I have some old quilts that are flat.

When did crinkled ( aka as post-washing shrinkage ) become known as old - fashioned/ antique?

Lumpy was caused by the batting/wadding shifting - so that sort of looked crinkled.

I don't know crinkled as old fashioned or antique, so I'm not sure what you are referring to. Is it something you're reading somewhere?

Some people say they do not wash their fabrics before cutting them because they like the " old- fashioned crinkly look" that sometimes happens after a auilt is washed.

It depends on what you think of as old-fashioned. I know some people used to cold water wash and press dry, then block their quilts to keep them perfectly smooth -- all the better to showcase the precise piecing. More utilitarian quilts got heavy use and frequent washings and they usually do get that puckered and textured look. Some people think of the era of high loft poly-batts as old fashioned-- another style that does not get the crinkle.

I personally do like the texture and crinkle, and I think it's the prevailing preference in younger quilters / modern quilting movement. I love designs with a lot of negative space and fairly heavy quilting, and the crinkle is particularly nice them.

I think it's worth it for any quilter to know how to avoid shrinkage and crinkling if that's the best effect for a particular piece. However, it's very freeing not to be completely driven by the goal of keeping a quilt completely smooth. I think people are far more likely to use and enjoy a quilt that looks like they can throw it over the couch or spread it out on the floor for a baby to crawl on-- perfectly ok to throw into the washer and dryer. Something that requires very careful laundering and looks like it's been ironed and starched stiff feels more like an "heirloom to be kept out of sunlight and never touched by unwashed hands" .

I like both. On an old fashioned looking quilt, I lOVE the crinkley look. it's so cool, and huggable too. on something else a bit more modern, I like it flat and even.like what I have on the bed now. what got me into quilting soooo many yrs ago, was the look of the old fashioned look.

I don't know the answer to when that look became old fashioned but the crinkly look is one I like.
Following up on RST's post if I gave someone a quilt I would be happiest if they used it every day and just completely wore it out. A far better fate than being stored away and only taken out on special occasions in my opinion.
Rodney

I see. I think of the crinkly look as cuddly, and for casual living. Age doesn't really enter into the impression for me. The fabrics tell me more about how old fashioned and antique a quilt is.

It really depends a lot on what batting was used in the quilts.

Most antique quilts in this country had cotton for batting. There was no needlepunching, scrim or bonding agents available then. Quilting needed to be very close to keep the cotton batting from shifting and, when washed, the cotton would shrink more than the batting giving a slightly crinkled look to the quilt. Cotton gets softer every time it is washed, so a lot of loveable antique quilts are now not only crinkled but also extremely soft to the touch.

Lumpy quilts were usually the result of insufficient quilting to keep the cotton from shifting, especially after being washed.

Some antique quilts were made with wool blankets for batting. Usually the wool blankets had been washed multiple times before being recycled into batting. This type of blanket would not shrink after being incorporated into a quilt, and the result would be a much flatter quilt.

Have the old quilts you have been washed........maybe that is why they are flat.......we must remember that in the past not all things were washed as often as they are now...and collectors will always prefer an unwashed antique quilt.....perhaps because of the batting that was used....