I want the smooth look. Several of my family members want the heavier feel of cotton, so I preshrink mine. I usually use an 80/20 cotton/poly that works well. The only one I turned into shreds was a brand I had never used and I washed it instead of skipping the agitation. Whoops! I can still get some baby quilts out of it and I'll use the rest for crafts, so it's not a complete loss.