Once upon a time...I received a baby gift of a special quilt. My dear friend drew and painted Peanuts cartoons on large squares of fabric, and tied the quilt at the intersections. Young and unknowing of quilts, and with no care directions, when it got dirty I washed it; all the batting lumped horribly into one corner, and I was SO upset, as all that work was now ruined and useless!
Since these beautiful quilts were made as gifts for others, it's the recipients who will be devastated if those beautiful items turn into lumpy uglies. They both are so very nice as they are now. I hope you will gently and carefully mention to each quilter the possibilities of ruin if not fastened together closely enough (quilting or tieing) and how disappointed and upset the recipients would be if they happened to wash and inadvertently make a mess of their treasured quilts. It's been 45 years since my unhappy experience, and it's still way too memorable to me!