ktbb

don't forget that starch can cause fabric to deteriorate over time...so if you plan to leave fabric in your stash for an undetermined amount of time, it's better to leave it unstarched till time to use it.

Twin Sisters

I use the color catcher, dry and starch. You can clip the corners of the fabric to help with the fraying.

MissQuilter

I wash yardage, but I have been told that when you get really good fabric at the LQS it does not really need to be washed. I have done it in the past with fat quarters and they were all so raveled up that they were hard to use. Any thoughts on this?

Edie

Like I said before if using a fat quarter like I do for fussy cutting or squares for a Sampler, I don't wash them, I take the sticker off, the cardboard out, refold it and put it away until I need it. Works like a charm, never had any problem. And I have never had a problem with any of JoAnn's fat quarters. Edie

ktbb

I think every quilter has her own preference. For quilting I'm a fabric snob and buy the best quality I can and almost always from a quilt store rather than a chain store. For that reason, I almost never prewash anything for quilting, even yardage, because I trust that it won't shrink an unusual amount, because I like the slightly crinkled/older look I get when I wash the quilt for the first time after it's finished, and, and, and....If I am given a fabric to use and I'm not sure where it came from, I wash not only that fabric, but every fabric that will go into the project with that fabric - that way all shrinkage, no matter how minimal, will occur before I cut and piece and there will be no unevenness in the final product due to one piece shrinking and another not.

If I plan to embellish my quilt with paint, dyes, or fused on (but not sewn) appliques, I prewash, since these techniques "take" better when the sizing has been washed out of the fabric.

I know that a lot of quilters love to wash then starch, and that again is a personal preference - I don't understand why I need to wash out the manufacturer sizing/starch then restarch...seems like extra work to me.

My advice? Whatever you do, be consistent in a single project...if one or two fabrics are pre-washed, then pre-wash all of them so you can keep a consistent look in the project

steelecg

I had someone tell me that putting them in a pillowcase to wash them keeps them from fraying - be sure to tie the opening shut so they don't escape

njgrl4evr

I don't usually wash my FQ BUT if I do I use one of the lingere bags (mesh ones with a zipper) and them use a short gentle cycle. MUCH LESS fraying.
I also use a Color Catcher and a generic Woolite type laundry wash.

JudyM

The only reason I wash mine is because of the colors fading into each other. I am in the process of doing a batik quilt and you cannot believe how much color came out of the fabric when I washed it. So if you don't wash the fabric, how do you know whether the colors will fade later when you wash the quilt?

peterparley

HI, AFTER RINSING IN THE SINK OR BASIN PUT THEM (a few at a time )IN A SALAD SPINNER TO RING OUT. hOT WATER TEST FOR REDS OR DARK COLORS TO FIND OUT IF THEY RUN.
REGARDS, PETERPARLEY

dlf0122quilting

I have also heard that you can spin them in a salad spinner to get most of the water out before pressing them. I do not use soap, just hot water to make sure they do not run.