GramMER

Recently I made a quilt with lots of deep, dark and bright blues. I was afraid it might fade or bleed on itself, so I washed it with four or five color catchers in a machine that did not have an agitator. My concern was that the agitation might pop threads or do some other kind of damage. After I pulled out the freshly washed quilt, I could not believe how much color the color catchers had absorbed. Maybe, just maybe, that will be all the quilt needed to be ready for the daily wear and washing it will get at its new home.

Mostly I like to wash my fabric before I cut out the pattern, but this time I had used pre-cuts and was afraid to wash them first.

KyKaren1949

Well, I am in the minority! I never wash them, because I like the way they look; all brand new and shiny! I wouldn't know what to do to fix one anyway. I figure if there's a problem, someone will tell me.

earthwalker

They are Aussie Quilts Peckish and Bearisgray, I make mine out of old clothing and found remnants - here's a link to our Quilt Register, click on Quilt Tree and it will show you the tree, keep following the links and you can look at the gallery.
http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/nqr/wendy.php

117becca

I wash them before giving them to the owners. It's been touched alot - i have cats and there's always cat fur floating around, they like to lay under the quilt...

Rubesgirl

I agree with KyKaren1949 ... I like my quilt gifts to look new, not something that's already been used. I always include specific washing instructions AND a several Color-Catchers with the gift.

When I made my first quilt in 1992 (that's on the bed in my guest room), the instructor told us to NEVER wash a quilt in a washing machine or put it into a dryer; that we could have them dry cleaned, if it was absolutely necessary. Perhaps she liked them to look new forever. LOL

PS ~ It's been washed and dried, and did not disintegrate.

Weezy Rider

I wash with color catchers then dry low with a dryer sheet. The climate here is dry to begin with and when you turn on the heat it is doubly so. I wish they would invent permanent solution for static electricity.

It's so bad here - tried to thread a needle, and the thread kept weaving around like a cobra. It wanted my shirt, the cat, anything else near by but the eye of the needle.

sewNso

I don't pre-wash, and I don't wash the quilts when i'm done. unless it was appliqued using glue, etc. try to make them machine washable and driable. and I always tell them to use color catchers to wash the first time.

MamaDonna

I wash my quilts now. The first quilt I gave away I didn't wash and my neice was too afraid to wash it so I ended up washing it for her!!!! Then I made one for a friend who is on a liver transplant list and decided I would wash it and so it would be "squeeky clean" for her.. I love the way the quilts looked after I washed them.

quiltmom04

No I don't unless something has gotten on it to make it look or smell bad. I have prewashed the fabrics and I like the look of a "just finished" quilt. I think when it's washed it looks used, so I don't do that. I know it will wash fine, so I let the quilt recipients be the first ones to do that.

indymta

As nhweaver says: "I am renegade, I do not wash the quilt before gifting, unless I spray baste. With baby quilts, every new time mother washes everything in "her" choice of detergent, so I do not wash them either". Most of what I've made and all that I've gifted are baby quilts and I expected the new mom would wash it even if I washed it too.