butterflywing

i don't think so, but some people are allergic to them. like my son. he gets a rash from one of the ingredients.

lclang

I never prewash fabrics unless they are reds which I do the hot water on a small piece type of check. Never had any black run or any trouble with any other colors. The one fabric I always wash without fail is the flannels. They shrink at different rates and can cause no end of problems if not prewashed.

Gerbie

Please pre wash and use some retayne so colors won't run and ruin you quilts when you do wash them. I prewashed fab. for my daughter's wedding ring quilt and thought they would be o.k., but no, when the quilt was washed, there was still some bleed from a green fab.. I am still trying to get that out. I didn't know about retayne then, and now when I am getting fab. ready to quilt with I use it. Hopefully when it is a quilt and is washed there will be no more bleed. I will wash several times for dark colors in the future.

Peggy

I SOAK EACH FABRIC INDIVIDUALLY. A FRIEND DESCRIBES THIS PROCESS AS "MARINATING" THE FABRIC. AT TIMES, I HAVE SEVERAL BOWLS OF 1 YARD OR LESS FABRIC SOAKING ON MY KITCHEN BAR!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANYTHING OVER A YARD, I USE MY LARGE LAUNDRY ROOM SINK.

I STILL GET CRINKLES!!!!!!!!!!!

I CANNOT CONCEIVE OF NOT TREATING MY FABRIC BEFORE I USE IT. NONE OF MY QUILTS HAVE EVER SHRUNK EVEN WHEN THEY WERE WASHED IN HOT WATER (ALLERGIES) NOR HAVE ANY OF MY QUILTS EVER BEEN RUINED BECAUSE THE DYES RAN.
I BELIEVE IN THE OLD SAYING "ANYTHING WORTH DOING IS WORTH DOING WELL." SO I WILL CONTINUE WITH MY METHOD AS IT DEFINITELY WORKS FOR ME.

SuzyM

The first thing I do after buying fabric is wash it before it even goes into my stash. I don't want to take the chance of ruining a quilt that I worked so hard on. Also I don't like the feel of the chemicals that are left on the fabric from the manufacturer.

dsb38327

I have been sloppy and hap-hazzard with my work until this year. I had the come-what-may 'I'm just learning' attitude. I have been very very lucky. Nothing has been ruined, but I may now know why some of my quilts were square before I washed the finished quilt and not square after I washed the finished quilt.
I have been converted and will be washing everything as it comes in the door.

piffle

I washed after much of the same dilema. I cut a small triangle before washing, on each corner. that way I know what has been washed and what has not. I had to do the original unwashed ones also. Lots of work, but now they get washed as soon as they come in from the store. No brown quilts for me. :-)

pjofnh

I don't prewash because I like the added stiffness to the fabric making it easier to use and it stretches less, plus the added "bug retardant" that most mfgs put in their fabric to prevent bugs while storing to be sold. If I work on a project and then abandon it for a while I don't worry about bugs taking up residence in my work.

I have had only one quilt bleed when I washed it, and it was a brilliant red hue that bled. But I rewashed (BEFORE drying) with a little Synthropol and it washed out. I hand dye fabrics and Synthropol is designed to remove excess dye.

As for shrinkage I don't know as I never dry in the dryer, just outside on a line or layed on clean sheets on the grass.

bearisgray

I make quilts for little kids.

I assume that their moms will throw the quilt in the washer and dryer and not be overly concerned with dye catchers. Especially if it had just been puked or pooped on.

piffle

HI there, I have found MAry Ellen's Best Press, which is an alternative to starch, to iron my pieces before using. Love the small amt of stiffness which assures me that the pieces cut more accurately, and definately hold better to go together better.
I guess being an older quilter with older ideas, now hanging with younger gals using newer ideas, has helped me to really grow and produce much nicer articles. So it takes a bit more time, but no problems now.
Back to my starching, it is very controvertial, some like it, some def do not, I find especially applique pieces are so much easier to do needle turn, and other types of applique after being starched.
Botto line is I would wash initialy, then a little bit of starch or alternative when I iron. Ms Piffle