I do not pre-wash for several reasons. I live in a condo complex and do not have my own washer and dryer. For the many years I have been sewing/quilting I have never had anything bleed or shrink that really made a big difference. Like several have mentioned I love the feel of a quilted quilt that has been gently washed and dried in the dryer with its little puffiness. That is how all the quilts my mother made felt and that is just part of my love of quilting. It is just me--but even with all the reds I use I have yet to have something bleed. Then there is the issue of flannel. I don't like the feel of flannel for anything therefore I don't use it or sew anything with it. It stretches and makes too much fuzz that I don't want to deal with. Just another thought-- I was told that in the processing of making batiks there is a great deal of the product be washed, dyed, washed, dyed, etc., therefore it does not need to be pre-washed. Maybe I am wrong, but I never pre-wash batiks either. The pre-washing, ironing would take too much of my sewing time. I would rather sew.