To pre-wash or not to pre-wash, that is the question!

With almost 40 years of expertise in the quilting and sewing industry - we at C&T Publishing thought we should weigh in on the great Pre-Wash debate during this National Quilting Month of March. We have authors firmly in one camp or another - and I, Betsy F., have been on both sides in my quilting career!

To start, I took to social media to hear what you had to say:

“I do both. If the fabric is red, I pre-wash it. Someone told me to clip the corners of the fabric before washing to stop it from unraveling. But that didn’t work for me.” - Linda H.

“I personally like not pre-washing quilts. When the first wash happens after completing the quilt, it will shrink a bit and look more worn. I like that it looks like it has been used so it can continue being used instead of being something precious that you have but don't touch.” - Jaq P

“I always pre-wash and buy a little extra fabric whether it is for quilts or for garments, b/c I know I will get a better straight of the grain cut after it's been washed & folded correctly.” - Yvonne K

“I almost never prewash for quilting. I want my fabric to have the sizing in place before my pieces are cut. The only exceptions are hand-dyed fabrics and flannel.” - @oliphia

If you’ve ever been privy to the pre-wash discussion before; these answers are not surprising. So really, what is a quilter to do!? To find out the answer, I turned to two of our resident “experts”, Lee Chappell Monroe of Mae Chappel who hosts the Quilting Hour on Creative Spark (Season 3 is in the works!), and Becky Goldsmith of Piece of Cake Designs. These ladies have several fabulous classes available on Creative Spark, our online learning platform. You can find a link to Becky and Lee’s Creative Spark content at the bottom of this post.

If there were ever someone who could convince me to pre-wash, it would be Becky Goldsmith! In truth, anytime I see what Becky is up to - she makes me want to do it. Becky has a knack for making everything seem so simple and logical. Beyond that, she feels that pre-washing is so essential that every class she teaches on Creative Spark includes a 3-step series on washing your fabric and even your batting. For a sneak peek check out her blog post from 2018. It’s just a small taste of all the reasons why washing your fabric can be important.

Hate the knotted tangled mess of fabric and stray threads that result from washing your fabric? The best tip I was ever given was to serge or zig-zag stitch the raw edges of your fabric before you throw it in the wash. While this may feel like one more extra step between you and finally sitting down with your sewing machine, I promise this will save you time and sanity when your fabric comes out nice and neat from the machine.

If you were not a pre-washer from the beginning like Becky, the idea of washing your entire fabric stash may seem very daunting. (No? Just me??) Lee Chappell Monroe might operate at a similar pace. She’s got some interesting thoughts on why it may not be totally necessary for every situation. Lee agreed with one of our social media commenters that sometimes that extra sizing and other chemicals that make fabric feel soft and smooth off the bolt helps in the cutting process. She also thinks times have changed, and fabric manufacturing is not the same as it once was 30 years ago. Most quilting cotton will not shrink quite as much as it used to however, as Becky has pointed out before, different fabrics shrink at different rates. It also is important to mention that the quilting cotton from your local quilt shop is almost always going to be a better quality of manufacturing both in how it’s woven and how it’s dyed than the fabric you bought at that big box store. That can not only affect the shrink rate, but also colorfastness.

Both Becky and Lee have a lot more to say on the subject of washing fabric including information on the best fabric detergents and ways to keep your fabric from bleeding all over your hard work. Like, did you know you can use a color catcher more than once!? You can thank Lee for that game-changer! To learn more, head on over to their blog posts linked below.

Washing and Drying Your Quilt by Lee Chappell Monroe

Fabric Washing Update by Becky Goldsmith

Check out Becky Goldsmith’s Class Library on Creative Spark!

Click here for full seasons and individual episodes of the Quilting Hour by Lee Chappel Monroe are also available on Creative Spark as well as her fantastic class “Tips of the Trade” 50 Sewing Tricks and Hacks! 

This blog is written by Betsy Friedrich (she\her), Remote Admin Assistant & Customer Service