So glad to know that the old recipe for setting color and removing excess dyes worked for you. Again I can't stress enough the importance of prewashing fabrics and dealing with dye problems ahead of time so you don't have added stress after completing a quilt. As for freshening a quilt before gifting it, my grandmother used to hang them out for a couple hours on a dry but overcast day with sheets over them to keep any adventurous birds off. LOL Always loved gifts from grandma as they smelled so wonderful. I know your gift will be well loved and passed along.
WilliP