Originally Posted by
anne2016
I sell quilts and I find that most people that buy quilts are not quilters. They don't like the crinkly look of washed quilts because it doesn't have a 'just bought' look. Hasanyone else experienced that ?
I think this comes from people used to seeing commercial comforters and "uncrinkled" quilts in stores. Chances are these buyers are not only not quilters themselves, but also come from non-quilting families. They have probably never seen a "real" handmade quilt made by family members.
When I was in Lancaster, PA and visited some of the Amish quilt stores, I noticed that their quilts for sale all had the "unwashed" look.
To keep an "unwashed" look (even if you wash), I think it helps enormously to use polyester batting. It provides the lofty look of comforters that so many people equate with quilts, but does not shrink at all in the wash (unlike cotton). An alternative would be to pre-wash cotton batting so it does not shrink in the wash. The batting typically controls how much crinkling you get, assuming your quilting lines are reasonably close together -- 4" or less. Batting is stronger than fabrics, so a batting that does not shrink will stop fabrics from shrinking in a quilt, even though the same fabrics would shrink if washed by themselves.