Wash quilt before giving?
 

I am finishing up a quilt for an aunt who has lost her husband and mother within a few months. It's probably my best work to date, I'm really proud of it.

Question: should I wash it before sending it off to her?

I usually like to leave a new quilt unwashed for a little while -- you can see the quilting better, etc. -- but I love how soft and crinkly it gets after washing, and this one is all about emotional comfort.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

I say yes, wash before giving. That way you know how it's going to look after a first wash....any color runs, shrinking, loose areas etc, etc. Always best to wash.

You will get comments both for and against washing before giving. I personally wash for 2 reasons: So I can see if any seams have come undone or split and also so the person getting the quilt knows that it is okay for it to be wrinkled. If it comes to them wrinkle free, they may feel like they did something wrong the first time they wash it and it comes out all crinkley.

Another advantage is that all hand oils will be removed and any animal hair and dust will be removed too. I have lots of furbabies and none of them lay on my fabric or projects but their hair is everywhere.

I always wash a quilt before gifting. However if you had recently prewashed the fabric, then don't feel like you have to. Just let them know that they shouldn't get concerned if it gets all crinkly after washing. If you didn't prewash the fabric, do so. It has pesticides in it.

Ditto. I'm sure it is your best work but why chance it to the powers that be. She's been thru enough you wouldn't want her to wash it and have a seam come undone oe bleed.

i never let a quilt out the door before it has been laundered---if anything unplanned is going to happen to it with that first wash i want to know it before giving it away----it is very traumatic for someone to receive a beautiful gift then have a fabric bleed- or a seam not be attached & a hole appear the first time they launder it= i try to save all recipients from such stressful situation= which are so easy to avoid- by my making sure everything is as it should be before gifting it.

Thank you all, this was very helpful.

For all the reasons above, and also to remove the starch I use while piecing, I always wash a new quilt as soon as the binding is on. But... many people don't, and that is their choice.

I wash, but it is a personal choice.

One more reason to wash: It subtly tells the recipient that this item is washable, to use it plentifully!

Jan in VA

I always wash my quilts before giving them away for all of the above reasons (especially to ensure no disasters with seams, and no thread snippets, cat fur or quilting marker marks are left); I tell the recipient the quilt has been washed (new moms especially tend to feel the need to wash everything that will contact their little one, and they don't need any extra laundry!) and I include a page of laundering and general care instructions.

Alison

I guess I'm the oddball, I don't wash my quilts before giving them.

I would say no because you don't know what people are allergic to, lots of laundry detergents break me into full on hives because of my eczema, and allergies. i prefer to let people wash their own and wash it how they would like

I always wash before giving....just in case there's a drama. I use scent free - eco friendly washing detergent and let the recipient know it's washed and ready to use straight away.

If there is no chance of anything running, then you could toss the quilt in the dryer with a damp bath towell and a dryer sheet. That's what I do to get the hairs and dust off and to make it smell fresh. It doesn't quite end up as wrinkled as after the first wash but it does take some of the stiffness out. I bet your quilt will help heal the heart.

I always wash and dry a finished quilt, some times I use a marking pen and would not want any marks showing when I gift it. I always try to remember to tell the person it is clean, they are use to washing boughten items from stores. I figure if I wash a quilt, it may look great at least until it is washed by someone else. Had a friend whom I gave about 6 quilts to tells me she likes to wash them a lot because they just get softer and softer. Also wears them out faster too. I about cried.

I always wash.....I don't want any starch, quilting marks, oils (from my hands), dirt or anything else in that fabric when I give the quilt away. You might be surprised all of the chemicals used in the manufacture/printing of fabric and batting. And while I do my best to keep the quilt clean, it will occasionally drop a corner on the floor and pick up some dust/dirt/furball. I don't want the recipient to have to wash it right away. I wash with hypo-allergenic soap, so no issues there either.

I recently sent someone a quilt. She called to thank me yesterday. She was afraid to use it because she thought it would fall apart when washed. I was able to tell her I had machine washed and dried it, so you will be able to wash it whenever it needs it.

I always prewash before gifting a quilt. It double checks for pins or safety pins. I like the way it looks, feels, and smells after being washed and dried in the dryer. It always reassures me that I have not missed a thread to cut, or a seam that didnt get fiixed before washing check.