Have you ever handwashed a quilt before completion?
 

So here's my problem......I've marked out a quilting pattern with my washable crayola markers and I've quilted it but now that it's "finished" I'm thinking I want to add more quilting and change the pattern a bit. My problem is that the marker pen won't come off just with a dab of water, it needs to be washed out...no problem I know, except that I want to get rid of the marks now so I can see more clearly what I want to add. As it is, the marker lines are confusing me deciding what extra quilting to add. Has anyone washed their quilt and then added quilting? I haven't put any binding on but the border is a densely match sticked 4" so I don't think I need to worry about it not having its binding on yet. What do you think?

Decided what to do.

Oh boy! I just did this ... on Wednesday last week!!!! You can certainly do it (Make sure you put soap in the washing machine, just water doesn't take the markings off). There could be two problems - one - the batting might shrink more than your fabric (that's what happened with mine) ... two - it can go really wonky, and then you have to block it to make your quilt square again.

From experience (mine was pretty funny LOL), I would baste with a brightly coloured thread the area that is not quilted (i.e. black on white) before you wash it. This way when you wash it, if there is any shrinking of batting, it is minimized because you have sewn most of it down. And when you go to take the thread out, it's easy to see.

Also, I wouldn't put it in the dryer to dry, I'd let it dry on it's own ... you could block it that way to, so you wouldn't have to do it again. If you look in this form (MAIN) and look for my thread wholecloth - need ideas, you will see what I went through and the advice I got.

Good Luck!

yes, and for the same reason--a ultra washable Crayola marker that would not wash out with just water. treat it like the others said. I had to block the quilt too.

Uggghhhhhh, bad day, realised I was going to have to remove a heap of stitching as the top started shifting when I began adding my extra quilting and I was getting bunching. I'm not invested in this quilt; it was made with scraps and I've spent too much time trying to nut out how to fix it....binned the thing!:mad::thumbdown: Life's too short for the stress.

Go ahead and put the binding on it and then wash it. The binding will help stabilize it and preserve that raw edge that otherwise could fray out in the process.

I stayed stitched around the quilt sandwich and have washed before adding binding. I dry it in the dryer. It takes too long for quilt to lay flat and dry.

I have quilted after a quilt has been washed, but I have always had a binding on it (prior to washing). I think you would be ok, but I would sew along the edges to make sure it does not unravel or come unseen at the edges of blocks.