newbee3

I found that using pinking shears works better

Judith1005

This just does happen with Fat Quarters. It is the nature of the beast. You have to plan accordingly if you don't want to loose out on necessary yardage.

I have had decent success with minimum raveling by doing small loads on a very gently cycle. I wash with baking soda and put White vinegar in the water softener part. Tumble dry gently. I think the key is to not put too many In one load.

I love fat quarters! I predominantly quilt with fat quarters. I LOVE variety. I'll deal with the raveling.

The other thing you can try is stitch around all 4 sides close to the edge with a basting stitch and see if this helps. Before washing. Me, I'm not interested in taking the time or wasting the thread. But, thought I would throw it out there as an option.

These suggestions are just my opinion. I'm sure you'll get many helpful suggestions to choose from.

Judith1005

Great Idea, never thought of this. (Note to self, get a pinking blade.)

Cam's gram

I've washed fat quarters in lingerie bags and had pretty good success.

HouseDragon

I have hundreds of FQs: they are pinked with my rotary cutter on my original hard as a rock, non-healing Fiskars mat.

Beware! Rotary pinking blades will cut up your mat something awful so use an old mat!

I wash in hot water with one teaspoon of original blue Dawn Dishwashing liquid, the usual amount of Tide Free, and a Colour Catcher for good measure. When the load is finished, I lay each FQ across the top edge of the washer and snip off any hanging threads before tossing into the dryer.

Dry on low heat, remove when almost but not quite dry, press!

QuiltingHaven

I put mine in the nylon bags for washing dainty underwear. The fat quarters don't come out from the washing (front loading HE washer)machine with much raveling. Then I spread them out and finger press them after they are put in the dryer for about 10 minutes>

SewExtremeSeams

My comments are free... so toss them out if you don't like them. LOL

I wash everything before cutting and sewing, including fat quarters.

I do not do anything to them but toss them into the washer with a few color catchers (which I purchase from Walmart). I have yet to have one bleed onto other fabrics. This includes lights with darks, etc.

Sometimes, and I do stress the word 'sometimes' things are tangled mess. That is why I keep scissors next to my washer. I cut into the tangled mess which releases the mess and then cut the strings at the edge of the fabric before tossing them into the dryer.

Since I am going for the most shrinkage I can get, I wash on hot and dry on hot. I have been doing this for years.

gale

I just wash them. I don't trim or pink or serge or zig zag or anything. They fray so I just cut off the threads when I fold them up (or when I iron them).

lfletcher

I have a delicate cycle on my washing machine that I use. It doesn't agitate much so I don't have any problem with washing fat quarters. I don't wash any smaller precuts though.

sahansen44

Use a lingerie bag. There are large sized ones...