"crinkly" quilts
 

For the first time last month I sent a quilt out to be long arm quilted. Well actually I sent 2 to 2 different ladies. I wanted to compare and see what was out there

They both did beautiful work. I am very pleased with both.

My question is that one of the quilts got "crinkly" after I washed it. All of the fabric had been washed before I made the quilt and I was wondering if the batting does this

Is this a batting thing? If so what batting types do this?

The other quilt did not get the "crinkly" look - and its interesting because that one was made from jelly rolls which were not washed.

Any thoughts?

Batting. Cotton batting will shrink. Wool also shrinks. Polyester batting does not shrink. It is the batting that is the primary determinant of crinkly vs flat.

I always pre-soak my batting to minimize crinkling and it still crinkles somewhat. What batting did you use in the quilt that didn't crinkle?

poly doesn't shrink, wool will but not as much as cotton. not sure about bamboo.

Now that I am at my desktop computer, I wanted to add a little more info. Once fabric is quilted to batting, it is the batting that controls whether the fabric can shrink or not. With moderate to heavy quilting, basically the fabric cannot shrink more than the batting allows it to. If the batting is polyester and the quilting stitches are an inch or two apart, for example, even flannel (which is notorious for shrinking a *lot* when washed and dried as fabric) will not shrink. If your quilting lines are 12" apart, then there is room for fabric to shrink between quilting lines. However, with moderate quilting fabric will not shrink more than the batting allows.

Batting manufacturers usually post shrinkage information online, and often also on the packages (if you buy batting pre-packaged).

It's the batting & the amount of quilting. More densely quilted quilts crinkle more & quilts with 100% cotton batting crinkle more, especially if they don't have a scrim. I also think that the thinner the 100% cotton batting, the more it crinkles but I haven't done enough testing to say that's absolutely the case; it's just something I've found to be true in a couple cases.

Thanks for the information everyone

Since I sent the quilt out to be quilted I don't know what type of batting was used on this quilt - there was no receipt for her work when I paid. I didn't think to ask her at the time.

The quilt that did not get the "crinkly" look had Dream Cotton batting - I know that because I did receive a receipt with this one.

Of the two, the quilt that got "crinkly" was quilted a little more dense than the other.

Always learning something!

boy i sent two out to be quilted and hated the batting chosen. even when i asked for 80/20 thin batting she used the fluffy one again. haven't washed quilts so will be surprised I guess. I'm sure part is poly.

Interesting question.

Many in my area buy a LA and then think they can go in business the next day buying the cheapest batting and biggest cone of neutral thread they can and think it is fine.

if you want certain batting send it with the quilt and inform the la that is what you want them to use.

I can't imagine a longarmer not discussing batting choices. It could make a difference in the cost to the customer or to the bottom line profit of the quilter. It certainly makes a difference in the appearance of the quilt, even discounting the effect of shrinkage.

I agree. I was a little surprised at the "transaction" with this long armer. She did a beautiful job, don't get me wrong, but not much discussed. Then since it was the first quilt I ever had done I didn't know what questions to ask.

I don't think I hate the quilt with the crinkliness - it just surprised me. I think some people do prefer that look.

Next time I will know more of what questions to ask.
good tip

Did you wash in hot water and dry in hot dryer?

if you want certain batting send it with the quilt and inform the la that is what you want them to use.


And you get the longarmer like the one I brought my batting of choice to her along with the quilt and she said Are you sure you want to use that expensive batting? The one I use is much cheaper. :p I wanted to say lady read a quilt magazine once in a while.

Uh.... what else were you going to do with it? Put it up in a cupboard for a rainy day??? :shock:

I too sent one out to get quilted. she quilted very close together. it's so crinkley, that it slides off of the bed. the area of the quilt laying on top of the sheet is less than if it was hand quilted. You have to look at that too. if it has a lot of crinkles, less fabric touching the sheet, less surface area, so it will slide off. My first time in over 350 quilts this has happened to.

I recently took a quilt to a long armer for the first time. She helped me choose a quilting pattern and recommended what color thread to use. I was very happy with the results, but I'm now realizing we never discussed what sort of batting to use. I have no idea what's in there. Thanks for posting this, so I'll know what to ask next time.

I took both quilts to the laundry mat. I washed in cold water and dried in a medium heat dryer. I guess that depends on how accurate the machines are doesn't it :)
well this is going to be a gift.. I hope it doesn't slide off the bed :shock: hhmmmm it layed on my couch without sliding off so maybe it will be alright

I pre-wash all my fabric and pre-soak batting when possible. Cold water, gentle cycle w/Tide Free, low heat. And then I repeat that twice when I finish. Every time the quilts crinkle because it isn't just heat that causes cotton fibers to react that way -- it's also water & the tumbling. I actually find that warm water & medium heat don't make any noticeable difference in shrinking. The reason I don't use heat on my quilts is because it damages the fibers, not because it is a huge factor in shrinking. Hot water & high heat will over stretch the cotton fibers and then cause them to curl back up on themselves but it's by no means the only cause of crinkling.

Dream Cotton batting has minimal shrinking....I did a king size quilt and I don't think it shrunk an inch in either direction. i don't preshrink fabric.

LOL! This really made me chuckle cause I was thinking the same thing! As a LA I want to have the discussion with the customer about batting, density of quilting, any special concerns, thread color and choice, etc. I remember before I started LA that I'd just hand a quilt to the LA and say "do what you think best"--sure they were not thrilled! And of the 4 I sent business to, only 2 actually asked me any questions and only 2 (not the same two) put information,including price, on their invoice ticket.

When I started LA I decided that it's important to ask a lot of questions about what the piecer is wanting it to look like and also to put info on the invoice--if for no other reason that a record for future info for both me and them. Plus it's a word-of-mouth business and unsatisfied customers are not desired!

but I can tell you why the LA probably asked if you wanted to use the less expensive bat--she probably sells batting that she's able to buy at a significant reduction by the roll and without taxes, may even get an additional discount for being frequent customer, etc and then she plans to sell it to customers with a bit of a mark-up and make some $$ off it. Certainly not unethical and a part of business--but not when you show up with your own batting!

Forgot to add ... you could always block the quilts. It should get many of the wrinkles out. I've done it with mini quilts where it matters to me that it's smoother. It's quite easy. I use a thin plastic tarp from Home Depo, some T-pins (JAF) & a spray bottle. It supposedly works even better if you can block on a large heat resistant-water resistant surface and add a bit of heat with the iron, but I never have. Just gently pull the quilt so it is smooth but not too taught (same as if you are preparing backing for sandwiching). http://www.adventurequilter.com/e-Le.../Blocking.html

I usually buy batting on a roll and with a business license on wholesale basis and sell it at retail price comparable to stores in the area. I have 80/20 and Dream Poly.
My forms request Name, address, phone# Date.
Date Due, Quilt name/description, size, Quilting pattern, color of thread.
It has quilting Cost per Sq in, Cost of batting per yd.
also offer: make binding, attach binding, hand sew binding. price per linear in.
Do you want is trimmed? I always give back all the trimmings even the tiny scraps.
I also have them sign and date when they pick up the quilt. (sometimes they have a friend pick up)

I have had good results with all of my questions. If they bring their own batting that is what I use, no questions.

i am surprised to learn the LA is choosing your batting for you......... It is such a BIG part of the quilt design, that I would no more let her pick the batting than pick the pieced top.......... I sure am learning a lot since I joined this forum....Thanks for the education.

Recently, I tried a Warm & Plush batting (made by the same co. which manufactures W & N batting). It is all cotton, slightly thicker and soft. After I washed the quilt in cold (which I use all the time), the crinkling was less than usual.

I bought a new batting put out by Quilter's Dream to try out....it is 70% cotton and 30% poly. It is designed especially for machine quilting. I haven't used it yet, but will let you know how it works out.

Will the crinkling return when the recipient washes it again?

Some but not as much at first. It's similar to blocking a sweater. I can get away with a few times in between blocking where it is still pretty good, but eventually it will re-crinkle. It's the nature of cotton & the reason why I generally only block quilts if they are going to be hung. To prolong the time between washings, you can vacuum them with the brush attachment or a piece of hosiery over the hose.

Personally, though, if I know it's going to be used as bedding/play mat, I intentionally leave the crinkles in so the recipient doesn't think she "ruined" the quilt. Even people who otherwise like the crinkly look sometimes panic when it comes out of the dryer like that the first time. Rather than having to explain to them that it's a normal property of cotton during the wetting/un-wetting process, I wash all my quilts twice before I gift/sell them so people can see what it looks like without overly fussy care.

When I L/Aed for clients, I recommended they bring their batting of choice, although I did have a roll of W/N both poly and cotton, if they chose, but I did not pre wash!

I prewash in hot water and cold rinse. My washer is set with cold water rinses. I dry on hot temp for only a few minutes. When I made the first couple baby quilts before gifting them, I washed again but in cool water and gentle cycle and low heat dryer. Sent a note these were the laundry instructions suggested. I did cross hatching/linear quilting about 1 1/2" apart. It didn't get really crinkly, which is how I wanted it. I also used a cotton batting and prewashed it. My cousin is a longarmer in Florida. She uses what her customers tell her to use and helps with any questions. She gives them a receipt and also has an order form to write down details from batting to templates to thread best for the quilt. She also notes if it will be for a utility or just display.

Thanks for sharing. I have 2 of these cardboard cutting boards and use both. the second one I got at a garage sale for $1.00. It had some marker damage in a crease.

I thought the same thing. That is why I asked about if it would get crinkly again when they washed it. I wasn't intending this to be a display quilt.. I want it to be used

I love the crinkling that occurs after the first wash. I call it "quilty goodness." :)