I think one of the reasons old quilts didn't shrink was because they weren't put in a dryer, but instead hung on a line where the weight from the wet fabric and batting pulled a lot of the wrinkles out. I was told, many years ago, by the elderly daughter of an Wisconsin farmer, circa late 1800s, that wool was the batting of choice, usually an old blanket, and that the quilts were tied so that in the spring they could be "undone", the wool could be aired out to freshen it up, and the fabric could be washed. Can you imagine having to do that today? No wonder they had so many quilting bee's.