Originally Posted by
Prism99
Most people misunderstand shrinkage. Once a fabric is quilted into a quilt, it becomes one with the batting and the batting controls the shrinkage. Certainly fabrics shrink in different ways when washed by themselves. However, once bound by a reasonable amount of quilting into a quilt, none will shrink more than the batting allows. This is why people who don't prewash fabrics and/or don't prewash pre-cuts and/or mix prewashed with washed fabrics don't have hugely distorted quilts when they are done.
The above does *not* apply if you tie a quilt, or if the quilting is 12" apart.
I guess that makes sense...but I have to ask...if there is going to be shrinkage...the threads are what shrink...so just cause it is sewn to the batting and the batting doesn't shrink...why does that mean the fabric won't shrnk or if it does...how can it not shrink if the batting doesn't? Either the threads shrink or not, seems to me.
But in addition to shrinkage..what about bleeding of colors? I got zapped by that once...I prewashed and thought I had it...and then once the quilt was done, I washed it and the reds ran and ruined it..it was an Americanflag. So I bought those color sheet things and I use them when I wash fabric, and am amazed at all the color that comes out on it! If it wasn't for that sheet, those colors would be on other fabrics.....