Ooh - tough question!

I like the differential shrinkage that happens when I first wash a quilt - and I always wash a quilt before giving it away.

BUT - the king-sized bed quilt I made from DH's pattern shrunk up a little too much for my taste. We've been using it for about 10 years, so clearly it didn't make me reject it entirely, LOL. But I do have plans to make us another in the same pattern with larger borders.

I don't like skimpy.

So - I can't say I answered your question, LOL. If you are in doubt, perhaps you might add another border.

I pattern by the seat of my pants, and the finished piece often has an after the fact sashing stuck in or an extra row of blocks, or usually, like Mary C an additional or wider border. My beds all have dust ruffles now and that certainly helps to cover the innersprings where I might have preferred the spread or quilt to fall below the frame instead. I also don't require every quilt I make to be used as a full-sized bedspread. I have a few I keep folded in the appropriate room as eye candy and it they can be grabbed on a cold night to throw over a blanket, and it really doesn't matter if they completely cover the lay of the sheets or not, as long as they cover cold humans and whatever cat or dog who climbs under the covers with them.

Calliope - nice to see you posting again!

Wow, this is a good question. I have to admit I don't think about it too much on baby or lap quilts. My bed quilts are usually made as huge as I can make them because I love the long overhang, so maybe that's why it hasn't been a problem. Now I have to go look at my old quilts and measure them to see if they seem small to me...

kate