I only prewash it if I'm making clothes. Cause the cotton shrinks so much.
Susan

I would definitely prewash fabric for anything that's to be washed after you make it. You want to know beforehand how the fabric will hold up. If it's a mass of wrinkles and you know people won't want to iron certain things, you might choose a different fabric. After it's washed, then use spray sizing.

I never prewash a fabric that I don't think will bleed. If it is good quality fabric especially.

When I use flannel, especially red or deep blue, green, etc. I will wash it if it is inexpensive.

Your fabric will never look new again - that's the problem. Monica

If you are just sewing, you might get away with it and include a washing instruction tag. If you do any hand or machine embroidery, I would give the article a light hand wash and dry to get rid of stabilizer residue, and iron.

I pre-wash or pre-shrink everything. Started way back in the day when my old Viking would pop stitches because of the sizing on the fabric. In the home ec/fashion merchandizing college I attended, we were advised to use the London steam method on wools or bring it to the dry cleaners. Sandra Betzina, in "More Fabric Savy" says to pre-wash terry cloth, denim, sweatshirt material AT LEAST twice prior to sewing due to the shrinkage. In fact, the sweatshirt conversion I did (see the Gallery) instructions cautioned to pre-wash the sweatshirts before cutting. For short cuts of fabric, esp. cotton, I'll just rinse in the sink, then dry in the dryer. Well worth the extra bother. I sure don't want to put blood, sweat and tears into a garment that shrinks up in the first wash!

I wish they *would* prewash those things--placemats, pot holders, etc.--from the stores.

I feel really cheated when I buy and potholder (which is going to get food on it, natch), and then it shrinks so much after I wash it that it looks crummy, is sometimes is even too small, too lumpy and hard to use.

It's especially annoying w/ quilted stuff, like placemats, because somehow the batting always shrinks SO much more than the top and bottom, and it really looks crummy. And it doesn't even WORK anymore, bcs it doesn't lie flat.

And don't get me started on the shiny silk placemats that will look so bad the first time you wash them--and who wants to dryclean placemats and napkins?

I have said that when I'm sick of publishing, I'm going to go into business making really neat-looking placemats that are preshrunk and prewashed, so you can dribble gravy on them, and still have them look nice at the next meal.

Definately pre-wash. Why take the chance of making and gifting an item only to risk it shrinking up or being ruined when the person takes it home? They might feel bad that they ruined the item, when in reality they were just set up to fail.

Personal examples: 1)I made some beautiful placemats out of 2 different types of fabrics. Used them, then washed them. Ruined, because one type of fabric shrunk more than the other. Pity because I loved the fabrics, which were no longer available. 2)My MIL made a beautiful blue dress for my SIL. She's infamous for not pre-washing. My sister-in-law's entire body was stained BLUE from the fabric bleading on her when she sweated. OMG! (Yah, it's funny looking back but...)

As far as the fabric not looking 'new', pressing it with sizing can really restore that new look. Also, some fabrics just don't wash well because they are poorly made. Don't you want to know what your gift is going to look like when it gets used? I also find that some techniques such as gathering are easier once the fabric has been washed.

Good luck!

i always prewash for reasons stated above. and, my mom taught me to! molly

You know, I'll have to see if I can get some sizing--maybe if I used that on the placemats, they'd look nice again!