Do you wash a baby quilt that you are giving as a gift before you give it away? It seems like you would want to send it looking fresh and crisp, but you want it to be clean for the baby. Most of the projects I've finished have been wall hangings or something for decor in the house. I am working my way up to bed size pieces.

Definitely. Especially if you used starch or didn't wash the chemicals out of the fabrics before you started. In fact, I would prewash every single fabric item that goes near a baby's skin or mouth. Almost everything has finishing agents and/or pesticide/fumigants in it.

Yep, I agree, I'd wash it in something like Dreft which is very gentle and both baby and fabric friendly.

I prewash the fabrics before cutting them - and I wash the quilt after it's finished. I usually have a furry "assistant" while making things.

Some Moms might be compulsive washers of everything before it goes near Baby, but some might not be.

I wash then press the quilt so it still looks nice. It's a good thing I did on one quilt because I found that one seam got a little too small and I had a big hole in my top. Luckily I was able to hand stitch it shut! So, yes, I always wash before I give. I also use the school glue for binding so I need to get that out too!

Yes! I think it comes in a liquid version now too.

Yes, please wash before giving anything to a baby :D :D :D
Even new clothes most likely have been sprayed with chemicals...

I wash all my "useable" quilts before giving them away. I am not a pre-washer (under most circumstances) and I love the "slightly puckered" look from shrinking them up after they are done

Yes, and I have 2 reasons. One reason is we have cats and I never know when the babys might be bothered by that. The other reason....I crocheted a circular baby afghan one time....the center was a granny square. When I washed it, it came apart!!!! :shock: Apparently I hadn't tied it off right! :x So I consider washing those gifts to be preventative measures.

I always wash my quilts before giving them away. I just love the way they look after washing.

I never wash a gift that I have made. My Grammy was very southern and said you should never wash an item because you washed out all of the good luck and pressed it the bad. For some reason that has always stuck with me.

So far everything I've made I've given away, and I've washed them all. Mostly because I'm paranoid of doing something wrong and I have visions of my gift being washed and falling apart. :oops:

I just made a baby quilt and went to the shower and gave it away. I feel bad now that I didn't wash it. I just assumed that the mom would wash everything she received before using it on the baby. I also told her to be sure to wash it because I hadn't. I just wanted it to look nice and crisp (new). Because one time a washed a baby quilt I made before giving it away and someone wanted to know what 2nd hand thrift store I bought it from. :evil:

I also wash quilts that I make for a baby - in Purex - that is 'scent-free', so many little ones seem to have allergies now

What an insult! Some people just never know when to keep their pie-holes closed.

I always wash fabric without softener first, before sewing and quilting. After finished product, I feel like I have worked with the project so much, it needs a clean hello to new baby..

just me.. but deff. wash fabric before using.. then I know if it is colorfast !

Ell