Those special rag snips are wonderful. I was given a pair by a friend and it is among my most prized tools ... esp for rag quilts.
The weed whacker idea is from John Flynn.
I take my quilt to the laundromat to wet it and then use their dryer - no heat - to tumble it and get all the lint out. No way do I want to mess up my dryer at home. You'll be surprised at the amount of threads that come off. Then I dry it when it looks nice enough.
ali