pre-wash?

[scrappydoo]

Hello I am new to the whole quilting thing and haven't sewn much ever. I have done a few rag purses and sweatshirt but that's about it. I have always been a paper kind of girl, but am pursing new interests now. I have purchased some fabric to begin my first quilt and was wondering if I should pre-wash the fabric or not? It is yardage from different companies/lines. Also would should I pre-wash my fat quarters and charm packs? Thanks for your help!

[Karen in Kentucky]

Re: pre-wash?

This is a tough question for many. Some quilters will tell you to ALWAYS wash and then there are those like me who do not. I try to purchase really good quilting fabric. So far, I've never washed anything. When I do wash though, I use a product I buy at the grocery store called Color Catchers which absorb any dye that is released into the water.

I have been told to wash colors such as reds and blacks since they are more likely to run. I probably would do that.

No, I would not wash any precuts. If you purchased good quality fabrics from companies such as Moda, you shouldn't have any problems.

[suzette58]

Re: pre-wash?

I do not pre-wash my fabric either. I like to wash my quilts after the last stitch. Then it looks "old" cause the fabric has all shrunk together. I read one time that if part of the fabric is pre-washed, then it all should be. That's what I do.

[rebeccas-sewing]

Re: pre-wash?

I agree about pre-cuts. If you're purchasing high quality fabric pre-cuts I don't think it's necessary. However, if you don't know the quality of the fabric you're using make sure to take a test piece and put it in a bowl of hot, soapy water. Agitate it with your hands for a bit. If no dye comes out you can be pretty safe to assume the fabric won't bleed in the machine.

I just made a quilt that had some deep turquoise flannel in it. Even after washing it, I had bleeding problems and almost ruined the quilt. It was really weird. I used white flannel on the back. It bled on the back in just a few places on the stitching lines from the quilting. I ended up using bleach on a q-tip to get it out, but when I rinsed out the bleach it bleached the front of the quilt. It's a children's quilt so I made really cute flannel flowers from a tutorial I discovered and sewed them onto the front of the quilt. Looks adorable but what a pain in the neck. BY THE WAY, I USED DYE CATCHER IN THE MACHINE!!!!! It absorbed some of the dye but obviously not enough.

My advice - don't take chances with anything except high quality fabric. Better to be safe than sorry.

Another piece of advice for washing by-the-yard fabrics - use pinking shears on your raw edges before washing. You should have less fraying. If you have a serger, serging the edges is the way to go.