i ALWAYS wash my quilts before they go out the door. I want to make sure there are no seams that come undone, or any other issues. it is much better for me to catch anything ahead of time, if i gave the quilt, the recipient washed it and something came un=done they would panic and be horribly stressed and upset, even if it's a really small, easy fix problem, so i make sure they do not have to experience such stress. besides, i want to see how it's going to look when it's finished, and it's not finished till it's been washed the first time.