GrannieAnnie

absolutely have to. I have dogs!

ckcowl

every quilt I make- baby or not- are laundered before leaving me. it is the final step after binding to completing the quilt. it removes any soil, oils, markings, starches, ect. and assures me that every seam is intact and it is going to hold up to the use it is intended to endure. I never let a quilt out the door before it has been laundered.

paoberle

I wash every quilt when I am finished. If I am giving the quilt away I want to make sure I know if the fabrics are going to bleed, and how heavily. (I do not per wash. ) I do not dry a quilt completely. I damp dry then find a place to hang the quilt or spread it out to finish drying.

DOTTYMO

Not if I don't know the family washing powder. A baby skin is so sensitive I leave to new mum to wash.

Geri B

I don't wash any quilt I make after completing it.......But, I don't use starch, sizing, or glue in the construction of it. Although there are pets in this house, they are not in my area and I am not covered in pet hair when I work on a quilt.
The oils in my skin are not any more/ less than natural so really undetectable and harmless......
Finally, I want that quilt -if being gifted or not- to look crispy and new, not used and crinkly....let that happen when the recipient washes it. I do, however, instruct on how to wash......but that I cannot control. So far so good!

quilterpurpledog

I always wash a quilt before giving it as a gift. I use a color catcher because I want to be sure about colorfastness. Most of the time I feel like I know more about that than a recipient who might know little about fabric. Second, any quilt gets lots of glue, starch, etc. and I want that to be gone. Also, if you give a quilt, particularly a baby quilt, the mom will know it is washable and she can use it all she wants. Recently I gave a quilt to a new mom and the baby promptly spit up on it. The mom apologized and I simply told her that babies do that all the time and just throw it in the washer and dryer. She was relieved that the gift had not been ruined. It now goes through the wash at least weekly. I love to see my quilts used all of the time. I sometimes cut the label off of the wrapper for the batting and include it in the gift package.

coopah

Same here. I do use baby or unscented laundry detergent if it's going to a baby or toddler. The latest recipient has already been tested for allergies (under a year old!!), so I'll add a card telling the products I used.

kathyquilts40

Yes, I wash baby quilts even though the new Mother will probably wash it again before using.

SB13

I always wash any quilt before gifting. I want to know what it is going to look like after washing and make sure there are no bleeds or problems. If they don't like the detergent I use, they can always rewash themselves. Quilts alwasy look a little different when they have been washed, so I don't want them having the expectation that it is going to look like it was before washing.

maryb119

I prewash the fabrics before I make the quilt. Everything has already been washed.