Chintz to me seems to have a hand much like batiks do--tightly woven with a bit of gloss. I have used both successfully many times mixed with other cotton fabrics. I am the quintessential no-ironing-for-me quilter, so I have always used mine as it came to me originally. Maybe I'm lucky, but with over 100 quilts made over the years, I have never had a problem with quilts after they are washed (many times in most cases) shrinking unevenly or bleeding colors. The only shrinkage I have encountered on a regular basis is when I use cotton batting, and there I expect about 5% shrinkage after I wash it following quilting. I also don't prewash/dry my batting, so if I don't want the slightly crinkled look that I got from cotton batting, I use polyester.