The shrinkage of batting
 

For those that do not shrink their fabic before quilting, ( I use to but because I live in an Apartment now and have to do it at the laundry room, I don't do it anymore.) I want to know when it says batting shrinks 3 to 5 %, what does the quilt look like after it is washed, is it puckered a lot or a little or not at all. I hope you understand my question, it is hard for me to explain what I really want to know. I am thinking of using the fusible batting.

What is a little to some is a lot to another.
Also, whether your fabric has been pre-shrunk or not.

The best way for you to get that answer would be to do some sample pieces, (eg. placemats) and see what they look like after.

it does make the quilt a bit "wrinkled" but not bad. battings differ. read the labels. there are battings that don't shrink. I usually use fusible and dont' mind the look at all. it's still a nice flat quilt.

The shrinkage of batting (and the quilt, when completed) is what makes it a nicer quilt, to me. Others who receive my quilts feel the same way, based on comments made when they receive them. I use Warm & Natural, and love how the finished products look.

You don't have to "wash" batting to get it to shrink. Just put it in the bath tub in hot or warm water and let it sit for a while. Swhiss (is this a word?) it around for a bit and than pull the plug on the tub and let it drain. Squeeze, do not wring, the batting out and put it out on the balcony to dry out enough to put in the dryer. This is how my sis does hers. :)

Here's a picture of a quilt that was not pre-shrunk in any way - neither the batting nor fabric. It turned out sooooo soft and snuggly. Hope this helps.

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My quilts look crinkly but it doesn't look bad, the quilting is what stabilizes the batting. It doesn't look puckered to me, just like those homey style old quilts. I always wonder why people don't like their quilts to look as they did many years ago

It would depend on the fabric. I made a quilt recently with Kona white and jelly rolls.
No prewashing. After quilting and washing it looked very crinkly. Love it.

To be honest, I would not recommend using fusible batting except possibly on crib quilts. It can be very difficult to apply to large quilts and is very unforgiving if you make a mistake. Basting spray is much more forgiving (I use 505).

I like the softness that comes with batting that shrinks 3-5%. Recently I've been using mostly Hobbs 80/20, but when that runs out I am going to try Quilters Dream cotton. After visiting a recent quilt show, I am realizing that I prefer a flatter batting for machine quilting.