Must I wash?

[rachiem]

I'm making coasters as Christmas presents (the gift of no water rings on your table...) and I have 100% cotton. Don't really want to wash/iron if I don't have to.

Must I wash or is it okay since it is for a coaster?

[orangefoot]

Usually I would always wash if it's going to be washed... but as these may just get wet and not be washed too much I'd probably just blag it and not pre-wash :

[KariM]

I'd wash them primarily because it's 100i% cotton and I'd worry about possible shrinking. I'd hate to give a gift and find out later on that when the recipient washed them, they shrunk or got ruined in some way.

[eepster]

If I thought the person I was giving them to would wash them, then yes. If the fabric was dark enough that dye might run just from getting wet in it's coastering duties, then yes. If the fabric is light in color and the person doesn't tend to toss stuff in the wash, then no.

[lightheart]

you can make them with unwashed fabric hen wash them after they are made but before you give them, that way you can be sure the dyes are out of them and they don't ruin the recipents other stuff first time they run them through with their regular laundry.

if you give as gifts and don't wash, warn the new owners that they haven't been prewashed so watch for color bleeds.

if you don't wash before you make then the cotton may shrink but depending on the look you are after may be something you want to do. One way to make "antique looking" puckering quilts is not prewash your fabric.