Fabric, Pre-cuts to wash or not for quilting

[Susan M]

As a general rule of thumb I never wash the pre-cut fabric [strips or squares] because they will unravel but will wash the finished quilt. Washing your yardage removes the sizing, remaining dyes, etc. and it is a matter of preference for each quilter. I use several color catchers when prewashing my yardage. Color catchers are the greatest!

[Susan M]

Oops...sorry Pam forgot to answer your question. Color catchers are sheets that go in the wash only and any running color are caught on the sheet instead of travelling to other fabrics. They are found in the laundry detergent isle at most stores.

[newbee]

I have the Dr. Seuss Grinch flannel fabrics and I was just wondering whether to pre-wash. The red is making me nervous! I will have to try the Colour Catcher sheets.

[SusieQ]

I am a pre washer generally, however I recently bought some Pink Batik fabric at my local quilt shop and didn't prewash it. I was very disappointed to learn the color ran when it got wet! I was shocked since it was good fabric and I paid dearly for it. Didn't have any color catchers around but it literally ran so bad onto my white, I had to throw out the blocks I was doing and start over, so I say, always pre wash as a precautionary. I won't be making that costly mistake again hopefully!

I say all this, and I DON"T prewash precuts. I have not had ANY precuts Bleed, don't know the reasoning behind it, may be just luck on my part! LOL!

[Susan M]

SusieQ- Sorry about your quilt. My quilt was all finished when a friend told me to prewash the batiks because they normally run. I threw in about three color catchers into the wash and prayed! When the color catcher came out almost black I feared my quilt was ruined, but it was fine. They are the best ever!

[Katherine Vickery Ringo]

I don't generally pre-wash unless it is a red, dark colored, or batik fabric I'm unsure about. I never pre-wash precuts just because of the raveling.

I use Shout Color Catchers too! You can get a free sample here

If you ARE prewashing you can use Retayne to set the color into the fabric.

[Pat in HHK]

New product out - it looks like a dryer sheet but it is supposed to allow you to wash all your colored and white fabrics together in one wash and 'catches' the colors so they do not bleed into the whites in the same wash. Haven't tried it yet just saw it on tv

[bakermom]

I'm not a prewash person, definately not on precuts. I believe the makers recommend NOT prewashing. now i've never run into a problem either, with bleeding or shrinkage.

On the color catchers-they do work. A few years ago several of my kids were in food service, wearing white shirts with blacks pants. they would throw all their work clothes together in the wash to save time(they knew better but waited till the last minute to do their work clothes) the color catchers saved their white shirts from turning grey.

[Heather1967]

Wow, I didn't know that about batiks. I have never ever, not even once, pre-washed any of my fabric for my quilts. I have never ever, not even once had an issue with fabrics running. I buy high quality quilt fabric. I don't use a lot of batiks though, I never have, but I will definitely keep this in mind in case I do decide to use them one of these days.

Heather

[mrswindy4]

My local grocery store doesnt carry these, but Walmart does.