Pre-wash your fabric

We love pre-washing our fabrics before starting a new quilt. It does take some extra time, but the benefits are worth it.

Washing the fabrics first will help to wash out some excess colour that can ‘bleed’ later on (Blues and reds are notorious for colour bleeding).  You can use a colour catcher in your wash to ‘catch’ the excess dye.

Pre-washing will also prevent further shrinkage of the fabric, which can distort the shapes on a finished quilt.

There are some delicate fabrics like silk that shouldn’t be pre-washed, but if you’re ever in doubt, just follow the care instructions for the fabric or contact our Smiles Team