Dolphyngyrl

I just absolutely love this solution because I never started washing, would definitely not wash precuts

sewellie

They make hosiery bags, buy at grocery store, cheesecloth and put the pieces in there. They don't get tanged and it works. Cheap

QuiltingCrazie

I never prewash either and never had an issue. Use a color catcher is all I say.

quilterella

Not everyone prewashes. We have had many a discussion about it on the forum and every time you get alot of feedback about both methods. My suggestion would be "skip the tangled prewash mess and carry on" I never prewash and I have never had a bleeder yet, but, I also use ColourCatchers in my wash.

Jackie Spencer

I never pre-wash my fabrics, and have never had any problems. If I'm not going to enter my finished quilt in a show, I wash it after it is completed.

CoyoteQuilts

I never wash pre-cuts..... Use color catchers after it is together if you are worried.

Also, some time ago the light bulb went off and I realized that the fabric didn't need 1/2 hour of agitation to get the stabilizer/stiffner out of it. I always use the shortest and easiest cycle on the machine now and have very little loose threads. Works like a charm!

Good luck.

Kitsie

HOSIERY BAGS DON'T HELP!!!! Found out that yesterday! Was finding that the black fabric I'm using seemed to shrink while I was using it (maybe steam pressing?) So I thought I'd better wash the 12 1 1/2" strips I'd cut for the borders. WRONG!!!
Did manage to unravel and straighten it, but , boy, does black tend to unravel more that other colors! Usually I don't pre-wash either, just a brief dunk in light starch.

Writergrrl

I pre-wash reds and blacks just cause I'm a scaredy-cat when it comes to those colors. I don't pre-wash any precuts, though. I can't even imagine what would happen to my cute charm packs if I did.

Bonbonary

If it's a color that might bleed, you can just rinse it in the sink. It's not necesary to use the machine and agitate the fabric which would cause fraying on the edges.

thepolyparrot

If I'm using pre-cuts, I don't launder any of the fabrics for that quilt and I don't use steam in the iron during construction of the blocks or top. That way, they're all going to shrink - but not until after the quilt is finished and laundered.

I'm pretty much giving up precuts though. I've found that I prefer laundering the fabric and then starching the heck out of it - it helps me keep the blocks precise.

I also like using the shot of steam when pressing open the seams, and if you do that to fabric that hasn't been washed, your block will shrivel and shrink, usually unevenly.

It's a lot of extra work, but at least I'm not pulling my hair out because the blocks are coming out different sizes. I've been using a lot of Civil War repros and there is a HUGE amount of difference in the shrinkage from one brand to another or maybe even from one line to another. I would lose the teeny little bit that's left of my mind to go to all the trouble with these CW quilts that I do only to have them come out of the final laundering looking all wonky and wavy.