TO PRE-WASH OR NOT PRE-WASH QUILT FABRICS? First Time Washing a quilt without prewashing fabrics.

Prewashing your quilt fabrics is an age-old question.
We always get asked:
Should you prewash quilt fabrics?
Why do you need to prewash quilt fabrics?
What happens if I don't prewash my quilt fabrics? etc
Don't worry; even though we have both worked in a quilting store and have been quilting for years, we are still undecided on whether or not to prewash. Most of the time, realistically speaking, we actually are too busy to get around to it or possibly too unorganized.
In today's video, we explore the benefits of prewashing your fabrics, go through a Facebook poll of over 500 votes on what quilters actually do, and lastly, we wash a quilt for the first time!!!
In anticipation of our latest online mystery course, 'I, Valentine, ' starting March 15th, we had many questions about whether or not to prewash fabrics. To finally get an answer once and for all on this question, we washed a very special quilt of mine.
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[@lindaluforseth]

The only time I've prewashed fabric is decades ago when I was making garments. I've never prewashed fabric for quilting, even when using rich colours. I've never had a problem.

[@jhenniceamorrow5936]

I always wash, dry, iron and then carefully fold over a wooden rod. I love the entire journey of creating the quilt and it's worth the effort, for me. No further worries, especially when it's a gift.

[@vickiserre9457]

I always prewash fabric , starch and iron. I’m over 65 and Grandma also did. The chemicals for shipping are not good to handle or breath in!!

[@hdb80]

You are brave. I would never put that kind of time, effort, or money into a quilt without washing the fabrics first! I think they always turn out better when fabric is pre-washed.

[@joycej9415]

I like the look of older quilts and I don't wash begore I quilt. I made a wedding ring quilt with 30's reproduction prints. I loved how the shrinkage after washing just made it look more like an antique. I have prewashed reds as I have had them run.

[@cynergynt]

Mother and daughter interactions are to be treasured, so lovely you can share them with us. I would loved to have joined in this quilt, but family circumstances don’t permit. Am still gaining so much valuable info just from listening to your videos regarding preparation and materials. So although not joining in this time around, I can/am still gathering cottons, needles, batting markers etc in prep for a time in the future. ❤

[@alexandra-zaza-burns]

That quilt cupboard 😍

[@susanbaker8023]

I wash everything that comes home with me. I then starch and iron before using. Precuts of course I don't. However I don't use many of those. I also wash Batiks. If you are use fusible web for art quilts, it will adhere better.

[@poodledoodlequilter6479]

I have never prewashed my fabrics. I've been quilting for 25 years. I have always bought good quality fabrics and I hand piece hand quilt all my quilts, I don't even own a sewing machine. I do use gentle soap and color catches but I've never seen much color on the color sheets catcher.

[@bethg7931]

I have NEVER pre washed ANY fabric, and never had a single issue!

[@ShirleyDeeDesigns]

Wow that quilt is amazing! I never prewash my fabric and have never had a problem.

[@searece]

This was very informative! The woman I'm learning how to quilt from doesn't prewash her fabric, so I don't prewash mine. I love the additional little puckering and rippling that happens after I wash the quilt for the first time! Color catchers are my best friend. I use them in every clothes load too. It's amazing how dirty they come out for me.

[@sharonbower6446]

Omg you should have them on display even in glass cabinet,

[@pamboone6921]

I never have perwashed, and pray I don’t regret it one day. Lol.

[@callierandall8522]

I don't pre wash, BUT, when I do wash the finished quilt, I throw in a color catcher in the machine to catch any bleeding. You can purchase a box in the laundry isle. It's a once use sheet.

[@Tucker2love]

I’m in the USA and I’ve never heard of color catcher. So interesting! Thank you. I have been sewing garments for about 60 years and currently I am in the process of making my very first quilt and I love it. In fact, I’m obsessed. It’s coming out so fantastic. I always pre-wash fabric. I know I’m old-school for making garments but it’s ingrained in my brain to pre-wash for the very reasons that you mentioned. Sizing is a chemical to make the fabric travel smoothly for being sold. And cotton shrinks at various rates. I pre-wash everything and iron it. I am grateful for the advice on jelly rolls because I just purchased some.

[@joycej9415]

Also in USA and I use Color Catcher sheets the first wash of my quilts. Look for them on the laundry aisle.

[@GelinaMendrod]

I have never pre-washed my fabrics for quilting, crafting or garment sewing and I’ve been sewing for about 40 years, but I can see the benefits if you are mixing fabric types and are unsure that they will shrink at the same rate. I have also recently run into one dark green fabric that ran onto my background fabric just from working with it so that one should probably be pre-washed just to get the extra dye out of it. Luckily the quilt is ugly and I’m scrapping it so it doesn’t matter that the dye ran even before finishing the piecing. Also I recently discovered how much easier it is to work with stiffened fabric, so I guess if you pre-wash to get the shrinkage over with and then stiffen the fabric with starch or starch alternative then you might have the best of both worlds. I may try that myself and see what happens.

[@susanbaker8023]

Cara, If you try prewashing, use this mixture for your starch. In a spray bottle fill with water a bit over half. Buy the cheapest vodka you can find, fill the spray bottle up. It is way cheaper than Best Press and friendlier than spray starch. I've used that for many years and have had great outcomes. Sorry about the fabric bleeding, that's why I always wash my fabrics.

[@tammykelley6173]

I have prewashed sometimes but not always. I do use precuts frequently. I use color catchers or color grabbers and have only ever used 1 at a time. I have not had any issues. Also it doesn’t matter where my fabric is from, they have all been fine.

[@gillianwinzinger9558]

I prewash a lot of my fabrics, but not all. I just bought some red plaid flannel for the back of a Christmas quilt, and washed and dried it five times before it stopped bleeding. Super glad I prewashed this time around!

[@heatherschimke4003]

I always wash my fabric ever since I bought some red fabric from a quilt store close to me. the red was good quality fabric and did it ever bleed. I used a 44-gallon drum of cold water plus extra and it still bled. I returned the fabric to the store. I make sure I was everything now incase it bleeds again.

[@marynavanemmenes9586]

I have started to prewash, especially when using Batiks. And also any dark colour. I used batik is some of my flowers in my Island Home and got bleeding on some of them. Batiks are so beautiful but I am at the point of not using them at all. I dont know what will happen when I wash the completed quilt. I still have Batiks in my cupboard, and the one I have washed 4 times and it still bleeds. So my verdict is ....Prewash and be extra carefull of Batiks.

[@leeuhh1818]

I have always prewashed my fabric but mainly for shrinkage purposes. But with deeply coloured fabrics I chuck a colour catcher in. And if the colour catcher comes out a similar colour to the fabric I wash again. I had a deep purple that I had to wash three times before the colour catcher was spotted pale lavender. I overlock the raw edges and that stops all the tangling from fraying in the wash. Then I starch the heck out of it!

[@pirellyn]

That is such a beautiful quilt. I think I’d have been heartbroken if anything had happened to it. I have just made a quilt from a jelly roll mixed with black. I didn’t prewash so I’ll use your washing tips when I do was it. Fingers crossed,

[@MK-km2wc]

Thank you ladies, your personalities and talent’s makes life interesting 🥰🥰🥰

[@PatternPooleTV]

Thank you so much 🤗

[@lonettehendrick9836]

That's a gorgeous quilt

[@ShipperChick]

Gorgeous quilt!!! ❤

[@PatternPooleTV]

Thank you! 😊

[@robinstroud9599]

I always use color catchers

[@Tribulation_Harvest]

I prewash all my cotton fabric in hot water and dry them on high because I want to be sure that my projects will still maintain their size and quality once they're in someone else's hands. I'll prewash red fabric by hand first, because that's the color that bleeds the most. Once the water rinses clear, then I'll add it to a regular load of fabric.

[@Melissabarelyhere]

I never prewash.

[@bella-bee]

You can do something to pretreat precuts. Pour v hot water over them (sorted groups for colour) and soak, maybe disturb a little. They don’t fray but they do shrink up a bit, so your layer cake square can lose 1/2”. That’s 5%. I’d rather have that happen before I start, even if I need to recut square. And Starch

[@dianeholiday6844]

I shop estate sales and thrift shops for fabric. Recycle cloths that i love the print. So if I am sewing with any of these fabrics and adding new fabric I will prewash the new. If I am using all new , I do not pre wash. This has worked for me for over 30 years.

[@bella-bee]

Recently I’ve been having trouble with dark blue cotton bleeding. Very unstable colour. It has stained and over dyed other dark blues in with it, and never “set”. All the affected fabric then continues to bleed and bleed blue! And it stained the inside of my washing machine a ghastly colour! Do not risk buying cheap fabric, which I did. Deep blue regret! NO colour catchers or colour run removers worked to remove it, nor any other chemical or combination I could think of or find online. Nothing . Not all dye processing is done equally well, maybe without mordant fixative, although adding one didn’t help. Scary

[@janbrassard7857]

All fabric and clothes you buy have sizing. For clothes its so they stay nice and don’t wrinkle. I am allergic to whatever they use, so if you are giving your quilt away, you might want to wash first just incase

[@pamboone6921]

Hi Jan, I always wash a gifted quilt, never do I send it off not knowing what the outcome would be once washed. Never thought about an allergic reaction, thx for that info. But I never prewash any fabrics before making any of my quilts. All flannels I do though. ❤️

[@sarahjeffries9850]

I had a quilter friend tell me to take a small (very small 1X2 or 1X3 inch) piece and put into a clear glass of water. It would become apparent quickly if the colors were bad runners :0)

[@annabean2230]

You know what I want to see? These two taking old clothes and fabric and making a beautiful quilt. Fabric prices have become outrageous and I just can’t afford the fabrics that they use.

[@PatternPooleTV]

We love this idea for a future video! Thank you.

[@Marla.22]

I do not wash beforehand, material looks used when washed ahead, IMO and never had any shrinkage or trouble with colors fading

[@theimperfectlyperfectfamil283]

I pre was cotton.

[@linzjan4276]

Have not, BUT a many year hand made Baltimore quilt was a disaster - fortunately fixed but not a nicensurprice

[@ElisabethBeaufort]

Soaking in vinegar before washing helps to fixate the colors.

[@bella-bee]

Not sure I agree that precuts won’t misbehave if you’re using all the same range. Yes that helps, but fabric shrinks more one way than the other, and unless you’re doing a jelly roll race quilt the fabric will face different directions and potentially shrink different amounts, depending. I think it’s the warp that shrinks most, longways, but don’t quote me on which it is!

[@AvivaHadas]

When you prewash, do you separate the darks from the lights? (I imagine if the red is going to run, it will run while prewashing too, not just in your quilt. 20 years ago when I started quilting, prewashing was recommended because reds bled - not necessarily for shrinking or to remove sizing.)

[@fabandfabagain1907]

do you pre wash the batting?

[@deborahothello9801]

G’Morning I just found your channel. Is the Peacock’s Garden pattern available for sale? Deborah Toronto, Canada

[@PatternPooleTV]

Hello, glad you found us ❤️yes you’ll find the pattern on our website www.patternpoole.com

[@deborahothello9801]

I found it right after I sent the message. Already bought it. I will attempt it as soon on as I am done the one I am currently working on. Thank you for responding.

[@arvettadelashmit9337]

There are chemicals in new fabrics to make the fabrics look their best and to prevent insects from eating the fabrics. I do not wash my fabrics first anymore. The fabrics are made today without the chemicals I am so allergic to. However, washing first is always a better idea.

[@victoriaserre5924]

I believe fabrics from other countries are spray treated in lots to prevent bugs and eggs. Years ago I know Formaldehyde was used.

[@stacyw3250]

I prewashed my fat quarters and it was a thread mess! I won't do that again!