New quilt for a gift--to wash or not to wash?
 

I'm getting the binding on Stepping Stones now and am debating whether to wash it before I give it to my daughter's boyfriend for Christmas. All the fabric was washed before it was made...and I have very clean hands whenever I worked on it. I know my quilter was careful too. I feel a quilt never looks quite the same after it's been washed... but not in a bad way. I always wash baby blankets and I washed a quilt I gave to a friend because I used basting spray.

But I kind of don't want to wash this one. Maybe I could toss it in the dryer to get all the threads off?
I'll tell him to bring it to me when it needs washing and I'll use my color wash sheets when I do.

What do you do?

I always wash quilts before I give them away. That way somebody doesn't think they've ruined the quilt when it comes out of the dryer looking different than it did when they put it in the washer.

not only do i wash them, i 'block' them, just like knitting. wash the quilt, stake out on carpet with pins going thru to the carpet layer. measure and make sure the corners are pinned square and the sides are straight. they will stay this way after drying. then, spritz with clear water on any wrinkles that the spin cycle would leave. leave till bone dry before moving and it will look great when you unpin and fold. also, be sure to put a bit of info about washing and drying on an included tag so they are comfortable washing.

Ditto that! I always pre-wash my fabric, but I don't pre-wash my batting (I mostly use W&N 100% cotton). I couldn't believe how much different the quilt looked after I washed it. I was almost tempted to iron it again :)

I just made a batch of quilts and washed them, even tho I always wash the fabric before I make something, I did it anyway for my peace of mind. In case something went wrong in the wash I can fix it before giving!

I always wash before gifting, first to make sure any pet hairs or anything are washed away, but also to make sure nothing "bad" happens. For instance, if a fabric dye is going to run I want it to run on ME, not on the recipient.

Washing will also bring to light weak seams that fray. Good to fix also

You could send color wash sheets with the present if you think he'll remember to use them!

How do you fix frayed seams? I have a quilt that my mil made that has a seam that came open because of the fabric fraying.

I pull the fabric together so it overlaps and then stitch--If I have machine stitched/quilted, then I just use a zig-zag or decorative stitch. I've had to fix mostly flannel quilts for the kids. They do not care if their seams get sewn twice or if they don't look like they did new. For a fancier quilt, I would use tiny blind stitches to repair the seam.

I don't pre-wash my fabrics because they are already starched or pretreated in that way and I think it makes the fabrics easier to work with and with less time in ironing. I do wash each quilt as soon as I finish the quilting and binding. I always throw a Shout Color Catcher in with the quilt to soak up any bleeding from the fabrics. Works fine for me.

I always wash a quilt as soon as the last stitch of binding is finished, even though I pre-wash all the fabric. I use starch while sewing, and I want to get that out. I also want to see what it looks like after washing. I think washing usually enhances the quilt's appearance. And like Scissor Queen said, I want the recipient to receive the quilt in its "finished and final" state.


Edited to say - but that's what I do. If you don't want to wash your quilt, don't wash it. Explain to the recipient that it will change somewhat in appearance when it is washed, but that is all right.

Thanks, Rachel. I will probably try to stitch it by hand since the quilt was all hand quilted.

Am I the only person in the world that dry cleans a really good quilt? My bedspreads and comforters that I've bought all come with instructions that say to dry clean only, so I have always thought you needed to dryclean the best queen and king size quilts. I would rather send them to the cleaners than use a laundrymat washer on them, and they are too large for my home washer.I wouldn't put anything nice in a laundrymat dryer, and there is no place to let a quilt dry at home that my dogs wouldn't find it.

I would was h it before giving it Just in case there is a glitch or something somewhere-When I mad my great neice's going off to college quilt I was glad I did because it was quilt as you go and there were a couple of spots that needed mended before she got it. Good Luck

I usually wash before hand when they are gifts. If I don't, I tell them it will wrinkle up a little after it is washed so they know they didn't do anything wrong after it's done. :)

different strokes, but i would dream of sending a quilt to a dry cleaners....first of all, don't kid yourself...if it is labeled or appears to be all cotton, they wash them.... (dry cleaners in the family) ... and if they don't, you have some terrible chemicals inside a layered item that will not come out easily... if your are happy with the results you get, great....but i wouldn't do it...

Perhaps next time I send them I will just say launder them, but I've slept decades under drycleaned comforters and bedspreads.

I typically do not wash my quilts, unless something along the way, indicates that it might be best. I do take a sticky tape lint roller to pick up any thread or in my case some dog hair .

It is my belief that manufacturers put the standard 'dry clean only' on the object so that they cover themselves if anyone washes it badly and then tries to claim compensation. I am with the lady above who says she doesn't like the chemical residue. Washing gets out the formaldehyde and sizing and any other irritating stuff that may be in the fibres and if it is not going to crack the fibre when it is sensibly washed, then that is the way that I go.
I usually don't wash anything until it is finished, but recently had my first colour run so I guess it will remain a dilemma with me.

I always pre wash my fabrics and I wash the quilts before giving them away. It helps hide my imperfect hand stitches where I stitched the back of the binding on! If the quilt comes out really wrinkled, I will run a steam iron over it.

I prewash fabrics but don't generally wash the quilts. I do include washing instructions. The bottom line is that it is your call.

I wash mine with a color catcher before I give it to someone in case the colors run or a sean comes unsewed.

wash it, dryer till damp, then spread it out to block it, then fold it and place in carry bag made of muslin usually and a care label on the bag and made by label on the quilt! PS, you are also supposed to sleep under a new quilt before you give it away..it fills it with love! Just sayin!

Never heard that before, thanks for sharing. Of course, if I slept under any quilt I was giving away, I would have to wash it as I have 4 kitties that take up most of the king bed!

I always wash before giving, that way I can check everything and fix any tiny mistakes that might show up.

This is exactly why I wash mine before gifting them. I don't want the recipient to ever feel like they ruined it when it comes out looking different from when it went in. The only exception would be for a wall hanging.

Cheers, K

I pre-wash my fabrics and then heavily starch. So I always wash before giving the gift to make sure all the starch is out. Also to make sure I haven't left something unfinished. Also removed pet hairs and dust from just sitting when I have to work. Everyone thinks I work really hard to get the antique look to the quilt.

I'm sorry but after I finish a quilt, I'm just too chicken to wash it! I always prewash my fabric before I sew with it anyway. I might go over it with a lint roller to get all the stray threads off, but I leave it to the recipient to deal with runny colors.

I don't think I have ever washed a finished quilt I always prewash my fabric as I do not like working with all those chemicals I have 3 battings I use soft and white --warm and natural or hobbs 80/20 and I always put my batting in the washer we fairly warm water let it sit and soak at least 15 min. then spin and dry that has always been the safest way for me and I use to make quilts for shows but have given that up now

After the last stitch goes into the binding, I wash and dry all my quilts. I too wash all fabrics before putting in my stash. I would wash it, hides any fubs and looks good.

I wash mine before giving too. I mostly do baby quilts and I want the recipient to know that it can be used and washed. Sometimes they are afraid to use the quilt, until I tell them that it has already been washed and dried! I want the quilts I give to be used, not put away or hung on the wall.:)

Pat

I usually wash before gifting, particularly the last quilt I made was a baby present and I wanted to make sure all the sizing was out of it.

I have one wallhanging that I am working on that I may recommend not washing, because it has patches attached to it. Otherwise, delicate wash for that one.

Does anyone put a quilt with 100% wool batting in the dryer after washing?

My feelings exactly. being a fairly new quilter, I can catch a problem before it leaves. So far only the first one I made for myself had a problem. Two small spots had pulled apart. Watch those 1/4 inch seams better now.

Just as some have already stated, I prewash all my fabrics before using (for anything); never have used starch (yet) and never wash when finished. Have done it this way for 30 years and no quilt has come back to me for repairs. Guess I'll just contnue that way. Happy quilting.

Deemail - Thank you for your post about 'blocking', I have never tryed this BUT I WILL BE (on my next quilt). Had nver thought about it. Wonderful!!!!

Snooks

Not only do I prewash my fabrics, but I wash the quilt before gifting. HERE Is why: the 1st picture is the quilt, quilted but not washed. The 2nd picture, is the quilt AFTER washing WITH 3 Color Catchers. You can see the blue 'stripes' that used to be white or off white. Multiple washings with Synthopol and a whole box of Color Catchers did not change a thing. I'm glad it was for my son..and he though it looked "artistic"!

I do not wash my quilts (or fabric at the beginning).

I use an H stitch , first one side and then the other, .If done correctly ,you should not be able to see it .I also wash every quilt before i give it, and sleep under every one I make for me before i wash it. For Good Luck. My grandma INSIST. cmaras