I have always prewashed my fabrics with RETAYNE (except for the last all batik quilt) and I measure BEFORE and AFTER washing and there is ALWAYS shrinkage. I don't like the crinkle look as some people do. I do not prewash my batting but note that after the quilts are laundered, they still lay quite smoothly as though they were just quilted . I also measure before and after quilting (I don't allow heavy quilting---once my Longarmer did a 'tight' quilting job and it shrunk 5"--UGH!!!). I do not wash my quilts after they are finished.

Yep, guilty of all those measurements. I log every quilt on a spreadsheet (comes from my background in accounting) with all particulars, dates started, finished, fabrics used, batting, picture, designer if pattern was used. It also helps to determine what percentage to increase the size so that it fits on a particular bed. I've also had 108" backing fabrics shrink as much as 13". A little OCD? Ok, maybe...

- I prewash but don't measure the fabric at all.

- I measure my quilts after they're quilted, but for binding purposes only.

- I occasionally measure them after they're washed - pretty much only if I think they've shrunk up significantly.

I believe it is true that heavy quilting can "take up" inches from the unquilted size, from personal experience. Since I LA my quilts, it's not really during the quilting process, but when the quilt is finally washed. My opinion is that the thread is going to shrink (especially cotton thread, which I use) - even just a teeny-tiny bit - because you can't prewash thread. Plus, the batting is going to puff up a little when you wash the quilt, which gives that beautiful crinkly look we all love, and that's going to draw up the quilt a tad.

I've only quilted a few quilts with my DSM, but I'd guess there would be more "shrinkage" (jeez, I just laugh every time I see that word - think Seinfeld!) because you're manually moving the quilt around while you're quilting it. This would lead to the fabric shifting a tiny bit while you're quilting every time you moved the quilt - no matter how well it has been basted. Please correct me if I'm wrong here - that's just my guess. On the LA, you're basting down the sides evenly as you advance it so the quilt doesn't shift.

This is a very interesting topic!

Wow! 13"????? Was that lengthwise or widthwise??? That much shrinkage could really make a huge difference in whether you could use it or not!

I know! (from selvage to selvage/cross grain) I had to buy more fabric to have enough for the backing and had to piece it...I was NOT happy!