I like the crisp neat appearance of my quilts without having been washed.

I've never used color catchers. Where do you buy them?

I always wash them because:
- I want to give it "pre-crinkled"; I don't want the recipient to think they ruined the quilt when it comes out of the dryer the first time.
- as others have mentioned; to catch any mistakes. I've had binding where I somehow totally missed a side when I was attaching it (I bind by machine) and it came out of the dryer all stringy and weird and had to be hand-sewn to fix it.
- final test for runs in the fabric - I pre-wash unless I'm using precuts but I still like the double check.
- removing cat hair, hand oil, Elmer's glue, chalk lines...

And I also like to be able to tell people it's been "tested" - I think people are a lot more comfortable tossing the quilt into the washing machine if I tell them I've already done it myself.

Color catchers - you can buy them just about anywhere. I've bought them online at Amazon.com, and also found them at Joann's, Safeway, and Target. There is another brand that calls them something slightly different, which is not coming to my mind, but I've used those ones too and they work just as well.

Shout Color Catchers are in most grocery stores in the section with the dryer sheets.

I like the crinkle look. That being said, the new owner probably won't iron their quilt after washing and drying so I personally can't see ironing. Give them what they'll get after washing. JMHO

DO NOT use dish soap in the washing maching. How Do I know??? I helped my daughter clean up a foot of soap sudds from her utility room floor that over flowed when my son-in-law used dish soap because he couldn't find the laundry soap. They even started to oozz into the hall. Not fun. But the floor was really clean when we were done. I'm sure you have seen TV shows or commercials where the soap is flowing out of the washing machine. That is what will happen.

I know I'm the odd man (woman) out, but I stretch my binding when attaching it. In the first picture you can even see a little wrinkle in the left binding.
I lay the quilt out to sew the next few inches, lay the binding on where it should be, give the binding a little tug and hold that on the quilt with my fingers while I sew that section. If the binding is length of fabric, you can tug quite a bit; if it is width of fabric, tug just a little.
I've never heard of anyone else doing that, but better to have the binding just a little tight than too loose.

When I gift a quilt, I don't always wash the Quilt but I do make up a little card with washing instructions that is included with the quilt.

I always wash before giving a gift quilt. First of all to remove all the washable glue and starch and marking pens and chalk used to construct the quilt. I also want the new owner to see the quilt as it really is meant to be. Then, they will not be afraid to wash it when needed. I put it in the washer with regular detergent. I do prefer to lay them out flat to dry. I use a plastic drop cloth either spread on the floor or over a bed. I also try to cut the portion of the batting wrapper out that has care instructions and include it with the gift.

I washed mine in 40C water (I think that would be considered warm.)

I posted my pics in my thread I just started - http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...t-t244008.html

What was the size change?