Originally Posted by
gramma nancy
I'm pretty new to quilting and I'm always reading that you should preshrink batting before using it, but I don't know how. Do you just toss it in the washing machine? Doesn't that bunch it up? If you do, what water temp? I can't imagine hand washing queen-size batting -- seems too big to handle. Or is there a secret to it?
Sorry for the stupid questions, but I'm confused.
Depends entirely on the finished look and feel you want. I like cotton batting but I don't always want the crinkled look so sometimes I preshrink my battings. Do NOT let it agitate!!! You'll end up with a giant cotton ball! I use hot water and let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes and I use a stick to push it down in the water. After it has sat I turn the machine to the last spin and spin the water out. I use regular heat in the dryer. I'll pull it out of the dryer a couple of times and move the middle of the ball to the outside so it dries evenly. It doesn't take very long at all for a bat to dry so you need to rearrange it about every 10 minutes or so. Also make sure it's a batting that can be preshrunk. Not all of them can be.