ghostrider

I prewash everything before I store it. Like colors together, gentle cycle (reduces fraying), hot water (maximizes shrinking), no soap (not necessary), no dryer sheets (they interfere with the bonding ability of fusibles if I decide later to use them), and then just fold for storage. I don't iron until I'm ready to cut for a project.

I've used this system for over twenty years with no regrets at all.

Chytayzie

I wash and iron every piece of yardage before placing in my stash. I rinse with vinegar which is suppose to help fix the color. Rarely do I have a problem bleeding except for red, which I usually wash twice.

When you prewash, most/all shrinking and bleeding has already happened and there shouldn't be any surprises.

Jordan

I prewash all of my fabric in regular cycle in warm water and then hang it outside on racks to dry. I come into my house from the garage and have to go thru the laundry room so that is where I just drop by fabric and put it in the washer as soon as I have time.

grma33

This is the way i do mine also.
Rollin a towel dry with dry iron
Gale

QuiltingHaven

I agree with every washing quilter. I hand wash the jelly rolls gently and hang them up, then the charms and fat quarters go into large "hand washing" netting like bags that I purchased at WalMart (into the washing machine)and then I lay them out on a netting square (that is usually for sweaters) and pat them down and then iron them when I am ready to use them. All the big pieces are put in the washer with the delicate/warm cycle and when finished, put them in the dryer on low for 10 minutes and then hang them up to finish drying. What made me begin this (especially from the Quilting Board Smart ladies) when I had an allergic session after cutting out a batch of fabric (eyes watered, hands itched and heavy duty sneezing) when I first started quilting in 2011. From that time on, the fabric goes directly to the laundry room to be washed, dried, and folded up on styrofoam card boards, ready for me to use when I need it. Hope this helps someone.

Genden

I wash all fabric in the bathroom sink or bathtub, depending on yardage. I use hot water, let it soak for a while, change the water until it is completely clear. I then hang it on a line to dry. No fraying, no wrinkling.

BETTY62

I wash yardage in my washer and precuts by hand.

Jeanette Frantz

I cannot imagine washing fabric in the bath tub. Of course, I have a bad back, so it would be impossible for me. Even before the back issues, I serge the cut ends of the fabric (for yardage) and wash it in warm to hot water, a little soap (not much) and dry it in the dryer. I iron all of the fabric at one time. I've had problems with several pieces of fairly expensive fabric, but especially the reds. The first time I encountered the "bleeding" problem was in 2010. I was making a whole-cloth embroidered quilt with red borders. The red fabric bled rivers, even after I washed it. I've tried all of the home remedies, vinegar, epsom salts, etc., and none of that worked. The reason for that is that the dyes used today by fabric manufacturers is NOT organic, it's totally chemical; therefore, the organic remedies just don't work. Also, another reason for pre-washing everything is shrinkage. Cotton fabric will shrink. Obviously the more expensive fabrics should shrink less, but if fabric is going to bleed or shrink, I'd prefer that those things be brought to light BEFORE I start cutting out a quilt. Also, discretion is the better part of valor, so when I wash a quilt, or a recipient of one of my quilts does so, I use and advise my quilt recipients to use Color Catchers. If I have a fabric that bleeds, I treat it with a laundry treatment which is a dye fixative which almost always works. Even after the fabric has been treated, I test it to make sure it no longer bleeds. If it does, I don't use it. I cannot afford to have a quilt be ruined by a bleeding fabric. We all put too much time planning, and expense in making a quilt to have that quilt ruined by a bleeding fabric. I know that treating a fabric that bleeds is a lot of work, but I'd rather spend that time and effort on treating the fabric, than spend it making something that might be ruined in this manner. I wash everything because I want the shrinkage issue resolved before rather than after I've done all that work. JMHO!

Jcarpentier

Thanks again for the lovely advice!

Sewnoma

This is exactly what I do too, except that I do add some soap to the wash. I figure it might help get some of the chemicals out. Like someone else said, I don't plan on babying the quilt, so I don't want to baby the fabrics along either!

I try to only damp-dry the fabric in the dryer and then hang it for that last bit of drying. If I completely dry it in the dryer, I seem to end up with creases that don't want to come out with the iron later. But if I hang it up damp, it dries much flatter.