why prewash?

No, I'm not talking about pre-washing fabrics. I wouldn't touch that discussion with a ten foot pole. I'm talking quilts. After posting the Eleanor quilt, Tiffany asked, why do you wash and dry your quilts before gifting them?

First off, I generally pre-wash quilts before giving them. Not always, but generally. I think it's a good idea especially for baby quilts. Pre-washing softens them, makes them more cuddly and they feel....I don't know...finished. "Broke in" may actually be a better description. The texture of the quilt increases dramatically. Pre-washing also helps temper minor quilting issues. Not that THAT ever happens here. Ahem. (The key word here is 'minor'. Washing doesn't do miracles, no matter how hard you hope!) It's also nice to see how much the quilt shrinks, (especially if it's going on a bed), or to see if it bleeds. Or to see if it actually holds together. (Popped seams anyone?) It's a whole lot better to get those kinks worked out before gifting.

That's simply my 2 cents.

How about you? Do you pre-wash your quilts before giving them?