Originally Posted by margaret53
I am hand quilting an applique quilt, and I am using wool batting. This quilt is going to need to be washed when I finish it, and I don't know anything about washing a quilt with wool batting. I didn't save the bag the batting came in (of course:(. Any suggestions?
If you really have no idea of the brand of wool batting, you need to be very conservative in your treatment of the quilt. What causes wool to "felt" is agitation in the presence of soap and heat. You can use a top loader to wash, filling it with soapy water and stopping before the agitation cycle, hand agitate by pushing down on the quilt, spin out, fill with rinse water, hand agitate again, and spin out. The quilt cannot be machine dried. Needs to be laid out flat -- outside with a sheet underneath and a sheet on top, if inside with a fan blowing over it.
How close are your quilting lines? Wool batting usually requires fairly close quilting to avoid distortion and shrinkage when you wash.
If you used Hobbs wool batting or Quilter's Dream wool batting, you have much less to worry about. It is the "off" brands that are likely to become problematic. Do you remember where you bought the batting? Perhaps you could go back to that store and see what brand they sell. Most places will carry only one brand of wool batting; it's not a heavy seller. If you have Hobbs or Quilter's Dream, you can safely machine dry the quilt provided you have quilted sufficiently close together.