i take mine to the laudromat too. those huge machines use lots of water and are pretty hard on the quilt, showing me that nothing terrible is going to happen to it once i pass it on to the new owner. i want my quilts to be used and loved and that means they are going to need washing form time to time. so i do it first
for me the crinkle around the stitching is part of the joy of quilts. sometimes i love the look of a newly stitched top but i know it's only half way to finished
aileen