Care of Hand Quilted Quilts
 

I am hand quilting my double wedding ring quilt. This is my first time at hand quilting. I'm starting to wonder how this quilt should be washed. With machine quilting, I just throw it into the washing machine and dryer and all is well. However, the hand quilting seems as if it is more delicate; what to do?
Also, I recently finished a quilt into which I put a woolen batt (for extra warmth for a shivering recipient). Now I'm wondering how to tell the person how to wash it. Will it shrink to the size of a handkerchief in the washer and dryer? Should it be dry cleaned or maybe machine wash and then air dried?

I have several hand quilted quilts and they hold up well washing them in the washing machine. Never had a problem. If i used wool batt I think I would use cool water and deliceate cycle. Just my opinion. Would never dry clean them

The instructions for wool bat recommend cold wash,cold rinse,fluff in the dryer with no heat. I fold mine over the fence to dry.

My hand quilted quilts go thru regular wash and hot dry. They hold up just fine and have bern washed a lot.

Mine too. No special treatment. So far so good

No quilt imho, should be put in an agitator.......SOAK, gently let it swish in your machine [or by hand in a bathtub]........soak a little longer, etc. Rinsing thoroughly and either line dry over several lines to help support the weight or dry on lower temps in your dryer.

Use a quilt soap you get at the quilt store, read directions.

The quilt we received as a wedding gift was hand pieced and hand quilted. It was washed and dried regularly for over thirty years before the fabric started splitting. The quilting was still good.

I hand quilt almost exclusively. I tell everyone to wash/dry on regular wash/dry cycles. No issues so far. In fact just finished repairing a quilt that a dog decided was a tasty treat that was hand quilted. It has been washed as noted previously numerous times with no ill effects. I think the repair will hold up just as well even though it was all hand pieced/repaired/quilted.

I would never let my machine achitate with my quilt in it, but I did spin it out, and I did dry it in dryer, but not a hot dryer.
Now I have one of those new machines that loads from the front so don't worry about machine washing my quilts.

I agree with Jackie Spencer, I would NOT agitate any quilt in a washing machine. Let it soak, Ok to spin dry. Use a good soap made especially for washing quilts. Lots of laundry soap has bleach in it! The dryer should be set on air fluff not high heat which is ONLY good for drying blue jeans, not quilts.