Help WAshing a New Baby Quilt

Every time I finish a quilt I wash it, using regular laundry soap, cold water, and the gentle cycle, and then toss it into the dryer. I figure that if it's going to fall apart or have some little problem, I want to know so I can fix it. And I want the quilt to be 100% freshly clean before I give it away. I am a traditional quilter, and the ONLY "modern" thing I do is use a rotary cutter and mat, so every stitch is by hand.

I wash every finished quilt: best to know before giving if anything weird will happen to it! And I don't coddle them either. They go right in the machine, program for colored stuff, normal detergent (they are all cotton). then into the regular drier. I assume that's what will happen to them in their new homes! They shrink 3-5%, which is what I want them to do anyway for a nice texture. (If you pre-washed your W&N, maybe it won't.) But then I don't worry, the recipient won't have palpitations the first time she washes it, and I know it's clean and fresh.

There's no law that you can't press your prairie po>I handquilted this one and it was slow going. So I feel like I've

Sherry, when you dry it on 'just gentle' in the dryer, set a timer to summons you after 5 or 6 minutes. While it's still a little damp, pat and pull it all flat and square. Our kitchen counter is the best spot here; don't know about your home. Many quilters put a clean sheet on the floor for this but the QI *Could not* leave it undisturbed. I'm with Roberta, if something dastardly is going to happen, I want to know. Polly

Sherry, if everything has already been prewashed, you shouldn't have problems -- a dangerous assumption, probably, but that's been my general experience. I'd go ahead and wash the quilt on a normal setting (cool water, though, as you don't want it to fade before you give it away ). Then dry almost completely, letting it dry flat at the end to make it look as square (rectangular?) as possible. As Roberta said, I'd want to know if anything was going to go wrong before I gave it away.

Got pics?

Agreed.

If something's going to happen---whether it's a seam pulling out, dye bleeding, whatever---better it should happen to me than the person I'm giving the quilt to. I can probably fix it, and if I can't, I'd rather have to tell the person "Gee, I had your quilt done in time, but something went wrong with it, so I'm going to a be a bit late with version 2.0" than have them feel guilt for years for "ruining" my work.

I do tend to toss in a color-catcher sheet on that first finished-quilt wash, though. Other than that, no coddle at all--washed exactly the same way I expect them to wash it.

--pig

Thank you all! The washing was a stellar success. I washed it in the washer on gentle, smoothed it out on the clothesline, fluffed it in the dryer. Then I sprayed just a tiny bit of that high-dollar starch I bought (Mary-something-lavender) on the prairie points, smoothed them out and finished drying it flat. Then I stood back and looked at it. I am usually my worst critic. When I finish a quilt, I never think it's good enough. This was worse, because it's the first quilt ever I agreed to make for *money*. But I looked at it and thought, Hey! This is good. I never want to do another one though. Gifting a quilt is fun. Selling puts way too much stress in it, and it wasn't worth it. I'd rather have been working on Christmas gifts. Someone saw the quilt I made grandson in the quilt show and asked me at a weak moment and I said okay. Thanks, all! Sherry

HOOooooEeeee, Sherry, you've learned a lot. Creating a quilt to sell would, I think, just smother me. I can be bought, however; $ 20,000 or so might do it. Other than that, I just don't think I could. Don't think I could handle the pressure. Polly

"Sherry" Thank you all! The washing was a stellar success. I washed it in the washer on gentle, smoothed it out on the clothesline, fluffed it in the dryer. Then I sprayed just a tiny bit of that high-dollar starch I bought (Mary-something-lavender) on the prairie points, smoothed them out and finished drying it flat. Then I stood back and looked at it. I am usually my worst critic. When I finish a quilt, I never think it's good enough. This was worse, because it's the first quilt ever I agreed to make for *money*. But I looked at it and thought, Hey! This is good. I never want to do another one though. Gifting a quilt is fun. Selling puts way too much stress in it, and it wasn't worth it. I'd rather have been working on Christmas gifts. Someone saw the quilt I made grandson in the quilt show and asked me at a weak moment and I said okay. Thanks, all! Sherry

Join the club! :O I've noticed that one of the first things many people ask when they find out that we're quilters is, "Do you sell your quilts?" Nope. Not me. I think it would take all of the fun out of making them.

You are so right. It sucks the fun right out of quilting for me. Polly's descriptive, "smother" is true. And this was a crib quilt! Only 45"x45"! I'd have had a nervous breakdown long before a fullsized bed quilt was done.

Sherry

Too much like work if I HAVE to do it! You got to be real careful how you tell people though. We had a little quilt show at a church during a community festival a few weeks ago. About 30-40 quilts, it was really beautiful!

A woman came in and asked one of the girls if the quilts were for sale. The quilt gal said, "oh, honey, you couldn't afford them!" Meaning, like Polly, most of us sure ain't doing it for the money. However, for $20,000 I, too, could be bought.

The woman got extremely offended (rightfully so!) yelled at the quilt gal and stomped off. We didn't get a chance to explain that it is just something we quilters say to each other.

This is what happens when they let us out amongst the English. We mostly keep to our own kind and forget how to interact with "normal" people.

Cindy

I once had a 'kindly' lady at a quilt show sell one of my crib sized quilts- blue ribbon and all!- for $15. Now this was 20 years ago but I'm still miffed! And she promised the buyer I'd make her a second one for $15, too. (I had said I'd donate the quilt for a benefit raffle, but to sell it outright and for that price *and* promise a second one???)

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

So? Did you MAKE the second one??

Cindy > gotta have The Rest of the Story!

Of course. Exactly like the first one but she chose the colors- and the $30 went to the local volunteer fire dept. Then we sold our house and moved away. Not any connection to the quilt episodes, tho! ;-)

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Howdy!

Some people do want a custom quilt, handquilted, and are willing to pay for it. Yesterday 2 women at church approached me about commissioning a quilt. The first wants an "old-fashioned" king-size, to go on her family-antique bed; knowing the squash of the bulk of that size quilt, I put her off, but she's still interested and knows the price... & the value of a well-made quilt. The other woman wants her antique quilt top quilted, by hand. We'll see. I don't mind people asking "how much?" or "will you make me a quilt?" It's a great opportunity to educate them about the value of a quilt, the difference between a "real quilt" (my term) and one of "those things" they can buy in a bag w/ matching pillow shams. I don't calculate labor costs, I have a set price and that's it, start to finish, and we can negotiate about the fabric. This topic always reminds me of the "I don't quilt for competition" topic (2 weeks ago ). Some DO quilt for cash, some quilt for competition, and I'm glad. Both can be a pleasure, and to have another of my quilts out there in The World, being enjoyed, "It's all good."

R/Sandy - Quilter ;-)

I can beat that, Leslie: a teacher at my son's school [where coincidentally, I worked too!] seemed pleased to have a quilt as a raffle prize. It was duly included on the tickets: as 4th prize, after a handcrafted plate, tickets to a football game, and dinner for two at McDonald's.

For the first time in my life, I bought a whole book of raffle tickets. When the student came to my office to tell me I'd won, I said I'd like the quilt. She said, "No, you won first prize." I said "No, I'll take the quilt!'

Gave the quilt to Great Grandma...it's here:

I ended up paying over $200 for my own quilt...then the teacher had the nerve to complain that my son didn't sell his quota of chocolate bars [we lived out of district and I felt it wasn't right for him to sell stuff for a school that wasn't local.] Grrr...it still makes me a little crankier than I like to admit!

And here's one for appropriate pay for time and skill. A seamstress over in Mobile AL charges $400 to make very minor alterations to wedding gowns.

*Not* letting out a size 4 to cover a size 18 hip, I mean just a nip or tuck somewhere. Sounds about fair to me. Polly

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