I take my quilts to Carol Detloff in Grant Park for machine quilting--met Carol at a monthly gathering at former quilt store in Manteno.

Sometimes I think I have been sleeping for several decades--not familiar with some terms. What are "color catchers"?

I wash and dry normal like all my cloths. Works well. Want to make sure that it is clean and soft. Don't use fabric softener because it makes me itch from head to toe though. Wish I could use it to make extra soft.

I machine wash cold on the gentle cycle and any I will give as gifts will have washing instructions. But as we are trying to save propane in my house, wash only gets done on sunny/windy days unless it absolutely needs to be washed so they usually get hung outside on the line. Neighbors have commented on how pretty they look hanging out there so I try to put the quilt tops toward the road so they can see

Find Color Catchers in your Laundry/Detergent/Softener section.
Made by SC Johnson and used in your washing machine to prevent the colors from running. They work for me.

Thank you for all the help. Think I will wash some table runners first and see what happens.

Ditto here too.

me three!

I just throw mine in the washer and dyer. No issues...

when i am doing the last binding stitches i am thinking about who is getting this quilt-where it is going-
and i launder it exactly the way i believe it will be taken care of when its no longer with me-
if it is going to a young mother- who goes to the laundrymat with garbage bags full of laundry-well- that quilt is going into my washer-with detergent-a normal cycle- then into the dryer- if it can not take my abuse- it sure wont take hers-
if it is going to a charitable foundation (like linus quilts) i wash them in hot water-regular cycle- into the dryer=
hospital laundry's are pretty rough- it better stand up to it.
if it is a very special quilt- or one i believe needs special care- i tend to it as i think it should be-
and i ALWAYS include care instructions on the label-
if it should be vacuumed- and only spot cleaned- it will say so- if it needs cold water- it will say so...
but 99% of the quilts i make- regardless (yes even the silk and wool ones) i put in the washer- a regular cycle- and into the dryer...if it does not hold up it shouldn't go anywhere any way-and i need to be the one to find that out- not some recipient who will be crushed when it doesn't come out ok