I do not wash my finished quilts......ones I keep or those I gift. With gifted ones I will infom receiver to wash I cold water then dry in dryer on gentle....if they do or don't -?

I do not use any fab that " bleeds", if they bleed when I test( cut a piece dump in cup of hot water) I don't use. I only wash when bsolutely needed. Air fluff in dryer occasionally to freshen.

I totallly agree, plus I want to be sure there is no left over dust, grime, cat hair, etc, that might have gotten on the quilt while I was working on it. And I love the slight shrinking from the batting & the softened feel after it is washed. That slight shrinking does hide some quilting mistakes.

I've always washed my quilts when I've finished. I hand wash, a quick spin, then line dry. I was taught by my first quilt teacher to always prewash and just couldn't use unwashed fabric so I don't have a worry about shrinkage or color runs.
I think this is another of those issue which have advocates for both sides. To each his own I guess.

Absolutely wash and dry it every time before gifting. The quilts are very dirty at that point, from all the handling, my pups on it while I'm sewing on binding, etc. Plus, to get the glue out (I glue baste). In addition, if there are any problems on the quilt I want to know BEFORE I gift it. I always use color catchers, too - should have bought stock in that company years ago... : )

better to find a problem before you give it away! I always wash mine.

I agree with all of the above, always wash it when completed. Because of the size, large, of most of my quilts I take them to the laundramat. Kind of lurk around the machine until its done. Think of it as an unveiling, a rite of completion.

It looks like the majority wash when finishing. Do most of you have front load washers? I have been told that the agitation in a top load can harm the quilts so take mine to the laundry mat. How many of you use a top load and if so is there a size limit of quilt you wash in it?

I always wash any baby quilts before I hand them off. I would hate for the baby to accidentally ingest any leftover dyes (I don't prewash my fabrics). I recently made a baby quilt that bled a little, and thankfully I was able to run it through the washer a second time (before hitting it with the dryer), and all the bleeding came out. Whew!

Me, too. Plus, I like the way it looks after washing.

I wash and dry every quilt I make.

I usually wash my quilts after I finish them. I wash them in warm/cold and dry in cotton cycle with several cotton catchers.

I have only completed 3 quilts, but I did not wash them after I finished them. Perhaps I should, seeing that most all of you do. I do pre-wash all my fabric, prior to piecing. I also hand quilt, but mine are not dirty when I finish. I always wash my hands real good before I sit down to quilt, so that oils and any dirt do not get on it. Always learning something new on this board.

My condo washer is a lot smaller than the one I had in my old house. If I do wash/dry full-size quilts, I need to go to a laundromat so I usually don't. I give the recipient a little note with care instructions and have never heard anything negative.

I always was my quilts right after the binding is finished. I wash in warm water without any detergent and with a couple of color catchers. Then I dry it on warm. I want to remove the basting spray and starch, make sure the stitches are all holding tight and get that pretty crinkly look.