I have always washed my kitchen towels first, ironed them, and then embroidered them. I feel this safeguards the towel from shrinking after it has been embroidered, causing puckers in the embroidered design.

I wash anything I am going to embroider if it will be washed after gifting.

I wash all towels before embroidering. And most tee shirts.

I wash them in hot water since most of the people I know wash their kitchen towels in hot water...that way I know if the towel shrinks and if it will hold its color.

I think we all know that no matter the price most things will shrink to a degree the first time it is washed. If washed first, the design as it has been said will probably not pucker if it's washed after a design. If I do something for someone else I ask them to wash before bringing to me. and explain why. I think if it's something that will be washed it should be washed prior to embroidery./Lillian

I always do. No matter how much I pay for it, they still seem to shrink. I do iron and starch before embroidering though.

I always wash first, I have trust issues!

It is always better to wash them first - they always seem to shrink, no matter what you paid for them.

I always wash every thing I sew or embroidery, mostly because I was gifted a set of hand towels that were hand embroidered...when I washed them they shrank and were ruined. The threads used weren't color fast, nor was the Aida cloth preshrunk before sewn to the towel.

I always wash towels ,fabrics & at times trimmings etc first because everything seems to shrink.If it isn't too late measure the towels first & then after washing ,you might get a shock on how much they have shrunk.
Learnt my lesson in the 70's when I washed some embroidered cheese cloth fabric which had a marks on it, in cold water ,went from 45" to 36" wide

I always wash towels - they tend to shrink and get lots of fluffies off the first time washing.

Well I have read all the comments and now I am going to wash kitchen towels in the future. I haven't in the past

Never washed a one first in my whole life and i made and gave like thousands lol

Off to the washing machine. See you later. :)

I usually wash tea towels but not ordinary towels if they are for a gift. A washed towel never looks or feels the same.

I usually wash and iron as others have mentioned. I once bought a bunch of kitchen towels recommended by an embroidery site and after washed are only good for dust cloths. They were not cheap either. I would have been embarrassed to give as a gift to anyone. Becky

wow great question Bev, I never knew this & have not washed mine in the past. I may have to reconsider................~hugs~

I haven't made as many as Carolyn, but I never gave it a thought to washing first. I've never had one go "bad", either.
I also like the "new" feel of unwashed.
Cindy