Washing a Quilt before gifting it.
 

Do you ever wash your quilt before gifting it? I am not talking about washing the fabric before you piece and quilt it. I am referring to washing it after you have completely finished it? I really messed up on some quilting and would like to conceal it best I can. The fabric used is mostly print, but also some solids. How do you feel about the appearance of a washed quilt vs a quilt that has not been washed yet.

I would never dream of giving a quilt that had not been washed. If there is a bleeder or a seam that came apart or something else I want to know about it beforehand and that’s why I always wash a quilt before giving it. It also washes out the starch, dust and anything else that might be on the fabric. I would be mortified to give a quilt and then have the recipient wash it, only to have something happen to it.

I do. I want to make sure the quilt will do okay with washing (seams and colors) and also want the recipient to be able to use it right away. And not have any surprises after they wash it. I do give them some color catchers too, and tell them to use them for the first few washes. I gave a friend a baby quilt last year and was happy i washed it since she wrapped up her newborn in it right away.

I wash every quilt after I finish binding. There is too much dragging about during the process and then there is Wally, my cat who has a great talent curling up on quilts as soon as I turn my back.

I agree with washing before gifting. I used to wash every quilt as soon as the binding was done, but I've not kept up with it lately, not sure why.

The last thing I do with my quilts gifted or not is wash and dry on regular settings. I know if I gifted a quilt with special instructions it would never get used. My card always says wash and dry as normal and if it gets worn out I will make another. Plus I want whatever is collected on it while making it to be washed away

Just wondering - if one wants a quilt to look "new" - as in no puckering - can one block it to get that "look"?

I also wash the finished quilt before sending it on its way. It gets handled a lot while being made.

Personally, I think quilts look like there is something wrong with them if they are not puckery. They are supposed to be puckery.

I always do for a couple of reasons. First I want to make sure nothing runs or does something funky and second I have cats and they find quilts no matter where they are!

[QUOTE=bearisgray;8430418]Just wondering - if one wants a quilt to look "new" - as in no puckering - can one block it to get that "look"?

I’m no expert but I believe that the batting plays the biggest part, as does quilting; there is the “classic quilt look” rather crinkly and divine. This is achieved by a natural fiber such as cotton or wool or a combination. The less crinkled look is achieved by a poly or other man made fiber. At least this has been my experience in my quilts. I like both looks and each one has a place depending on the type of quilt and personal preferences. I’m sure someone with far more expertise and experience will be able to provide better feedback.

I wash them. I love that freshly laundered smell and look, especially for a gift.

I always wash before gifting to make sure no seams come apart, no color running and also because I glue baste to get the glue out.

I always wash first for several reasons. Reason one, is that first wash is important to have enough room and sometimes I take fresh projects to the laundromat to use the big machines. Second is that if anything bad happens, it happens to me and I can either fix it or we know that there was a problem that in no way came from the recipient. Third is I have pets and defurring things is a requirement around here. Some of us live with those sticky tape rollers everywhere and still go about covered with hair and threads..

I've had exactly one quilt ruined in my career by running dye. It was quite the shock to open the washer and find the sophisticated maroon, blue and silver/grey with sparkles of white now had baby pink blocks instead... the fabric never stopped running and the quilt never cleared up but as my friend said -- I can drink grape juice in bed with this one. I had taken my standard pre-washing precautions and it turned out it was not enough.

I've had many projects where maybe I was unhappy about the quality of my quilting stitches that came out better after washing. Other than the one that ran, none were worse after washing and others helped. Sometimes maybe a problem shows up better after washing, but it was usually there before and just not caught yet.

When giving as gifts, I do give instructions that the project was machine sewn, machine quilted and designed to be machine washable.

I never wash a quilt before I give it as a gift. I most always wash my fabrics before I start making the quilt. I don't like the crinkle look of a quilt after it has been washed.

I always wash my quilts before gifting now, especially since I started glue basting. This also gives me the opportunity to look for flaws in the quilt and be sure there is no bleeding. I would never want someone to receive as a gift a quilt that bleeds. Most importantly baby quilts need to be laundered first. I even wash my charity quilts. No surprises this way.

But what happens when the recipient washes it? Will they think they have ruined it?

I most always wash my quilts before gifting and I do it by throwing it the washer and dryer on my usually cycle....I also tell that they can throw it in the washer and dryer on their normal cycle....I don't want my quilts sitting in closet somewhere because they are "too good to use". However....it is a quilt that was meant to be on a wall, I do not. I paid a professional quilter to finish one of my Judy Neimyer quilts and I put a hanging sleeve on it so my nephew could hang it on the wall in his new house.

I don't--I don't like the look of it. I do include washing instructions and Colorcatchers. I always check fabrics for possible running and deal with it before I even cut if it's a problem.

[QUOTE=quiltingshorttimer;8430566]I don't--I don't like the look of it. I do include washing instructions and Colorcatchers. I always check fabrics for possible running and deal with it before I even cut if it's a problem.[/QUOTE

but what happens after the recipient washes it and it looks different and they think they ruined it?

Ditto to what most of the others have said. Final step is to wash/dry the finished quilt. Any failed seam surprises can be caught and hopefully repaired. My habit of starching before piecing gets washed out, and any unexpected dye failures are found out. Softer, crinkly results are to be expected, and in my book, that is part of the inherent nature and charm of a homemade quilt.

I wash before gifting as well. Many of the same reasons others here have stated...pet hair; dust from dragging around; etc. But for me, also, washing out the markings from my quilting lines either machine or hand quilted.

I glue baste my quilts and have cats, so washing before the quilts leave is automatic. Like others have said, that way you can check to see if it's a bleeder or has loose threads or seams

I didn't know that finished quilts were supposed to be washed in my early quilting days.

Now I do wash them before gifting to others for the above-mentioned reasons.

Always. Once I was trying a different thread that a friend loves. Nope. The quilt came out bumpier than bubble wrap. It was in my stack of quilts to give away and my sister in law chose it. I told her it was an experiment of a different method, so it created different results. She loved it. Only I know it was a total mistake. If it had been a flat quilt coming out that way, I am sure she would have thought it was ruined.

Yes, I wash before I gift a quilt. My cat always helps me especially when I am binding it.😹

Even tho I prewash all the fabric prior to sewing, I still wash before gifting. I love to see how the batting changes the appearance of the quilt and I can examine it to make sure it's "perfect."

I always wash & dry my quilts before I give them away.

I also wash quilts before giving due to my basting method and the amount of handling. I am a pre-washer except for pre-cuts and use color catchers for quilts with pre-cuts. If I know a recipient has skin sensitivities, I don’t use softener or dryer sheets.

I almost always wash it before giving it away.

I always wash before gifting, for all (well, most of - I don't have pets, lol) the reasons given above

[QUOTE=Stitchnripper;8430569]my washing instructions include that there will be some shrinkage and "crinkling" to the quilt after the first washing.

I always wash a quilt when I am finished.

Fabric gets washed as before it gets put in the stash, and finished quilts get washed before they go out the door.

The drier in my quilting studio has a steam cycle (refresh) and that works really well to get off cat fur and remove wrinkles from quilts that have been washed but have been sitting folded for a while before finding homes.

I also have a response to Bearisgray's question about not puckering. I made a king quilt for my bed and used fleece for the batting. After I washed, there was no crinkling and it looked like it had never been washed.

I always, 100% of the time, wash the quilt before giving it away. Why? Ditto what SusieQOH says: Possible bleeding, open seams and a cat that loves my quilts a little too much. I also like the puckered look. Besides looking cool, it hides a multitude of sins.

I don't consider a quilt finished until it is washed and dried.

Make that 2 cats hahaha!!!

Since I glue baste my quilts, they all get washed before they are gifted. I prefer the "flatter" look, so actually iron the quits, front and back, after they're washed. This also helps me remove any threads that linger even after washing.

If I am super confident with my stitching, what I do when I give it to the recipient is I wash it with them the first time. That way, I can teach them how to wash it correctly and should a stray thread pop out, I can show them how to properly handle that. I can also explain what kind of detergent is best for their quilt and why. I always prewash my fabrics unless its a jelly roll or charm pack, so I'm not overly concerned with bleeding, but washing it with them, I can show why its important to either wash in cold water or use a color catcher when they wash in warm. Its a good teaching moment.



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