orangeroom

It's going to be hard to get just one clear cut answer to your questions. As I'm sure you noticed by now. All is not black and white in quilting. Some people always prewash. Some never do. Some never do until a red bleeds, then they always do.

I don't prewash, as of yet. I also present all quilts unwashed. In my eyes, when I hand them off, they're good. I know they will get wrinkly after being washed and tell the new owner to wash in cold water and it's up to them how they want to dry the quilt.

If it's your quilt, you can add batiks in your scrappy quilt if you want to. I'd recommend laying your scraps out on a table or a larger piece of fleece [(that's been stapled to a large piece of cardboard). This fleece piece can lean up next to a wall and all cotton pieces will magically stick and not fall down]. See how the batiks look, if they blend or stand out. It's your quilt. Do what you want to and learn from it. It was all a gift, after all. When you are done show the gift giver what you've made! Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of quilting!!!

happyquiltmom

I would have no problem using the batiks. I would, however, absolutely avoid the poor quality stuff. If you don't, a couple of years down the road, you will end up with holes in your quilt where the junk fabric used to be. I speak from experience here. Toss the junk fabric into the trash so that you will no longer be tempted to use it!

Jingle

There are controlled scrappy and just scrappy. Your quilt can be done however you want it. I have grown to really like just scrappy and think they look really good. My Daughter does mostly just scrappy and that is what she likes, always looks good to us.
I would not use the thinner stuff with the better quality. I would use all the thinner fabrics to make a dog or cat quilt or a utility quilt. I would not mix them in the same quilt. Just my opinion.

Annaquilts

I use a variety of fabrics all the time including batiks. If you like it go for it. Be sure to use a shout color catcher when you wash the quilt for the first time. this will take care of any bleeding. Some people posted ideas on how to make this type of quilt different then the original pattern you showed. You might want to research those before starting but if you like sewing together all little squares there is nothing wrong with that. I do second throwing out very poor quality fabric. You know the type you can see through.

Central Ohio Quilter

I would not use the good quality fabrics and the batiks along with the poor quality fabric.

I would use the cheap fabric as a practice quilt to work on techniques for cutting and sewing and quilting. Then after completing the practice quilt, I would use the batiks and better quality fabric for a better quality, beautiful quilt that you can be so much more proud of!

mighty

I think your fabrics should be fine together, I would use the batiks. Good luck and have fun!!!!!

tessagin

Ditto. But I wash like colors together. Use the color catchers and go to Bonnie's site for other ideas. if you have any small pieces I would put them into a lingerie bag. I have a few that help keep small scraps together. Please don't call it Scrap Vomit either. Call it Scrap Menagerie or something like that.

Scraplady

I am an incurable scrap addict. I say the more the merrier. And I rarely pre-wash my fabrics, and frequently mix prewashed with unwashed. I've never had any serious problems. Yet. But if it's really going to be a scrappy, I wouldn't worry about mixing batiks with traditionals with reproductions, whatever, whatever. Just go for it and have fun. That's the idea of a scrap quilt.

That being said, I don't know if I would do this for a first project. You might want to try something a little more simple and controlled where you know what to expect. Scrappies are fun to me because I never quite know what I'm going to wind up with. But that can be a little disconcerting for a beginner who's not all that confident yet if you don't like what you wind up with.

mom-6

I recently did a scrappy top that combines a little bit of everything from favorites to "why would anyone ever pick this" fabrics. It came out great and one of these days I will get around to finishing it. Lol!

sewingsuz

I would not use any fabric that are kind of thin. This might be a problem when you wash a few times. Otherwise have fun and mix them all up.