Its your decision so do as you wish. I'd probably side with you too if its a wallhanging and not a bed quilt. I'd rather it not have the wrinkled look either. As for my bed quilts I always wash them before I give them as a gift as I tend to use Elmer's Glue and want to have it removed beforehand plus I'd rather deal with bleeding if it happens instead of the recipent fretting over thinking she/he destroyed it.

Not the Quilt Police - the Quilt F.B.I.!

Art quilts should never be washed, only vacuumed with net over the nozzle when dusty. I wash all my finished quilts. If I don't want the wrinkly look I pre shrink the batting and press the quilt smooth again after washing. If I had listened to the guild quilt experts my first quilt I made would not have been entered in the guild's quilt show and I wouldn't have won Viewer's Choice.

I don't wash wallhangings, art quilts, or quilts entered in a show.

I wouldn't wash an art quilt either, I also wouldn't pay any attention to the quilt police. It's your quilt, do it whichever way you want to.

It's your art and it's not for others to lecture you about changing it. Clearly, washing would change it dramatically. Talk about chutzpah, you were likely more polite than I'd have been.

I ALWAYS wash my quilts when they are finished. I can't give a gift of a quilt that I worked so darn hard on that has grease on it from your hands, or a comfy spot where the dog (like Miss BEss - my avatar) took a happy nappy and probably drooled or something that I wouldn't see. I think a quilt looks much better washed. I take mine - all of them I have taken - to the laundromat and wash them gently and dry them, bring them home and hang them on the line - even in the wintertime and it gives them such a good smell of love! If you do it right, they will stay together for a long time. I just would rather give a quilt that is clean. I don't mean literally dirty, I mean with grease from the hands, etc.and that it has a nice clean smell to it. In my humble opinion..................Edie

I actually love the look of an unwashed quilt but I always wash mine before gifting. I wouldn't want seams coming undone or heaven forbid!! a color running. Then I tell the recipient how to wash in the future and include a couple of color catchers.

But an art quilt ... no way! I wouldn't wash it until the dust started to make it sag on the wall. :D

I agree. I also think that wall hangings don't need to be washed unless it looks like it needs it. I will wash quilts that will be used, but even then I don't wash them that often.

Nor would I wash it. I've washed two quilts that I've given, one a baby quilt, which I would always do, and another to a friend and the reason I washed it was because I used Elmer's washable glue to sandwich it and wanted to get rid of any residue before I mailed it.

I've given others away without washing. I think it depends on you, and the recipient (if giving a quilt).