Pre-washing is optional

We know we're going to ruffle some feathers with today's Tuesday tip, but here it is: you DON'T have to pre-wash your fabrics! 

You might have heard quilters – especially if they've been doing it for many years – insist that you must ALWAYS pre-wash your fabrics before you start a project. And in years past, we might've agreed, but times and products change! 

At Bramble Patch we almost never pre-wash our fabrics! Here's why: 

• most quality, modern quilting fabrics are printed with dyes that are wash-fast and light-fast; reputable brands have spent years improving their products to avoid the need for pre-washing 
• pre-washing removes the dressing in the fabric that both improves handling and protects from dirt during construction
• pre-washed fabrics often end up with permanent creases and need significant pressing to restore their surface and hand for patchwork 
• quilts made with new fabric that are then washed when finished develop a lovely texture that shows off quilting and gives a unique hand-made loo
• precuts (like jelly rolls and charm squares) should never be pre-washed as they will shrink and fray too much 
• we'd rather be doing patchwork than doing laundry! 

So when SHOULD you consider pre-washing? 

• if you're unsure about the quality of dyes in a fabric because it's from an unknown source or manufacturer, it's hand-dyed, or it's not intended for quilting (reds are most likely to run) 
• the fabric is poor quality with a loose weave that will shrink significantly (in which case, it's probably not a good choice for quilts anyway!) 
• if you don't want your quilt to shrink even a little bit in any direction – if this is the case, you will also need to pre-wash your wadding/batting, and backing and binding fabrics 

In the end, the choice to pre-wash or not is up to you, but if you're unsure, do test your fabric before using it in a precious project. 

Fabrics featured are from the "Memoirs" collection by 3Sisters for Moda.