When to wash your flimsy

When should you wash your flimsy?  AH HA!  What is a flimsy?  A flimsy is the top you made!  When you make a quilt top it is flimsy, so therefor it is called a flimsy actually!
Sew when do wash this little bugger?
AFTER IT IS QUILTED!
I put this in all caps to save you all the headache of the outcome of washing the flimsy.  For several reasons I will list here for you.

1.  It will shrink!
2. It will shrink!
3. Yep it will shrink!

It will shrink and you will have a mess!  The flimsy (top) will become so distorted you will never be able to square back up to quilt it.
Another reason you will have so many popped seams it will most likely fall apart.
I understand wanting to wash it before it is quilted, you have been dropping it, stepping on it, your fur babies have confiscated it and gotten hair on it, or you SNEEZED on it.  Ask me how I know that last one!  But if you do this you may as well throw it to the dogs to live upon, it just won't work!
Now, once you have it quilted what do you do?
Wash it?
NOPE!
It must be bound before it is washed.  Again it will shrink and warp before you bind it and then OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOD!  Binding is hard enough as it is without more issues to deal with.
Sew here are the steps to quilt your flimsy:

1. Make the flimsy (top)
2. Square the top
3. Sandwich with batting and backing
4. QUILT QUILT QUILT QUILT
5. check your square again, it can get wonky ( I said check, not re-square)
6. If you are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off, try pulling it back into shape, if this does not work you may have to trim it again.
7. BIND BIND BIND and then Bind some more!
8. TA DA WASH IT!!!  (gentle cycle with your brand of detergent, fabric softener)
9. DRY - I use gentle cycle on dryer.  Some like to hang them to dry. Other's like to partial dry then lay flat to dry the remainder of the way.
10. Fold and give or keep!
11. Enjoy your creativity

Now, this is NOT the law, I am not a Quilt Poe leece!  But, this is the best way to do it.  Never ever wash before your flimsy is quilted, save yourself the time and frustration and the boxes of Kleenex needed following should you do this. (At least wait until I get stock in Kleenex before you do this)!
Remember an unfinished quilt is waiting to be loved.  Finished is always better than perfect, and of course Love your creativity from yourself to another.