Thread: Washing a quilt before the binding is hand sewed???

I would machine baste the binding over the edge and then wash. If it's too difficult to turn the binding, you could simply machine baste a strip of white cloth over the edge. The whole point is to cover the raw edges while machine washing.

Edit: It would be best to machine baste the binding over the edge. That way you can be pretty sure the binding will not shrink more than the edge shrinks. When taking the quilt out of the washer, I would take a few minutes to pull on the edges while the quilt is still damp to make sure the binding is not pulled too tight. For this reason also, you may want to lay the quilt flat to dry (on top of a sheet on carpeting, with a fan to speed drying time) and stretch the edges periodically as it dries. Drying in a machine could shrink the binding that has been sewn on.

Edit2: You also need to be sure you use a washing machine that uses enough water to dilute any dye bleeds. Since it's somebody else's quilt, you might want to have them do the washing and drying so you aren't held responsible if there are any dye bleeds.

Originally Posted by sval

So the binding is attached but not folded over to the back and hand sewed down: Can I wash it at this stage? It smells so bad I can't have it in my lap to stitch it.
I brought it home from a quilt group to stitch for someone else. I know I'm sensititve to smells, but this thing reeks.

return it to the group. tell them there's something about it that is making your allergies act up. there should be either another smoker in the group, or someone who doesn't mind the stink. i bought a UFO at yard sale years ago, took it apart and washed the unquilted top --gently ..the stench of cigarette smoke was so bad it made me ill. outside at the yard sale it wasn't so bad, in closed house enviornment ...bad!! i almost threw it away. i got the smell out, completed it, quilted it and made 250$ for school fundraiser with it. but for what the smell did to me i wouldn't buy another stinky UFO or anything that stinks of smoke again. and i don't have allergies, no more sensitive to odors that most people, but cigarette smoke kills me

Don't feel that you have an obligation to finish the binding. You have a legitimate reason to return the quilt to the group, as others have suggested.