Butterflyblue

Oh, what a pretty quilt! I understand being upset about the shrinkage. I've had some things shrink nearly that much - I lost an INCH off of a 15" square doll quilt. Don't remember what batting it was.

I like the crinkled look, too.

cmw0829

My LQS owner said expect shrinkage of 3%.

BTW, assuming you've pre-shrunk your fabric, can you pre-shrink the batting so the quilt won't get all crinkly if the batting shrinks later?

Mattee

It depends on the batting. They usually come with instructions for pre-shrinking.

Nolee

I love that look, although I have started washing fabric before piecing lately. I've never washed batting, didn't know there was a need to. Is that critical?

thequilteddove

I buy warm & natural/white wholesale... this is what their site says about warm & white


The soft, natural cotton goes through a gentle mechanical cleaning to pick out cotton plant and seed remnants. The tiny plant particles that remain lend a special look to crafts when used as an exterior fabric and will not damage your fabric when used in your quilt. Shrinkage will be about 3% with your first washing. Many quilters prefer not to pre-wash to achieve the unique effect created by the slight shrinkage of the batting when the completed quilt is washed. Please follow these directions if you wish to pre-wash your batt:
1.Hand wash in a basin or tub with a mild detergent. Do not agitate or spin in your washing machine.
2.Soak for 20 minutes, then rinse several times.
3.Squeeze water out. Rolling in a towel will help to remove excess water.
4.Dry in a cool or warm dryer or allow to dry flat.
Once quilted Warm & White cotton batting can be machine washed again and again without fear of separation or bunching.

craftymatt2

Very nice job, and very pretty and delicate, just right for a precious baby.

Scakes

Your quilt is quite lovely.

I had this happen with a small quilt that I made with pre-washed fabric so it is the batting that shrinks. Was a shocker when it came out of the dryer. But people seem to like them this way and sometimes so do I. I'm glad they don't all do it though. LOL.

maryb119

I preshrink my batting to avoid that problem. I use Warm and Natural or Warma nd White for my quilts. I put it in the washer with hot water and let it soak till it is all wet and then just spin it out. Do not agitate. Then I put it in the dryer. after its' quilted and washed the first time, you will have that soft snuggle look of a quilt but without the large shrinkage that comes with that first washing.

Riversong

I have never had any sinificant shrinkage with warm and natural. Im thinking the fabric is the culprit.

redbugsullivan

I've discovered the same thing! If you think about the sheer logistics of what quilting does to the fabric by pulling it down and puffing it up, it makes sense.