When you give your quilting for a gift
 

Do you always wash it before giving it?

I do not. I figure if it is for a kid, the mother will wash it whether I have washed it or not, so I just let her have that privilege. My recepients seem to like the new look that quilts have before they are washed. Most of my wall hangings never get washed.

You will get plenty of responses, for and against. I personally wash mine prior to gift giving to make sure that all hand oils and dust are off the quilt before it goes to the receipant. I have cats and dogs and although they don't lay around on my fabrics or works in progress, their hair and dander are always floating around in the air. I also wash my fabrics prior to using them due to allergies and the chemicals used in processing the fabrics make my hands itch something terrible. I sew my binding on by hand and I like the way washing it hides any imperfections that there may be in my stitching. I do give it a good steam to get out the big wrinkles but I like the wrinkly look after it is washed.

I wash before I use also....allergies to the formaldehydes. And, I was after it is made, but only for quilts, not WH or table runners. That way the recipients don't get surprised thinking that they did something wrong if it wrinkles.

Okay, whats a WH?

WH = wall hanging? My best guess.

I too prewash all fabrics and usually wash the finished project. I was the very upset recipient of a wall hanging for my infant son some 36 years ago and with his asthma and allergies was told to launder everything in his room at least weekly --- suffice it to say the wall hanging shrank and bled and ran all over the place. So, to avoid any9one having the same problem I prewash. And I use warm water to do it in. Cold water will often cause embroidery floss dyes to run where warm won't.

Yes, I do. However, I do not dry it in the dryer.

Oh yes, I always wash as soon as the binding is done and the label is on. But, only for one reason... quality control! This way, if a seam pops or the binding missed a few inches(yes, it has happened oops!) then I can catch it before it goes out the door. I would be so worried if I didn't do this "QC check" on it before giving, it would drive me bonkers!!

I agree I always wash and dry. I just know the one time I don't the whole thing will fall apart! LOL

"Quality control" is in the back of mind also when I wash my quilt before gifting!