Originally Posted by
quiltingshorttimer
I rarely pre-wash--I rub a white paper hard on any fabric that is a deep color (darks, batiks, etc) and if any color shows then it does get pre-washed, otherwise it's not prewashed. I like the fabric to have some sizing when I cut and sew it. I do attach wash/dry instructions to all quilts that I gift--and part of that includes throwing in a couple of color catchers--which I do every time I wash a quilt. The one exception is with a child's quilt, which I do wash out.
I know others will saw that's gross that it's not washed before gifting--but when we buy a bed spread, does it get washed first?
one big reason I wash before gifting is that I use cotton batting and don’t prewash. The quilt will definitely look different after washing and I don’t want the recipient to think they ruined it. Also, I glue baste so have to wash the glue out. But when I pin basted I always washed before gifting.