Densely Quilted - after washing?
Not sure if this is dense enough for you but I did a lot of quilting especially in the squares on this T-shirt quilt that ended up being a queen size when done. I used a low-loft cotton batting and tried to do quilting in every square. I washed it already and it came out very soft and actually more puffy and cuddley. I would expect even densely quilted quilts would be more soft and cuddley after washing as well. I suppose it does depend on what the actual intentions are for the quilt. If it's meant to be a wall hanging then I would expect to press the quilt on the back after washing just to give it a very finished look. Otherwise, I would want it to look 'loved' and used.