I'm trying to make baby blankets for a shower this Sunday. I read everything here on flannel. I washed all of it together in hot water twice and it's a mess!! It looks like it's old and has lint all over it. :(
Did I buy bad flannel or wash it wrong? I got it a JoAnn's.

Mist it with a spray bottle until slightly damp. Then iron, iron, iron! I use steam when I iron it. Good Luck!

That happened to me too...I watching this for answers. Maybe it gets better when you iron it? I'm not normally a prewasher and I used the flannel in a baby rag quilt before I knew that it would shrink so much. Didn't have a problem with the shrinkage because everything shrank at the same rate but it did look old and linty like you said...

Sometimes when I wash flannel I will use my pinking shears on the non-salvage edges. It keeps it from raveling so much.
Iron, iron and iron some more. I keep a spray bottle with just water in it to spray down the fabric.

Hope it irons up nice!

I take a lint roller and go over it after washing and drying. I hate it when it pills. Some pill more than others. Just pick the ones off that don't come off with the roller. It will be fine after that. I have never had them pill more after the first wash.

If you use flannel again, pre-wash but only on your permanent press setting. The hot water may have shrunk it to the point teh fibers will never go back to their original or almost original state. I would go so far as to throw it in teh washer again on teh pp cycle, dry on the pp cycle, and remove immediately.
I'm sorry, but I never use hot water to wash anything but my bath towels. Too risky.

Joann's "snuggle" flannel is not good quality at all. (I used to work in the quilting department.) It's hard to resist, though, because it's cute and so many choices. I bit the bullet and bought REAL quilt-shop-quality flannel online for a special baby quilt and the difference is amazing - night and day. If you can afford something else, avoid Snuggle Flannel.

Spray the back with starch - wait a couple of minutes (or spray the entire pile and start with the first piece you sprayed) and Iron away on the front.

Should come out fine...at least mine does.

oh no...first off should probably only washed it once, in warm not hot...the dryer gets plenty hot enough...and Joanne's fabric is so sub-standard, sorry you wasted your money. try using a lint roller, starch and press. it may still be usable.
after a quilt is put together and quilted it is the batting that dictates the amount of shrinkage and flannel quilts when made, quilted bound THEN washed come out wonderfully soft and fluffy. i would go ahead and put it together. if it is horribly (pilled-those little round poky dots) i would buy different flannel. fabric.com is a good source for good quality at a reasonable price.

Sorry but in defense of Joann's When I was pregnant with my youngest son I bought YARDS AND YARDS of snuggle flannel to make larger receiving blankets with since you can't buy a blanket big enough to swaddle a baby in. These things are 18 months old and have been washed more times than I can even think about. They still look the same way they did the day I made them. All except the fabric isn't as stiff.

I wash in cold dry on HOT. it still gets the shrink job done!

There are different qualities of flannel, as folks have already said. I didn't see this idea on any other post, but you might try putting the flannel into the dryer again with an old towel that you have wet down. the wet towel may help pull the lint off the flannel...but make sure it's an OLD towel that has been washed many times, otherwise the towel lint will spread to the flannel. Also, at the end of the cycle, pull the flannel out right away and see if it is less wrinkly than before.

I had a piece of flannel that got all pilly an nubby too after washing in warm water - I think it shrunk too much and the fibers were damaged. I never used that fabric - cut it up for dusting and polishing cloths. Some flannels are just poor quality.

I have not had a problem with JoAnn's flannel. I only wash any of my fabrics on the permanent press cycle. Never use hot. So spray and iron. I think it will be ok.

I didn't used to think there was much difference in the flannels, but just finished a quilt with heavier flannel & it feels like a dream. It is soft & rich feeling. But heavier flannel is about twice the cost of cheaper flannel. You have to decide how much you're willing to pay first. Cheaper flannel will work just fine for most projects.

If you look at my post about my "dreaded baby quilt" you will see the patterned flannel backing. I bought this at Joann's - not sure if it is snuggle flannel or not? Since I am not a prewasher w/my quilts and had never worked w/flannel before I did not prewash the flannel backing either. I washed the completed quilt on gentle in warm water and had no problem with shrinkage. The pics are post washing. Maybe I just got lucky but I was pleased with the way the flannel and the quilt in general looked even after washing. Good luck!!

I don't want to cause any troulbe but this post is why I washed my flannel in hot water.
I left off the name of the poster.

"From what I've read, wash and dry the flannel a couple of times in HOT water to maximize shrinkage before you cut; use at least 3/8 inch seams and heavily starch the flannel to help stabilize it. I haven't make a flannel quilt yet but plan to someday"

I'll try to get the lint off and then use starch and iron, iron, iron.

Darker flannels seem to pill more and lint is much more visible to the eye.

I use flannel all the time with my baby quilts and there is a difference in flannel not all the same! I pick off pieces as I iron and then use a sweater shaver for the rest, looks great when done.

I mostly use flannel as filler inside placemats and table runners. I also used some in a scrappy quilted throw that was already heavy and didn't need batting. So I really don't want it to shrink after it is inside. For me the appearance doesn't matter! If your flannel doesn't respond to any of these suggestions, you can always use it as a filler where it won't be seen.

somone who made 5 flannel Rag quiltS told me be willing tO SpenD 8 to 10 DOLLARS a yard or you waste your time BIG TIME.

I agree totally. It will turn out fine. Don't worry!

as someone thats made more than i can count- that's not necessarily true