BEGINNER QUILTING - SHOULD YOU PREWASH YOUR FABRIC? Part 1 - SHRINKAGE...THE WHEN AND WHY

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

It was really interesting looking at when and where quilts shrink. I was surprise and shocked at what I found and am happy to share the results. Please share your thoughts below...but be kind :)

[@TheJeniferh]

I used to wash my fabric but not anymore. I found that the fabric became misshapen after it dried. Your video was informative, accurate and entertaining as per usual, Karen. Thanks for your time and effort.

[@helenmurphree3434]

I have always wanted to do this. Thank you for sharing your results. I will post the video on my Facebook page for my customers. I do long-Arm quilting.

[@core88]

Thank you for this video. You must be a fast quilter! I learned form your experiment. Now I have some deciding to do.

[@crochetedlace2838]

Very useful information. Thanks. Sometimes you need to wash charm squares or other small pieces due to soiling or special mending project. I heard hand washing in hot water, then use a salad spinner! ( Tip From SewVeryEasy I believe.)

[@jjudy5869]

I prewash. Quilting is what you do with the leftover fabric from garment making. Yes, I'm that old. Spending the time to make a garment, wash it and it not fit anymore is soul-crushing. The reason your second quilt top had puckering is because of uneven shrinkage. Warp and weft of fabric shrink at different rates, so as you turned the pieces of fabric to get the design, you change the direction of the warp and weft of each piece.

[@catherinemclaughlin6949]

I always pre wash

[@Allikattoo]

I don't quilt but my Great Grandmother did and I used to sit beside her while she did. She always prewashed and I loved seeing the fabrics blowing in the wind while they dried on the clothes line. I love watching the quilting channels it reminds me of the hours I sat with my Granny while she made her quilts she made lots of quilts out of our old clothes, those always hold special memories.

[@louisacapell]

It is for this reason alone that you must pre-wash. I can't tell you how many things that have been ruined by not pre washing, just in my home, before I learned.

[@manateeka]

Me too, and I always buy a little bit extra fabric so it won't shrink too small for whatever I'm making. Soul-crushing too!

[@user-mv9tt4st9k]

LOL. I agree. Or your fabric does not wash well. I learned the hard way.

[@cathyrowe594]

My daughter in law made her very first quilt (a TEENY-TINY 9 patch baby quilt!) & unfortunately used 1 really cheap, loosely woven fabric in it. She was soooo proud to show me how pretty the finished quilt was. Couple days later she called me crying because when she washed it, the quilt shrank & that cheap fabric ripped out seams all over the quilt!!! 😭 She is now an ardent pre- shrinker!

[@pamelacarter-wiley2644]

A presenter at one of my quilt guilds recently was an ICU nurse with a sensitivity to formaldehyde that is frequently used in hospitals. She said that many fabrics are treated with it at the factory and she reacts when handling it. Whether or not one does, it’s still not a substance most of us like thinking about having on our skin. In addition, many cotton fabrics also contain pesticide residue from the field as well as the chemicals and dyes that you mention are added to them in the fabrication, some of which are possible carcinogens. This information has me seriously considering washing yardage although as you say doing so with precuts would make them almost unusable. Thank you Karen for another great & informative video.

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

There are still two video's to do FABRIC BLEEDING and CLEANING...but I need to do some research first.

[@Nobody-wu7tv]

I’ve been learning there are ways to clean precuts too. Put them in laundry bags on a gentle cycle. Hot or cold will determine level of shrinkage. Hot will obviously get the excess dye and bad chemicals out better. Alternative there’s a great video showing washing in a bowl and spinning in a salad spinner.

[@pegasusquilts]

​@@Nobody-wu7tv absolutely. I do this all the time.

[@marlenejones6266]

Is the only answer to not use precuts? I order a lot of fat quarters. I have never ordered a layer cake or jelly roll or any other zany labeled fabric package of fabric. I thought I was nuts when I heard a woman in a post say she used a layer cake in her quilt. I thought she meant t the color of her birthday cake. Lol. I am 75. I have yet to make a quilt. But I am watching n reading. I have 2 yards of one dark fabric and one yard of my favorite pink with eiffel tower printed on it. Im ordering another yard of the eiffel tower fabric. Im doing the quakulating on what I can make with 4 yards. But alas I cannot Machine shrink since I live in apartment with no washing machine or dryer. I could wash it all by hand but I know drying in a machine is what really shrinks the fabric

[@marlenejones6266]

​@pegasusquilts which do u do all the time? Wash them in a bag or do the salad spinner thing? I needs to know cuz I have no washing machine or dryer

[@mallorybradshaw8990]

I loved the masking tape visual for shrinkage. Really interesting results!!

[@creativecompanion]

6:47 Green Tape

[@jenniferevans8026]

This was VERY informative! I love that you actually took the time to make the quilt 3 different ways and examined the results! Thank you for this!

[@MariaLuciaGomezGreenberg]

BTW I am a prewasher. I love how it minimizes the lint in, out of my machine and keeps my allergies under control. Most of the shrinkage is done, and I love sewing the softer fabric. To each its own. M🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Frances_LNofTROY1]

I am the same as you. I make quilts to be used, so eventually, people will need to wash them. I prefer to pre-wash the fabrics, this way, there will be no shrinkage surprise once others wash their quilts. I also have tons of allergies, and fabrics straight from the shops have some chemicals that are not agreeing with me!

[@sdv1967]

Me too

[@denisepettit8534]

Thank you for the extra information. I have been leaning towards prewash for my first quilt. I don't want the shrinkage afterwards but I like reds and I have been concerned with the bleeding. Now with your sharing info I think my instinct of prewash will hold.

[@kaylanek1]

I have two questions for you because I am new to quilting so I’m trying to learn 😂 One do you do anything to the edge for freying (how to spell?) and two do you wash more than one piece together?

[@AdiarraS]

Crinklefication IS A THING! I LOVE when it's time to wash and dry, and run my hands over the crinkley goodness that is the quilt! Great video! I rarely wash before I quilt. I basically quilt by the Pirate Code. “The code is more what you’d call ‘guidelines’ than actual rules.”lol. The things I make most often are pillowcases, baby quilts, and lap quilts, that tend to be 60" square or smaller, ( I go for 60" ish lol.), so the shrinking only adds to the crinklefication, IMO. Now if I was quilting something that NEEDED to be a specific size or was for a show, I'd be more particular and likely wash first, but shows just really aren't my jam, and people who make clothing are wizards, whom I greatly admire, lol.

[@tacksscherbo7771]

Cheryl -- Aye me matie!! Quoting from Pirates of the Caribbean, eh???

[@wendywilson1736]

Shows aren't my thing either. I also regard patterns and directions as Suggestions, rather than hard, fast rules. I stopped making clothes, anymore, just quilting, or small projects. People saying "we must do this or that" about Our projects is just regarded as their opinion I don't choose to follow. I haven't had any distortion other than I cut, or pieced it wonkily.

[@AnnBirchard]

"Flimsy" - never heard of a quilt top referred to as such. For the most part, I prewash my fabric except for the jelly rolls. Saves on the headache if anything decides to bleed. Thank you for another outstanding video! Aloha

[@robyn3349]

A new term for me too, charming!

[@mischaderby5746]

I never pre-wash and love the "antique" crinklefication! I feel validated because I always wondered what I was sacrificing. Thanks Karen...and thanks for always being kind 😁

[@bellemeri8155]

I prewash all my fabric/washable notions (save thread) unless it's very small pieces - like what you call charm packs - but then I'm a seamstress first (mostly modern clothing with a dash of historical reproduction stuff). I only recently got into quilting to use up the epic stash boxes of leftover stuff. I've been trying to decide if I want to prewash the quilt batting that I plan on using or not since crinkling when you don't prewash interfacing is horrendous! I'd live in fear of that happening with quilt batting.

[@judyreid4716]

I would have liked to have seen the shrinkage on a test where you prewashed the fabrics for the top and the backing and where you preshrunk the batting. That is what I do and get very little crinkling as I don’t like my quilts to crinkle. Look forward to more of your testing videos.

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

All fabrics for the quilts #2 and #3 were pre-washed, Top, back and binding. But perhaps I need to do one with prewashed batting too. Good idea

[@lannalane4247]

I have a small collection of old quilts. The ones that are crinkled tend to wear. Not in the stitching, which is a close area, but on the fabric that is puffed a little. That part ends up faded and is the part that wears out first.

[@rachelstone9026]

Fantastic video, this logical approach to the "whys" behind quilting are invaluable to a new quilter like me! Thank you, Karen for going to such lengths to put this together - keep your information rich content coming, it is needed & appreciated!

[@kathyf3656]

I pre-wash when I bring something home for shrinkage and to get rid of free dye and chemicals. Only then does it go on my shelf. I also don't do tight, fancy FMQ quilting because that causes additional shrinkage (and waste from all that you have to add in backing and batting before quilting that you have to cut off afterwards). Tight quilting also makes the quilt stiff and hard, like a furniture moving pad. I prefer soft, fluffy, and cuddly.

[@carolschedler3832]

Thank you for sharing that tidbit about tight(er) quilting. Haven't tried it but makes me much less likely to do so.

[@kathyf3656]

@@carolschedler3832 I make mostly quilts for babies and children and I like them soft and well-used. Fancy stitching may be fine for wall hangings and quilt show entries, but not for me. My one and only experience with a LAQ was a disaster, I didn't know what to ask and she ignored what instructions I did give. She even tried to change out my expensive wool batting for poly to make it easier on her. After months of making over 250 hexies for the front of a full size quilt and a completely different pattern for the reversible back, the LAQ did a tight meander that made the quilt hard and stiff. I was embarrassed to gift it, but I had a deadline and no time to take out all the stitching. Never again. I'll do my own method of quilting, use quilt-as-you-go, and be happy that the quilt is one my grandkids cuddle with in front of the TV.

[@carolschedler3832]

@@kathyf3656 thanks for sharing your experience! I've only made two quilts and that was 35 years ago. I may dip my foot back in!

[@xanora24]

Each time a go to a fabric store a get a nasty rush on my hands, arms, neck and legs if I wear short pants. So yes, I prewash. You will be astonishing if you know the amount of chemicals they have in a factory fabric. One of my aunties and my grandma they used to work in a thread factory, and they always had rush on their arms. That thread was either sold as a sewing thread or for factories fabric. My grandma past away and short time after that my auntie left the factory cause she start to have an allergy like asthma, 4 months after leaving the factory she fully recovered.

[@Lillyk96]

I absolutely agree about washing dye and chemicals off of your fabric. Modern fabrics are more color fast than they used to be, but it would be heart breaking if one of the fabrics on a quilt bled and ruined the rest! For quilting, I actually kinda like the feeling of tight quilting, though I can understand why you wouldn't want it for kids, it just has this sort of rope texture that I love.

[@rwind656]

The way you approached this is extremely useful. You give me the tools to make choices. Thank you! Looking forward to the continuing series.

[@mamas_quilts3573]

Karen is my favorite Brainiac😍 !

[@lianafeeser7868]

"You give me the tools to make choices." Oh, that is fantastically put!

[@arlinenash8690]

Hello Friend! I'm a pre-wash girl. Always. ALWAYS!!! It doesn't really belong to me or in my stash boxes until I've washed and pressed it flat again. Call it the initiation process. Tip? Serge your edges before pre-washing. Saves a heap of angst and mess. If you need that wee bit on the side that the stitches have gobbled up, you can easily remove them. Totally worth it. Another thing. And yes, we can still be friends, even if we're on different sides. ;-) I RARELY buy pre-cuts. I prefer to have lots of scraps and I adore scrappy quilts so...there you have it! The Whole Crayon Box Girl! That's me! LOL!

[@CalieFaeryl]

I pretty much use second hand fabrics, as in they come from clothing I or anyone else no longer wear. Since this is what I use, the issue of washing is not a consideration. I also tend to blend fabrics as a result, so any quilt I make is made up of several types of fabrics.

[@wendywilson1736]

Interesting! What types of fabric do you mix in your projects?

[@CalieFaeryl]

@@wendywilson1736 I try to stick with fabrics that are the same thickness, or close to the same thickness. I also try to make sure stretch goes with stretch and not mix with non stretch as that warps the dimensions of the quilt. Most of the time though I use sheets (heavy weight one's not the thin light weight ones) and all the denim I can get my hands on lol though did go through a spell of using a ton of tshirts to make light weight throws.

[@sunneedaze57]

Thank you so much for the comparison!! I prewash everything because I have a grand daughter who is very reactive to unwashed fabric. I have made two baby quilts using jelly rolls, I washed the tops as soon as I finished them and kept the jelly rolls away from my other fabric. I appreciate your real results!

[@Wannaloom]

Not a prewasher, and I think I’ll stay that way. 😊 Love when a quilt comes out of the dryer the very first time and it’s all crinkly and soft!

[@azflower7748]

Exactly!

[@patparson4013]

Me too.

[@lisagorski5116]

Great explanations and examples. I'm on the pre-wash side of the debate. As most of my quilts are gifts that I hope the recipient will use, I want them to be able to wash items without fear of colors running or shrinking. The downside is not being able to use all of those wonderful pre-cut collections. As with most debates, it's a trade-off with no absolute"right way" :)

[@Tam-te5nh]

Lisa Gorski i tend to wash the quilts I make before giving them away just to see what will happen. I’d rather find out before the recipient does - I would hate for them to feel like they ruined the quilt too!!

[@jmarylastone]

I always prewash yardage because I make dresses/shirts/pants (using the leftover for quilts) and if it is going to go any kind of wonky I want to know before I spend the time making a garment

[@tmoore1144]

The first person I took a free motion quilting class from always pre-washed. Not only did she pre-wash her fabrics but also her batting. She wanted as little crinkling as possible as her quilts were pictorial.

[@Marialla.]

I've never heard of prewashing batting before! I assumed it would fall apart without the quilt sandwich around it. Are there any tips to be aware of before washing batting to help it come out well?

[@mariettedemarest5173]

@@Marialla. just soak it then spin dry. Don't agitate it.

[@gloriagates6976]

Thanks for doing this Karen you've convinced me you've converted me to being a prewash because I can see that it works better because it seems like there's a lot more problems when you don't thanks ever so much hugs to you hun

[@libbywilson1807]

Thank you Karen, when I was taught to quilt years ago -everything was prewashed, so now the majority of my stash is prewashed. However that was long before the invention of pre cuts which I absuloutley love now. So now I just make sure that I do all one thing or all another; this means I can’t use my stash as efficiently and have to buy more fabric when I use precuts. The main concern I gave now is colour bleeding -I make a lot of blue quilts and still find the navy dyes,no matter the country of origin the most unstable. Thank you for comparing the three quilts- I would never had the patience for that- very interesting results.

[@GrrannyH1]

Use color catchers in the first wash of the quilt, or soak it in water with DAWN detergent to remove extra dye and then wash. If colors do run, soak again with DAWN or wash again with color catchers, but NEVER dry in dryer until all the color is where it is supposed to be.

[@libbywilson1807]

GrrannyH1 thank you- I will try this

[@Qsquires]

Thank you for the great wash test! First time I have seen anything as in depth.

[@carmenbailey8209]

Wow, I wouldn’t have thought that there would be that much shrinking, three inches is a lot. Thanks for sharing 👍❤️😊

[@melegellner44]

This has been THE BEST video that provides an explanation and demonstration on prewashing!! Thank you soooo much!!

[@cathys2815]

I just discovered you today, and I love your videos! I am a beginner quilter and made the same first five mistakes you did. I've done projects with pre-washing and without pre-washing. I prefer the pre-washed fabric. It is softer, and I don't have to be concerned as much about colors running together onto each other on the finished quilt. I use a pinking rotary cutter blade prior to washing. I just cut a very small strip on the non-selvage sides of the fabric, and then there is almost no fraying from the wash and dry process. Then I starch and iron the fabric prior to cutting. Works great for me!

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

👍

[@joyceschroeder2769]

Thanks for this research! I am in the "always prewashed" camp, for many reasons. But this shrinkage issue wasn't one of them ... until now. As usual, you have provided insights in a thoughtful, reasoned fashion, and this old dog learned a new trick or two today. (And I love the non-judgmental way you go about presenting the information! I always feel you teach me something without making me feel "part of the conspiracy" against other quilters who do things differently than what you're teaching. So refreshing!)

[@marylong8780]

I have been quilting for over twenty -five years (hand quilting) and I learn something new in each of your videos. Thank you.

[@cherisseepp5332]

I’ve always been a fan of completing a quilt before washing because I love the antique look of the completed quilt after washing. My grandmother was a “wash first” quilter. She never could understand my love of an old looking quilt. Growing up, her mother would never have stood for that, it would be considered not presentable, and that’s what my grandmother grew up to believe as well.

[@m53goldsmith]

I'm in the no-pre-wash camp, but was really surprised that a quilt shrinks 10% when washed after finishing. As I want my quilts to be "washable" by the intended recipient, I now need to factor in that 10% when sizing my finished quilt. Looks like more borders may be in order! ;-)

[@dcinrb8538]

Babies and toddlers tend to chew on their quilts. I pre-wash most times. Charm packs (for wall hangings & table runners) get a pass. Fabric scraps from sewing clothes are pre-washed. The shrinkage and chemicals are my reasons for pre-washing. My Mom would probably add red or dark blues to the list as well. Shhh, I don't discuss this with other quilters. 😎🐱🌵

[@donnaduguay7532]

Thank you Karen for taking the time out of your busy schedule for doing this video. I've been sewing since I was 13 ( now 66) and have always washed my fabrics. In the last year I've was told I didn't need to wash my quilt fabric unless it's a dark blue or red that might run , and so was advised to do a small sample test. I've made 2 quilts with non washed fabrics for other people.Before making these quilts I had started a quilt for myself but had pre washed all the fabric.and are now just getting the chance to start the binding. I've been told that if you start with all washed fabric that you continue with all washed fabric. A person I know who quilts says that she never washes her fabric and when she first washes her quilts she adds 1 cup of white vinegar to the wash and has had no bleeding. Just thought I would put that out there. Thanks again Karen 💕

[@donnaduguay7532]

I meant to say smashing not binding. Lol

[@Marialla.]

I've always prewashed because I was taught that you HAVE to do it that way! But I honestly missed and longed for the soft crinkles that I remember from my mother's old quilts. I never knew this was what I was missing! I'll still prewash garment fabrics of course, but my next intention is to buy new quilt fabric and not wash it at all, and gather me up some delicious puckery goodness in a quilt full of cushiony crinkles!

[@susanvoth5831]

Okay, this episode is an eye opener! I’m a wash it before using it kind of quilter (except for precuts), so the end of the segment when you compared shrinkage really got my attention. I’ve been thinking of not washing my fabric but now I’m leaning toward keeping my washing practice as is. One take-away is not to use a combo of washed and unwashed fabric in a quilt - all or nothing at all.

[@erzsblasfantaven3334]

I love how methodical you are

[@marilynbook4211]

I am a washer mainly because I started sewing years ago doing clothing and shrinkage after sewing a garment is not good. I do not pre-wash fat quarters or smaller but then again I do not do a whole quilt with fat quarters.

[@jenniferpearce1052]

What kind of results do you get when you mix yardage & precuts? Or do you avoid that? I don't prewash because I don't want to cause a weird puckering where one section shrinks but another is preshrunk.

[@cynthiastark7258]

Jennifer Pearce you pre wash fabric for sewing garments. Never pre wash pre cuts. I don’t pre wash backing for quilt because I really like the puckering in the quilt.

[@jenniferpearce1052]

@@cynthiastark7258 Not what I was asking. If you prewash yardage for quilting, but not precuts, what happens when you make a quilt that uses both? Rarely does a pattern using precuts not include something that would come from yardage. Or, if you have a pattern that uses precuts, do you choose to not prewash the accompanying yardage?

[@Ronibearable]

Crinkles, crinkles and more crinkles... I love the crinkles and therefore don't prewash. I DO however prewash Flannel. Like for baby quilts because flannel shrinks more than quilting cotton. Learned that the hard way, made a receiving blanket, washed it and it turned into a doll blanket. ha ha.

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

I too made that mistake. I think flannel is woven loser so that the thread count is less. Thanks for watching

[@emmonstrex65]

I have never seen an actual comparison- thank you. For me, I do not prewash my fabrics. I will, especially when using white and red, sometimes blue (batiks too) wash a quilt before giving it away- just to make sure that the color doesn't run. Yes- I actually never thought of the shrinkage, my fears are based on color. Anyway, I always wash on gentle, cold , and throw in a couple of color catches. To date, I've had some catchers turn purple, but none of my colors have run. I especially like the shrinkage as it makes the quilting "pop". I do see on social networks tales of woe, with pictures, of color running and ruining hours, sometimes weeks, of careful piecing, expensive quilting, and hopes and dreams smash- it's always a stressful time, waiting on the washing machine to finish. Thanks again for this video- and for putting the time and energy into the experiment.

[@carylhalfwassen8555]

emmonstrex65 Recently I was pre washing a red Kona cotton yardage. I washed it in warm water with he detergent 3 times before the color catcher was only a very faint pink. I used 6 color catchers.

[@janeduggan651]

Thank you for your dedication to research and report your information. Have a blessed day.

[@fritzsparky]

Thank you for doing the comparison of the three options of pre-wash or not.

[@dianaedgington8009]

Loved your thorough comparisons. I am a pre-wahsher, mostly because I always have been. Can not replace that stash after some 30 years. I would include panel quilts in the do not prewash category, the shrinkage can really mess up cutting out all the cute little blocks and borders that go with them.

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

Great point

[@carylhalfwassen8555]

Diana Edgington For panels, soak in sink, press out excess water then put panel in a salad spinner to remove excess water. May need to spin several times to extract the most water. Remove, lay the panel flat to dry.

[@dianaedgington8009]

Caryl Halfwassen will have to give this a try, but will put it to Karen’s masking tape test!

[@pamlarkin5405]

@@dianaedgington8009 so what was the result?

[@dianaedgington8009]

@@pamlarkin5405 to be honest I have not tried yet!

[@sallyseidel5924]

This was super- interesting! I love your science projects!! I've always pre-shrunk my quilting fabric; I'm quite allergic to sizing chemicals. Even going into fabric stores is difficult! 😭 boo!!

[@wendywilson1736]

I wish there was a Care button on this. I know what you mean about allergies to those chemicals. That is why I don't plan on buying anymore fabric, but use what I have, in scraps. The chemicals have worn off, but I still have so many scraps, enough to last a lifetime.💁‍♀️

[@chevydude658]

I really like your videos! Your pressing video saved my quilting soul! Hallelujah!!!!!

[@GrainneDhu]

I really enjoy your videos! I do a lot more garment making than quilting, so I always wash at least twice--I wash until the fabric doesn't show any further shrinkage. With some fabrics, that's two wash cycles, with others it can be as many as five. This works for me because I live way out about 10 miles north of the middle of nowhere (you have to take a gravel road to get to my gravel road) and the closest dry cleaner I know of is is almost 40 miles away. I'm willing to handwash (I also knit) but I want the ease of being able to throw the majority of my clothes into the washing machine. I actually enjoy pressing and ironing. I put on music or an audio book and let my mind drift as I go. I enjoy the different textures under my hands as the fabric goes from wrinkled to smooth. It's a predictable way for me to put myself in the moment. For garment fabrics that I think may tend to slip or wriggle as I sew, I may iron it with a light starch for extra body. I mostly abide by my grandfather's dictum: if I need more than 5 pins, I need to hand baste (he was a bespoke tailor in England until WWII). Fortunately, I find hand basting equally as soothing as ironing. As for fraying, I usually French seam the two ends of yardage together. I probably lose as much in the French seams as I would to ravelling but I just have this visceral reaction to wads of thread hanging from my yardage. For fat quarters, I zigzag around the cut edges with one side of the stitches just barely catching the fabric edge.

[@vickiewilliams3259]

Thanks for the great video! I hardly ever prewash. I'm OK with the shrinkage and I like crinklefication - it gives the quilt texture and personality. And you're right - it hides those quilting mistakes better (not that I ever make any).

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

👍

[@gg110888]

Excellent video! Thanks so much for all the time and effort you put in to this. I was of the not prewash group...and I think I’ll stay there. :)

[@LauraDickenson]

I love your analytical approach to quilting! And especially that you coin your own terms - crinkle-fication is hilarious.

[@mamas_quilts3573]

I want the sizing on it...i don't wash first...but I respect others no matter what😍

[@ginaordonez9371]

I serge my fabric before washing. Less fraying.

[@amyreich2524]

I've pre-washed & also left fabric unwashed before quilting. But I have noticed (like you) that the quilts are softer & more "homey" when prewashed. I knew there was shrinkage & crinklefication, but was surprised at the 15%! I usually buy fabric & cut my own quarters or strips so I think I'll continue to prewash! Thanks for showing us the actual results of your experiment!

[@melanie_luv2_sew]

Great great video. I come from garment sewing (24yrs). I have always pre-washed natural fabrics for shrinkage and bleeding. As I moved into quilt making a year ago, I have carried over the pre-washing for the same reasons. To me, it is a good habit and basically just makes sense. I have no judgement or unkind words for those that do not pre-wash. It is a personal choice. Keeping in mind, I always use yardage. I do understand that charm packs and jellyrolls are from a line of fabric and handle differently that using fabrics from yardage, which is most likely to not be from the same line of fabric.

[@tammygohl3982]

I like #1 I do wash my fabric if it is dark but I find the better the fabric the less it runes when it is washed how ever I use flannel for the backs of most of my quilts and I pre washed a red flannel back 5 times and I thought I was good but no I maid a quilt about 60 X 80 and when I washed the res ran all over the quilt and ruined the whole quilt it was a gift so I spent the next few days working on a new quilt so the moral of the story is I will never use a dr red backing again I love your videos please keep making them I learn a lot from you and I can use all the help I can get,

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

I find flannels shrink a lot.

[@Lillyk96]

Very interesting, as a scientist I greatly appreciate a well done experiment! I always prewash because I worry about the chemicals and I'm a garment sewer at heart so it's deeply ingrained in me to always prewash. If I know that I am a little close on my yardage I will zigzag the edges to reduce fraying, but I tend to over buy on yardage so that not usually a big problem. I always love to hear people's opinions on crinklefication, I've met a few antique quilt collectors and they only want quilts with NO CRINKLES (the perfect quilt is one that has never ever been washed), but I've met very few quilters who didn't love at least a few crinkles in a quilt.

[@penniebarryofficial]

That was an amazing demonstration of pre-wash vs. not with quilting fabrics. When I got into quilting my aunt recommended to me to always, always pre-wash my fabrics (although, she buys yardage), but I was impatient and wanted to just "get it done", so I didn't. This video really got me thinking because for any quits that are ultimately going to be used, they will eventually be washed. Having said that, if I were doing a quilt for a show - no way would I pre-wash. I'd want the fabrics vibrant and crisp. Thanks for another great video.

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

I am also considering prewashing for some projects.

[@heathcoteroad9504]

What a great comparison. I have always been in the pre-wash camp. Looks like I will be staying there! Thank you for the great videos!

[@jayelizaa]

Not a pre-washer and this solidifies that I won’t switch sides! Thank you so much! This was a cool and educational video!!

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

Thank you

[@michellebillingsley4704]

I have always hand washed my finished quilts and lay them out, smooth out the top, till it’s nice and even. I do this a couple times to make sure it won’t shrink as much...and I’ve not had a problem...yet. Thank you so much for educating me. As my mother would say... your never too old to learn. So thank you and yes, I still have a lot to learn. God bless you...

[@virginiakristiansen3428]

Your videos are addicting! I'm so glad that your son's progress is going well. My daughter had AML and I got to stay with her in the hospital. These were such precious months for my daughter and I. I look forward to watching your videos when I am on the treadmill. I need some distraction since I hate exercising. I always leave your videos with new ideas and inspiration. Thank you for your videos!!

[@kittycatfluffy]

This was such an educational video! I’m a pre-washer, mostly because I learned how to quilt from other pre-washers and didn’t know there was a debate over when to wash. I can totally understand where the post-washers are coming from, might have to try it out on a quilt some time. :) Hope you, and anyone reading this, have a fantastic day.

[@tinas977]

I like the shrinking on my quilts when they’re done. Gives that old-fashioned looks. Hugs! Thank you for your videos. Enjoying the learning.

[@UrbanQuilter]

I loved that you brought up H bonding!! So technical 💕

[@Babushka_Kat]

wow, this is an excellent video. super informative - seeing the examples of each type is super helpful. You are awesome Karen!!!

[@melanielewert7566]

I haven't been pre-washing my fabrics, mostly because of the amount of time it would add to my quilt project. I don't buy at lot of precuts, but I do buy yardage in small amounts (down to a quarter yard) and wouldn't want to deal with the frays, BUT you have made me think more on the subject. Right now I think it would really depend on the size of my blocks and what I was going to use as a backing. Half of my quilts have had fleece as a backing, which doesn't shrink; so in the future if the blocks were big I might prewash the fabric before cutting or if they were small after they were sown together (wash the "flimsy"). With a cotton back, the decisions are a little less clear--there I might just take the chance and not wash at all. Thanks for the video and explaining it so that it makes sense to a lay person. I have only been quilting about 2 years. I've sent one quilt to be long armed and one I did stitch-in-the-ditch; the others have been hand tied. My machine has a small throat, so I'm stymied often on how best to quilt a particular project. I guess it depends on how big the quilt will be and how adventurous I feel at the time I'm working on it.

[@charlottecampbell417]

I have always been a prewasher . I’ve taken a bunch of “heat” from sista quilters. Thanks for you wonderful documentation.

[@patriciagilbert3651]

I’ve learned so much from you!Thank you!!

[@gailpape2927]

Best guidance on to wash or not. Thank you for sharing your talents and throughly explaining the process and demonstrating the outcomes.

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

More to come soon

[@mariabrenneman8881]

Thanks so much for such an informative video about pre-washing or not washing fabrics for a quilt. You are such a joy to watch.

[@pbottjen5283]

Know that you are appreciated!.. It is interesting to me that your experiment convinced some to start pre-washing and convinced others to NOT prewash. Everyone seems to have a little different take-away. Again, I appreciate your hard work. Blessings.

[@sandraengstrand2784]

Great video demonstration! I do not prewash, for several reasons: timesavings, and the extra crinkle-fication factor!! 🧵❤️

[@smallfootprint2961]

OK... as a new quilter, no quilt yet, but long time sewer, I believe in pre washing. To me, that means, washing fabric, truing it, and ironing it before cutting it. I see that it's going to be different if using small pieces of fabric. I'm starting large, so plan to sew around my 'fat quarters,' that I bought, washing and ironing them, and then cutting out the squares. I like the puckers. I plan to use my quilts, and will wash and dry them. Well.. "It." Hopefully I make more than one but, for now... it. My mother taught me to sew, and never pre washed, so often things shrank. I decided I'd always pre wash. Your video gave me some new insight into the issue. I'll have to watch it again to get all the info. Thank you so much for your thoughtful, informative videos.

[@jenniferpearce1052]

😂 Best of luck with "it"! Wishing you much fun!

[@thebluekeystone7628]

Controversial topic!!! Love hearing your prospective on things!!!💝💝💝

[@SimplyThirdStreet]

I’m a prewasher and this makes me glad I am. I”ve just gotten into precuts lately. I put my fat quarters into a lingerie bag and it seems to help some with fraying vs my mom’s which are loose in her wash. I’m going to try that with a layer cake and see how it goes. I like a less crinkly look. I do however feel that either all the fabric gets prewashed or none of it for my own rule. And as I wash everything before I put it away it’s ready to go when I want to use it. Easy peasy. Thanks for the video!

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

Watch my new video on precuts

[@denisekinsley3554]

I'm just getting back into quilting, and I appreciated this thorough analysis. Having started out as a garment sewer, I was taught to always prewash - and if I was using yardage for a quilt project, I would probably choose to prewash. I'm glad you addressed jelly rolls and charm packs, because I couldn't see how pre-washing would make sense for them.

[@lindalosier5989]

Nice to know the differences. I use a lot of pre-cuts so washing is done after it's finished. Thanks for the great information.

[@earthmotherwithin]

Wow, how interesting is that!? I love it that you went to all that trouble to show the shrinkage and crinkle. I am still a no wash till the end quilter, but I understand more why someone might wash first. I have only had one quilt that shed a lot of dye after I finished and washed it, but it was not a disaster and I used a product when washing it again that took excess dye out of it.

[@lavonnethompson117]

I wash on,y yardage! I like the wrinkle look after washing the wool/cotton batting filled quilt!

[@BMoll87]

LOVE your videos so much. For my first daughter, I made my first quilt, and i didn't know (as I am a sewing newbie) that cotton fabrics shrink.. Planning for baby #2 now, and for them, I'll definitely will prewash the fabrics, iron, and then sew. I was so upset when my beautiful quilt got all crinkly out of the washer.. I knew it would be, as I've learned about it before having to wash it, but still.. One day I just had to do it, said my goodbyes to the flatly lying fabrics, and braced for impact.. :)

[@robyn3349]

Very instructive! I have always pre-washed yardage, but that crinklefication of the unwashed quilt is very attractive! So pre-wash or don't, but don't mix the two.

[@Tam-te5nh]

Rob yN that is my current dilemma - the mix of fabrics. I have yardage, tons of fat quarters & quite a few random, leftover charms. I love this & want to be able to put it all together. I had previously kept my washed fabric separate from the unwashed. After this video & a conversation with a quilter friend, I’ve decided to take the plunge & wash everything (no spin cycle)...except I don’t know what to do with the charms. I’m thinking a bath in the bathtub??? As far as water temp goes, I’ve always figured (especially in garment making) the more abuse prior to sewing the better. That way when the item is washed later, no matter who washes it or how, it should be fine. 😉

[@cynthiamarble1232]

Great info, thank you soo much. I was shocked at how much the quilts shrank on all 3. I think I will make my quilts about 3 inches larger in the future. :D

[@elenalanglois]

I’m a pre-washer. I like the softness of the fabric, plus it installs confidence that the colours won’t run. I mostly buy yardage so I don’t worry as much about shrinkage, but I prewash my fat quarters too after surging the edges. I never prewash charm packs or jelly rolls, but I tend to use them exclusive of the rest of my stash in a project.

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

+Elena Langlois I love how well you take care of your fabrics 😊

[@leiaclark8388]

This video was great! It was so straightforward and did a great job of comparing apples to apples.Based on what I learned, when i buy bulk fabrics, I'll prewash, but when I buy precut packs, I won't.

[@JustGetitDoneQuilts]

Thank you for letting me know.

[@patcavasin5947]

I always prewash because colors can run, fabric shrinks and has a "finish" on it when manufactured.....just my preference....btw, Karen, you are a treasure.

[@angiesewtherapy6628]

This is awesome. I plan to share it. And I'm about to watch it again. I need to take notes to remember which was which.

[@ritareitsma3770]

My fear of not prewashing fabrics is not only shrinkage, but bleeding of dyes. I prewash everything, but I tend to only buy yardages, not jellyrolls or fat quarters. My fabric goes into the laundry room before it ever sees my craft room and goes into my stash. When I want to start a new project I already know the fabric is washed. Yeah, it's more work to wash and iron, iron, iron and you lose the nice crispness of new fabrics when working with it, but I am assured that my finished quilt won't bleed or go wonky on me. Now that my stash is all washed, I kind of don't have a choice but to keep going that way now, LOL. I would never have done it the #2 way. Yikes!

[@allysonyanta8722]

I always wash my fabric when I buy it but I wash it in cold water and I dry it on a warm not hot setting or I hang it outside to dry. I fell doing it this way there is some shrinkage but not a lot and then iron it And i am good to go. Recently I started buying fat quarters and I haven’t decided no I have decided I’m not gonna wash out the only way I would wash them as if I did sitting all around the corners just about shrinkage and frankly that’s way too much work so I’ll have to think about it.

[@ruthfreeman864]

it is alot of work...and the grain of the fabric has to be straightened also...

[@michiganlighthouse]

You can use Color Catcher sheets in the wash. Find them with the dryer sheets.

[@Angela10226]

I was taught to prewash my fabric yardage when I started quilting many many years ago and I still do it. I do not however pre wash my precuts it just makes no sense and even the manufacturers discourage it. There has always been a division regarding this issue and I feel that it most definitely is a personal decision, personally I would never wash a flimsy but that is just me. I appreciate the time it took for you to come to your conclusions with this exercise. Thank you for doing it and sharing your results and experience Karen.

[@mewho8714]

Thank you so much for this video! I am new to quilting and wanted to know how to get maximum crinklage because I love that look. One thing on prewashing the fqs before using them, you can serge or zig zag (use a long stitch to avoid puckering after washing) the top and bottom of the fq ( these are the ends that fray the most in washing) to prevent as much fraying. Or you can do all sides but it takes more time, of course. If it's a woven fabric that frays like crazy all around, I would do all sides.

[@sharonmika4786]

This video was fascinating! I usually prewash but there is a definite argument here for waiting until the quilt is completed before washing. Thanks so much for this!!💫

[@delmariesnodgrass5038]

I am fairly new to quilting - only 6 months in and working on my first quilt. I have studied for the past months and find your channel very useful. I enjoy the #scientific and practical knowledge you provide in your episodes. Thank you and I look forward to future episodes.

[@tinkfan63]

Thank you for taking the time to do this video !! I am a newbie and I really appreciate the simple clear teaching method :)

[@akarpowicz]

This has been very helpful to me. Thank you.

[@helendowd5324]

Excellent video. I'm always torn about pre-washing.

[@ShellyQuick]

Thank you, I very much enjoy this post and I was faced with this dilemma for a unusual project for quilting.

[@runningbearwhitedove7129]

Thanks for the info! I haven’t made a quilt yet , try to get as much info before I start . 😁

[@inlikecin]

Thank you for starting this series. I am a newbie and started a quilt recently. I was so excited to start that I definitely did not pre-wash my fabric. This video was so helpful :) I am feeling a little better now!

[@wendybuchanan1381]

I pre wash my fabrics but I also pre wash my batting, that cuts down on the crinkly look. I put the batting into a laundry bag and wash it on gentle cycle with a touch of detergent. I am a fan of wool batting for adult quilts. I always put a label on the back with washing instructions. Cool wash gentle cycle, wool soap, second spin and lay flat to dry on bed.

[@dawndecesare2077]

I don't prewash because I love the crinkle factor! I do use color catchers with some fabrics and have had no problem. Love your videos

[@UpsideDown853]

I love this kind of "fact-checking". It's nice to get a feel for what would be best for the current situation. Thanks!