Originally Posted by Buckeye Rose
Originally Posted by Lori S
Preshrinking a cotton batting that does not have a scrim can be difficult , what name /type is the batting you are trying to preshrink?
When I want to preshrink I typically buy Warm and Natural or Warm and white , it has a good sturdy scrim and holds up well to preshrinking.
I have been using the prepackaged 80/20 cotton batting that they sell at walmart and I really don't know what a "scrim" is to say if it has one or not....LOL.....they sell the warm and natural, but only 45" wide.....to get anything else requires a 35 mile trip to joann's
The 20 in the 80/20 is poly. The poly is typically the scrim which helps to bind or hold the cotton fibers in place.
There are few methods , one is to mist or spray it with enough water to get the fibers damp but not soaking wet, allowing plenty of time( aleast a few hours) for the moisture to soak into the fibers. Then toss into the dryer. It can be difficult to get the right amount evenly across a large bat by spraying.
You can also soak in the washer or dryer( again a few hours) , and gently spin and toss in the dryer. Note do periodically push the bat into the water , as some tend to want to float.
I find soaking in the tub to be problematic as getting it out of the tub ( alot of weight ) can pull on the fibers .
Some use a plastic laundry basket to soak and remove as not to strain the heavy bat.
The majority of the shrinkage will come from the heat of the dryer.