Washing a new quilt
03-26-2014, 08:18 AM
#12
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,660
I would wash it in case any of the fabrics bleed. Wash on delicate and use dish soap like Palmolive Original or Dawn Original that don't have any gimmicky chemical additives that could harm a quilt. Use color catchers as well.
Inspect the quilt carefully after washing. If nothing bled and there are no other problems, then machine dry on the lowest setting and pull it out when damp.
Inspect the quilt carefully after washing. If nothing bled and there are no other problems, then machine dry on the lowest setting and pull it out when damp.
03-26-2014, 08:24 AM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 903
I don't think a quilt is finished until it has been washed - I am always excited to see what it looks like after it gets it's crinkle. I usually do a quick wash which only takes 15 minutes on my machine, and then dry on very low heat until just barely dry.
03-26-2014, 09:57 AM
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Wis
Posts: 5,928
Same....I wash before giving. Then I can tell them, hey it's washed and it didn't run (or did, so use color catchers). Also, if it's for a child or baby, it's nice to have it all clean and cuddly for them. I know what you're saying about before and after. It just isn't crisp and new anymore if you put it in the dryer.
03-26-2014, 10:12 AM
#16
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: central NJ
Posts: 143
i hadn't even thought about washing lol
i come from the knitting world and i wash/block everything... just hadn't translated to quilts. then again, i've only made a quilted sewing machine cover.
i shall wash my first official quilt as soon as i'm finished with it. thanks for all the tips and reasons for washing before gifting!
i come from the knitting world and i wash/block everything... just hadn't translated to quilts. then again, i've only made a quilted sewing machine cover.
i shall wash my first official quilt as soon as i'm finished with it. thanks for all the tips and reasons for washing before gifting!
03-26-2014, 10:30 AM
#17
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Vermont, USA
Posts: 1,346
I recently made a lime and yellow baby quilt for a friend's great-grandbaby and washed it before giving it away. I used "Quilt Wash" from the quilt store and put in a white towel as a color catcher. (Since then I bought a box of the real ones for my next quilt.) I washed on delicate, warm water. But I spread it out on my cutting table right from the washing machine, pulling and stretching it, and smoothing out the top so it was nice and square. Left it till it was just damp, then put it in the dryer to complete drying. It looked just fine.
03-26-2014, 01:00 PM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 764
i take mine to the laudromat too. those huge machines use lots of water and are pretty hard on the quilt, showing me that nothing terrible is going to happen to it once i pass it on to the new owner. i want my quilts to be used and loved and that means they are going to need washing form time to time. so i do it first 
for me the crinkle around the stitching is part of the joy of quilts. sometimes i love the look of a newly stitched top but i know it's only half way to finished
aileen
for me the crinkle around the stitching is part of the joy of quilts. sometimes i love the look of a newly stitched top but i know it's only half way to finished
aileen
03-26-2014, 02:51 PM
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: S. W. Indiana
Posts: 7,484
I go to the laundry mat and wash all my quilts once completed. I used Color Catchers and a mild soap. I then use the dryers there also. This is for all the above reasons - seams coming undone, setting the colors and a I prefer to have it ready to go when I give it away. I love the crinkled look also
I burned a brand new granny square afghan (bed sized) in a laundramat dryer that had issues. I'll never use one again for anything I care about.
03-26-2014, 03:10 PM
#20
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Central NJ
Posts: 5,572
I wash all mine before gifting - dirt; oils from hands; dog hair; etc. I might be the odd one out here but I just toss mine in my regular top loading washer on the perm. press setting with normal detergent and normally use regular fabric softener. I then toss into the dryer, also on a perm press setting until it's completely dry. No harm/no foul. They do 'crinkle' but that's the look I'm after and the primary reason I use cotton batting. Plus, as others have mentioned, it usually brings to light any 'production' booboos before gifting.
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