ's. My FQ's go into the kitchen sink with hot water and a smidge of laundry detergent. Swish, soak for about 15 minutes, rinse, wring and toss them in the dryer. I get very little fray with this method.

There are quilters who prewash fabrics and quilters who rarely prewash fabrics. I'm in the latter category. It really depends on what you are making.

Fabric shrinkage is a factor to consider if you will be tying the quilt or plan on quilting lines quite wide apart (more than 6" apart). If, like me, you do a lot of moderate to close quilting (most of my lines are 2 to 3" apart), fabric shrinkage is not a concern. Once quilted moderately, batting takes control of shrinkage and does not allow fabric pieces to shrink more than the batting shrinks.

Bleeding is a more important consideration for me. Most fabrics these days are colorfast, but just one piece of fabric that bleeds profusely can ruin a quilt. If I suspect a fabric might bleed, I cut a small square of it and leave it in a glass of water for several hours. If I do not see dye bleeding into the water, I use the damp fabric to rub it against light-colored fabrics that will be in the quilt. If the fabric passes both tests, I don't prewash it (probably 99.9% of the fabrics I use). I do take the precaution of washing the finished quilt for the first time with Synthrapol and hot water in the largest front-loader our local laundromat has. This will take care of any minor bleeds.

In your case, though, instead of washing the fabrics you might just want to soak them in water, then iron. The soaking will reveal if you have any "bleeders" so you want to either soak fat quarters individually or grouped by color. They will not fray or get tangled up this way. You really do not need soap to determine if a fabric will bleed or not; it's the water that is more critical. If your only concern is shrinkage and you plan moderate quilting of the quilt, I wouldn't bother to presoak. If you ever do prewash a fabric, it's a good idea to starch it when you iron to restore some stability to the fabric (makes it easier to cut and piece accurately).

Thank you for your comments. I think hand washing is the way to go. Since I'm already into the project, I'll be sure to quilt it fairly closely and depend on the batting to keep the shrinkage down. Thanks again!

I do believe in prewashing - everything - but there are plenty of quilters who don't. I don't worry about the strings that can develop during washing. If I think there will be a lot (as with FQs rather than yardage) I may just soak and spin the fabric and skip the agitation cycle, where much of the fraying occurs. However normally I just cut or rip off the strings. Not much fabric is lost that way, and it doesn't offend my sensibilities to have the occasional tangled mess. I prefer working with fabric that will not bleed, that has already shrunk all it's going to, and that doesn't have the chemicals and sizing in it. (I'll add starch if necessary.)

I wash mine. Diagonally cutting the corners does work. If I have a bunch I wash on gentle in the washer, otherwise in the kitchen sink. I had washed the last ones and then dipped in staflo starch. I loved how much easier the starch made the piecing.

I prewash all of my batik fat quarters by hand washing them in the kitchen sink, rinsing with cool water and wringing out very gently - then laying them flat on big, thick towels and rolling them up. I leave them in the towels for awhile and then drape them on a clothesline that my DH made for me in front of my fireplace (which is burning all winter). The clothesline is on hooks so that I can take it down when I am done washing fabric for awhile. It doesn't take very long to line dry them and they need no ironing until I am ready to use them. HTH