When quilting, does the fabric need to be prewashed?

Question

How about the batting? Will it hold up itself in the washer and dryer?

Answer 1

If you intend to never dry the quilt in a dryer, you don't have to pre-wash the fabric. But if the quilt is ever going to see the inside of a dryer, you need to do that before it's made so that any shrinkage or twisting will be done and out of the way. No need to do the batting, it would fall apart anyway.

If you do wash the fabric, clip the four corners of each length of fabric. Just nip off about a half inch from each corner. It minimizes the raveling a bit.

I always advise people to never dry their quilt in a dryer if they use cotton thread. There's always that chance the thread would shrink - you know how when you dry your clothes and then suddenly the bottom front and the collar points start curling and you can never get them straight again? The thread shrank, but the fabric didn't.
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Answer 2

Kacky gave you a good answer. I'll tell you though, I've done both. If I've known the quilt I'm making is going to be used by people (not for display or as a wall hanging), then I'll almost always pre-wash my fabrics. Yes, even my good $9+/yard fabrics. However, once I made a quilt w/o prewashing the fabrics, and washed and dried it after I made it--I got that "old fashioned" crinkly look to the quilt that I really liked. You'll find among quilters that pre-washing fabrics is really a personal preference thing, some do, and some don't.

As a post script though--I ALWAYS pre-wash reds--even if I'm using them in a quilt that I don't plan on washing--I'll still wash them. I've had too many red things bleed on me in the wash--I respect the color red!!

Answer 3

usually the fabric for quilting is 100% cotton and needs washing and ironing before cutting into strips or squares.Most quilters use the polyester batting which washes without shrinking. Check out the link below for more info.

Answer 4

You can either prewash all the fabric before sewing or prewash none of it. Don't mix washed and unwashed fabrics, though, because one will shrink and the other will not. It is not necessary to prewash the batting.

Answer 5

I don't know of anyone who pre-washes batting. If a male cat "marked" your polyester batting, I'd suggest laying it between two sheets, basting a huge-stitch 12" grid through all with one line within 1" of the edge and really washing it, but on "gentle" cycle.

I pre-rinse fabric to get the @#$% chemicals out of it. The fumes, for me, are out-and-out nasty. Working with it aside, I won't even store it inside until after it's been rinsed.
There are more fumes with polyester blends and with permanent press finishes.

"Washing" is with soap or detergent. "Rinsing" is just with water.