Microwave bowl question
 

I have made a number of these microwave bowl holders & have several for myself. When I gift them they always look so pretty & crisp. The first time I washed mine they turned limp & wrinkly & sort of ugly. We use ours everyday for cereal, soup, warmed up veggies, ice cream, etc. I just love them. But I'm thinking that if mine look so different after washing I am sure all those that I gave away look like mine also. Is there any way to make them so they maintain their "sort of" new look without wimping out? Maybe I should do some close quilting in them instead of the X through the center. I just would like to know if everyone else's turn out soft & wimpy after washing them & if you have any advice as to how to keep them from that look. I use 100% cotton batting in them but only use one layer. Maybe should I double up on the batting? Thanks for the help. The top picture is some that have been washed & the bottom picture is one new, unwashed one.

Dense quilting with a heavier 100% cotton thread will help.

I guess a good steam pressing would work. We use ours daily. DH made a mistake of taking one to his work to use for his lunch. He was coming home with orders every week. Even the vendors that came through wanted some. I kept my guild busy making and selling them. His wasn't new looking more like a dishrag and that didn't make a difference to the others.

I agree with function over beauty. I just thought as a gift it might be nice if a washed one held up close to the looks of an unwashed one. I'll try more quilting on the next ones I make. I don't know how we ever lived without these.

I have always made them with two layers of batting. I quilt each side separately, quilting the batting to one fabric, then put the two layers together.

Cari

I tried more quilting but do not think it made a difference. Even a quilt that is heavily quilted does not stand on its own. Lol. The cotton batting is so thin and soft so I don't know if 2 layers would help. A stabilizer would be nice but I don't think these are 100 % cotton.

Just a note of caution ladies --- if you are putting these bowls into the microwave, be sure you are using the batting SPECIFICALLY made for use in the microwave. 100% cotton batting has a polyester "scrim" that holds it all together. It is flammable and I have heard many horror stories of microwaves on fire because of it! Joann's sells packages of it in the batting area ---- I believe it was first made for the potato bakers.

The bowls are made for heating not cooking. No more then a couple of minutes in the microwave. I did an experiment with different types of batting. I tossed a pieced of each type in the microwave for 4 minutes. The Warm and Natural from Walmart barely got warm. Some burned and some got very hot. Before using any batting do a test first.

Insuil Bright is what should be used so it does not catch on fire... I think I misspelled that. But it is made for using in hot pads.