Flannel Shrinkage - how much is "a lot"?
 

I have seen many posts saying that flannel shrinks "a lot".

How much do you consider to be "a lot"?

I have washed pieces of flannel (soaked in hot water for a couple of waters) and then washed and dried - and the shrinkage has been way less than for some "regular" quilting cottons.

I have soaked and washed Michael Miller jet black and that has shrunk over two inches in width - which I consider "a lot".

I have also had other nice looking and feeling cottons shrink over two inches in width.

I have also had fabrics that stayed the same - and a very few stretched a bit.

3 to 5 percent is what I've experienced and consider "a lot". Depends on the quality of the flannel I guess.

Like all other fabric there are big differences in flannels... Some are thin and have a fairly loose weave... Those can easily shrink 5+". Other flannels are nice double sided good quality tighter woven fabrics and shrink very little (less than some of the regular quilting cottons I've used.

I've used nice tightly woven flannel on quilt backs and I haven't noticed it shrinking any more than regular quilting cotton fabric.

I've had flannels that didn't shrink at all, and flannels that shrank 10%.