MadQuilter

I generally do but not in the washer. I rinse them in the sink and lay them flat on a towel which gets rolled up tight. This takes most of the water out - the rest gets ironed dry. (I usually NEED IT NOW!) If I have time, I let them dry throughout the house.

BrendaK

I do and usuallly I can steam iron them back in shape. I am a prewasher (hard to stop). Good luck on your projet. BrendaK

grandjan

I rarely pre-wash. If the color looks a little "bleedy," I will clip off a bit and test it, but I like working with the fabric before it goes all limp and don't like starching and ironing yards and yards of fabric. I've made my last ten quilts without pre-washing and had no problems.

DMcbaby

I almost always pre-wash my fabrics. The FQ's I hand wash, roll in a towel to get the excess water out, then iron. I have no trouble with them getting out of shape. I also pre-wash all my cotton batting. I don't use HOT water!!! I don't pre-wash other pre-cuts. I do use the color catcher when I do large fabrics if I think some of the colors might bleed.

PrettyCurious

I hand wash a lotta dishes, and sometimes handbags, but I never thought of hand washing FQs. Sounds like a good idea. I am through the greens. Going for the reds next.

nhweaver

I prewash all smaller pieces, but I do it the old fashioned way. In a tub ( or large bowl), using dawn dish detergent. I fill up the tub with warm water, add a tiny bit of dawn, add the pieces of the same color and swish. I leave it in the tub over night to let the dye ooze out. then i drain and rinse, and add a 1/4 cup of kosher salt, let it sit for a bit, then rinse and hang dry over the shower curtain rod. this is the way we did tye dye back in the 70's, but we heated the water/salt to set the colors first.

starshine

I always prewash. Some FQs hold their shape fairly well and some get a little wonky and some get a LOT wonkier. I guess it depends on the fabric and maybe how the FQ is cut.

galvestonangel

I prewash FQs in the sink. I rinse them one a a time if I think they might bleed. Then I roll them in a towel to get most of the water out. Put them in the dryer because that is where they will shrink. I fold them when I take them out of the dryer, and iron when I get realy to use them.

Sandra-P

I prewash everything.

hikingquilter

I usually pre-wash FQ's by hand, but if there are many, I will put them in the washer on gentle cycle and a color catcher. I always pre-wash fabric. That way I know whether it will bleed or shrink, plus it gets out the chemicals used in manufacturing. I don't buy other pre-cuts anymore; I'd rather cut my own.