To wash or not wash precut strips?
 

I have "Juniper" Batik 2 1/2" strips by Island Batiks (Kathy Engle). They are gorgeous, the colors are vibrant and some dark. I normally wash all my fabric before sewing....but not sure about strips. I am afraid the color will run on the white. Has anyone had experience with this brand of batiks? Any suggestions for washing?

I don't pre-wash pre-cuts because of raveling but I wonder if batiks maybe don't ravel? I don't pre-wash anything so I can't say. I use color catchers when the quilt is finished.
I'm sure others can help you out more.

I usually wash everything as I hate bad surprises. You can swish the batiks in your sink or a basin of hot water with a few drops of detergent. do not wring or twist. Like colors together!
empty the water & rinse with clear water. I then roll the pieces in a towel & apply pressure (OK, I stand on it). I have a large counter, so I lay charm squares out, patting them into place. With strips, I either lay them out the same way, or drape them over the ironing board. I allow them to dry overnight. If you have the counter space, they don't even need to be ironed.

I just take my chances with pre-cuts, but I pre-wash everything else. One thing to consider is that you could have some shrinkage (probably not with batiks) and that could affect how you can use the strips in a quilt. You could test the strips for color-fastness, and if any of them shed their color then do as PaperPrincess suggests.

Please explain to me - - - -
 

For those that wash large pieces of fabric - for whatever reasons you have - and do not wash small pieces of fabric -

Why not? It seems to me that small pieces of fabric have the same attributes as large pieces of fabric - shrinkage, chemicals, bleeding, etc.


I "wash before cutting" - a very small piece of badly behaved fabric can wreak a lot of havoc.

Think seasonings while cooking - it does not take much of some spices to make (or break) a dish. Same with a small piece of fabric that has bad manners -

I would rather be "surprised" sooner than later - so I also wash scraps -

I usually do not buy pre-cuts because of the probable shrinkage when they are washed.

Thank you to all who replied! I also contacted Island Batiks direct and asked the question. I am including their reply for anyone else who might have questioned this.

Thank you for using Island Batik ! We do prewash all of our fabrics to eliminate bleeding and suggest washing in cold water only. It is not recommended to wash strips prior to use, because they will lose their shape and will fray.

I will put my trust in their reply, I am sure they know their product!

For me, it's more about raveling when washed and dried with smaller pieces. I have a rack in my dryer and can dry things on that so that they will shrink with the heat but not ravel.

With careful handling, there should be minimal raveling.

I agree that washing small pieces is a "bit of a bother" - but a dye bleed is a "major pain in the area"

I've washed strips both of the times I used them (washed by hand, spun in garment bag, hung on line). I was still able to use them as 2.5" strips, because most of the shrinkage was in the length.