New Quilter! How important is it to wash fabric before sewing? Are Charm packs washed?
New Quilter! How important is it to wash fabric before sewing? Are Charm packs washed?
People have lots of different opinions on this topic. Usually I don't, but for my son's wedding quilt, which will mix batiks and regular quilting cottons, I will be pre washing is Retayne and Synthrapol to set the dyes and prevent bleeding later. Usually, though, I just use the Color Catchers the first time something is washed.
Marci
I have never pre-washed. Especially with charms. I think they would come apart. I don't think fabric fades, shrinks and such as much as it used to.
Bob
(If all the pieces fit perfectly, people will think it was made by a machine!) LOL
I prewash all flannels but would never prewash charm packs or any precuts, I don't prewash my cotton yardage either.
I wash all of my fabric except precuts and flannel. I like to use flannel for rag quilts and it frays better if not prewashed. I never had any problem with colors bleeding, so far!
You will get lots of opinions but I think we will all agree on not pre washing precuts.
April
I never prewash the precuts, like charm squares. I rarely prewash at all, but I did prewash the yardage for some children's quilts. In my mind, I wanted to make sure the fabric wouldn't run and that it would hold up to washing, as a child's quilt probably gets washed more frequently. If I have some dark colored fabrics, and I want to make sure they won't bleed, I will snip off a piece, put it in a jar of water with some detergent added. I shake it up and then leave it in the jar for about 30 minutes to see if there is any bleeding. I have never used color catchers, but I will be trying that when I wash my grandson's quilt.
I prewash all fabric except pre cuts.
Iris Girl = April = fabric, Fabric FABRIC!!
Time spent with cats is never wasted.
Sigmund Freud
I don't pre wash anything, ever. That said, if I decided to mix an old fabric with a new one then I would wash all just because shrinkage would probably be different.
Terri
I never prewash good quilting fabric. i do prewash Joanne or Walmart fabric for curtains or whatever. It is the feel of the material.
I wash nothing until it is finished. Including flannel. I've only had trouble once with some black off brand fabric and color catchers took care of it.