How does everyone pre-shrink batting - Warm and Natural, or Quilter's Dream, for example? Do you just throw it in the machine? Gentle cycle? Cold water or warm? Thanks.

Any agitation with Quilter's Dream and you're going to have a giant cotton ball. Just fill the washer with hot water and shut it off. Let it soak for 10 minutes or so and then spin it.

preshrink????? oops.... I never preshrink mine..

It depends on what kind of finished look I want. If I want a real modern looking quilt I'll use Quilter's Dream poly. If I want a modern look but with more definition in the quilting I'll use Hobbs Heirloom and pre-shrink it. If I want more of an old fashioned look without the deeper definition I'll use Quilter's Dream Cotton request or select weight. If I want a crinkly look with good definition in the quilting I'll use Hobbs Heirloom but not shrink it.

The directions should be on the package!
However these days, I am finding the batting barely makes the size it says on the package..so I am only hanging them on the line so they "fall"..NO prewashing to shrink them...

Shrinking batting, what's that? Lol. I have heard that some people do but I never have.

What?! I never pre-shrink my batting, that's just silly talk. I think scissor queen has the right idea, just buy the batting for the look you want.

There are so many different kinds to give the looks desired, that I wouldn't take the chance of ending up with a big, wadded ball. I don't see the point.

Read the package directions.

made my first quilt in 1976---still have never had any reason to pre-shrink a batt-
there are many many to choose from on the market- if one had a shrinkage rate that was more than i thought i wanted- i would simply buy a different one.
most of them only shrink about 3% which is not very much-
seems like an aweful lot of work for no real reason.