I may have ruined a crib quilt by marking with a kid's washable marker (you guys gave me suggestions on how to get it out). I want to see if it's ruined before I bother putting the binding on. Do you think I could trim and wash it first? Would this ruin the batting around the edges (Hobbs 80/20) It's stiched in the ditch very well, and the border motifs are done, so it definitely won't fall apart. So ... opinions please.

not sure whether I'd do it or not, but try zigzagging around the edge first to make sure you retain the integrity of the quilt edge..I'd be more apt to go ahead and put the binding on and take my chances..in any case, you'll find a way to use the quilt.

stitch 1/4" around the edge of your outmost border.

make a solution of laundry detergent and water in a nice deep container, sink, or bathtub. put the quilt into the solution. swish it a little and let it soak for a bit.

your quilt won't fall apart from such gentle handling. if the batting disintegrates, it will only happy in the 1/4" along the edge. that won't injure the quilt and might even make the binding easier to apply and turn.

i don't think you have much to worry about. if it's made for kids and says it's washable, it will almost certainly come right out.

I read an article in an older quilting magazine recently (a friend was moving and gave me her magazines from years past) where the author said she ALWAYS washed her quilts before applying the binding, so she could really get the edges straight. I think she stitched all the way around the outside edges with a straight stitch. And she kept the machine from agitating, too, I think.

i've done it in the past and it worked out fine.

i didn't even bother to stitch all the way around the edge first.

The quilts that I made to be washes are always washed before squaring and binding. I don't dry in the drier. Instead I lay it flat on the floor to dry while blocking it. It always dry square and is a lot easier to trim.

I never thought of washing before binding. Blocking the quilt would be nice though.

I read something once that said to try getting it out without soap first. It couldn't hurt, at any rate.