What is the fabric content? Take into consideration the fabric content. Is it cotton, silk or rayon which will shrink or polyester which tends not to shrink? Some fabrics will shrink more than others. Fabric manufacturers today have vastly improved their fabric lines so that shrinkage is not nearly as much an issue as it used to be. But shrinkage still needs to be taken into consideration in both washing the fabric and drying it. If you are stitching blue cotton triangles to a yellow square, but once it is washed the triangles shrink, but the squares do not, you would end up with some puffy squares and a not so pleasing quilt. Also some fabrics contain dyes or sizing that certain people are allergic to and it may be helpful to wash out the chemicals before handling the fabric.

What colors are being put together? Bleeding can be a really big problem for certain fabrics and colors. The last thing you want to see on your quilt after its first washing is red streaks across white blocks. Batiks are hand dyed fabrics and notorious for bleeding. Always pre-wash batiks; sometime more than once or wash with a few teaspoons of vinegar orSynthrapol solution to help set the fabric. Red, black and navy are tell-tale fabrics which bleed easily. When you are combining light and dark fabrics, always plan on pre-washing, since dark marks can easily bleed to the lighter areas. Fabric manufacturers have greatly improved their fabrics so bleeding is not as bad as it used to be, but darker fabrics still have that tendency.

How will the finished project be used? Is your finished project going to be hanging on a wall and never be washed or will it be lying on the back of the couch, being used and washed many times? If it’s something that won’t be washed, then pre-washing may not be necessary. However that quilt that’s being dragged around, pulled and tugged on and slept under would be best if the fabrics are pre-washed.

What do I like to do? Personally I like the crisp feel of fabrics right off the bolt. That is my preference for 100% cotton fabrics. If I am stitching a wall hanging or even a pillow that I know will not be washed or only spot cleaned once in a while, I tend not to pre-wash the fabrics I am using. I’ve worked with lots of fabric lines and I tend to know the ones that will shrink a bit and others that won’t shrink a single bit which has a part of my decision. If I am using darks such as red or black and lights together, I will certainly pre-wash the pieces I am using because bleeding is so common with those fabrics.

If you are ready to wash your finished quilt or project and are unsure about fabrics bleeding, try washing it with a sheet of ColorGuard. I have had excellent success with these – even washing bleeding denim with a white t-shirt! These sheets may not work on every single fabric, but they certainly have saved me some headaches. If I am unsure, I just toss in one of those sheets with the wash.

Whether you pre-wash your fabrics or not is your decision to make. Just consider the fabrics you are using to create your project and what you want the end result to be. The last thing you want to discover after spending countless hours planning, cutting and stitching your project is that you should have pre-washed the fabrics first.

Here are some other thoughts on pre-washing fabrics:

• Gina Halliday from Quilter’s Buzz tackled this subject and has some thoughtful insights.
• Craftstylish suggests always pre-washing before embroidering. Note: I have never had this happen in all the designs I have done. The puckers have always been simple and easy to press out, so I can’t say I agree totally with her opinion. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but I’ve never encountered that.
• The pros and cons of pre-washing from about.com.
• Find out the golden rule from Sew A Quilt for pre-washing: Whatever you decide to do; be consistent!
• Some more pre-washing facts.

graphic courtesy of www.allposters.com