Quiltbaby

What do we have today that will make a quilt just heavy enough for a cold night. I know the warm and natural is wonderful. Is this the one to use for all quilts including the baby quilts?

One other question, do you wash your quilt before putting the binding on it? I stitched around the edge before putting the binding on. The quilt is a little wrinkly. Do you iron a quilt to get the wrinkles out or just give it to a person like that. I hand pressed out a lot of the wrinkles but you can tell it has been washed.

Last, I know that you wash the material before you use it to quilt with to set the colors and make sure no fadding occurs. I have a friend that does not wash her fabric. Is this a "no no"?

Deb watkins

Glad to see that you have finished a project! As for washing, if you go to the Search on the top of the page, and type in washing fabrics, you will get tons of opinions on this!! For me, if it is a wall hanging, I do not wash.

Sadiemae

I use Warm and Natural...

I don't wash the quilt before I put the binding on. I do wash it when it is completed.

I have watched the washing vs non-washing debate. It seems about half and half between people who wash and people who do not wash.

Scissor Queen

If you want wamth without a lot of weight go with a wool batting. There are other all cotton battings that are very nice too. Warm and Natural is not the be all and end all of battings.

I don't wash my fabrics and I don't wash a quilt until I put the last stitch in the binding. Then I throw it in the washer and dryer.

MadQuilter

I do not wash my quilt before the binding is attached because of shrinkage (or as you called it "the wrinkles"). I also make sure and use a walking foot to attach my binding. It helps transport all the layers consistently.

As for the batting - I love the Warm and Natural but am now trying Hobbs 80-20 to get a little more fluff.

Vanuatu Jill

I never wash before putting binding on-If I have any predominately red fabrics, or really dark colors, I always pre-wash them. I use to pre-wash even my FQ's but now only if they are reds or darks. Don't worry about a few wrinkles after washing, just tell your recipient you wanted to give her a really soft & fresh-smelling quilt after completing it and it is a common practice to wash after completing. No matter how careful I am while making a quilt to keep it clean, there is always normal "air dust", pet hair (if you have pets) and if you did any marking for your quilting motifs, it needs to be rinsed out as well.

moonangel12

I don't wash until it is completely done. I personally like the "wrinkled" look - it's my favorite part of a quilt! Because of that I actually prefer unwashed fabric b/c it shrinks up a little more adding more texture, but I have had to switch b/c we just moved out of a house with major mold/mildew issues and all my fabric reeked! I couldn't be around it without sneezing so now I am using washed fabric. I still leave it unwashed if that's what the whole project is made out of. I try not to mix and match unless it's smaller pieces. I haven't made too many, but have been fortunate so far to not have any weird shrinkage or color issues.

As for batting, I am currently using warm and natural because that is what our LQS has in stock.

Quiltbaby

I love it. Thanks again for all the comments. I do mind doing it but if I do not have to, then I will wait. Also, they have color catchers now that are great to use. Thanks so much for the tips, they are all very valuable to me.

lovequilts

I don't prewash my fabrics but do wash my quilts when compelted w/ binding. I do not generally wash my wall hangings.

Quilting Di

Every piece of fabric that comes in my house stops in the laundry room before going to the sewing room. It is all washed and dried. I usually only iron as I am using the fabric. The only time I wash a finished quilt is if I had to use a lot of starch in the piecing of the top. I don't imagine I would pre-wash a jelly roll, but I've never purchased one. Smaller pieces go in lingerie bags to try to eliminate fraying. Just my 2 cents worth ;)