To Pre-Wash or Not?

Some quilters pre-wash everything to avoid potential issues with shrinkage or loose dye; others prefer to work with unwashed fabric and choose not to pre-wash. Staff at NORTHERN HEARTH QUILTING & SEWING CENTER, LLC. fall into both camps. NH fabrics are first-quality cottons created specifically for quilters, so we suggest that you follow your preferred approach with our fabric.

The manufacturer's care instructions are as follows:

• Prewashing all new fabrics (yard goods or precut patches) before using them in a quilt ensures that there will be no uneven shrinkage and no transfer of colors when the quilt is laundered.
• Unfold all fabric before putting into the washing machine.
• Wash light-colored fabrics in lukewarm water with a phosphate free detergent.
• Soak dark-colored fabrics individually in cold water for at least half an hour to set the dyes and then machine wash in cold water with a phosphate-free detergent.
• Tumble fabrics almost dry, then remove from dryer and press with an iron. To avoid wrinkling, do not put more than six yards of fabric in dryer at one time.
• Precut samples or kit pieces should not be machine washed and dryed. Being careful not to overhandle, separate these pieces into piles of same-colored patches, and preshrink them by soaking in cold water. If color bleeds, repeat until water runs clear. Place patches on toweling or white paper towels to dry.
• For satisfactory results, please follow the above instructions before using these fabrics. Quilts made with both light and dark colored fabrics should only be washed in cold water.