I always wash my quilts after they're done. Why? First, because I'm a slob and get stuff on the quilt while I'm working on it. Second, because I like my quilts crinkly and puckered. Third, I'd rather wash the quilt before I give it to see how it's going to launder. I'd hate to give someone a quilt, only to find that it fell apart, shrunk too much, or bled the first time they washed it.
I suppose you may not want to wash a quilt that is made of specialty fabrics that shouldn't be laundered, but I always use pure cotton fabrics.