I ALWAYS wash my quilts before giving them away. I really like the antique puckered look plus it makes them so soft. I also have 2 cats (hence the name :) :) ) and whenever I sit down to hand quilt, it's like a magnet for them. I try my best to keep them off but it is a fact of life I have cat hair in the house! I don't have a front loading washer so I take mine to the laundromat(sp?). I don't put anything special in the wash but do stand there holding my breath to see if the suds turns color. I'll wash lap qiults in my washer at home. I have never prewashed fabric before but am doing some swaps here on this board that require it and I realize how much I hate it! I like the crispness of the fabric as it comes off the bolt, I think it holds up better to cutting and sewing. I think I'll handwash the next batch I have to do, they come out of the washer tied in knots around each other with strings everywhere, Yikes!