I AGREE !! I had to wash Hobbs 80/20 once because of the theater curtains wrinkles (it happens with me whenever I pick up a prepackage batting). If you want minimum shrinkage with cotton batting, then I suggest you use a Quilter's Dream batting. It is the Cadillac of cotton batting but you will pay more.

I looked on the Hobbs website, and their Heirloom washable wool shrinks 0-3%. Also, in their descriptions of their cotton battings, every one of their cotton battings shrinks 3-5%.

IMHO, 3% shrinkage is 1" per yard (36"), which works out to 1/4" for every 9", which is negligible. Also, if your quilt top is 36" before you quilt it, it will automatically shrink because of the stitching when you quilt it, so if it has to be 36" when you are finished quilting and binding it, you might want to consider making the last border a little wider, then trimming to 36" before you bind it. And did you prewash your fabric, because if you didn't, there may be a little shrinkage there.

I am one of those who doesn't pre-wash my fabrics, so I'm definitely not going to pre-wash my batting.

I'm sure I've seen some batting recently you can buy that is already pre-shrunk . It'll prob cost more like everything else that's easy and already done! I always mine, I use bamboo and cotton mix and it doesn't shrink much but better it shrink now and not when you put your beautify made top on it and it shrivels and creases it :'(

Oops lost a word ! I always WASH mine lol there it is

Luckily, I love the crinkled look you get when cotton batting shrinks because I'm way too lazy to prewash batting.

I was given Warm and Natural that would shrink, and I don't particularly like the shrunken look.

It is quite easy on a top loading machine. Put the batting into the washing machine and fill it (I always use hot water). DO NOT allow to aggitate. Just let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes and then spin the water out. Put the batting into the dryer and dry it. I used hot or warm to dry it. I was trying to shink it so hot is just fine. When it is dry take it out and it's ready to go. The only thing you need to do when drying is perhaps clean the lint trap a couple of times.

I have not been as fortunate with the front loading machines, but they work too. They seem to work okay if I wash them on delicate and then dry in the machine, but they are pretty wet when they come out of the washer and take a long time to dry.

You can also fill your bathtub with hot water, submerse the batting and let sit for awhile. Drain the tub and roll up your pants and pretend you are stomping grapes. It actually sounds like it would be a pain, but it works quite well. Get it as stomped out as you can, get it into a carrying container and into the dryer it goes.

I have never tried it, but have been told that if you lay the batting out and spray water onto it (with a hand sprayer that you would use to wet your hair or whatever) just so it gets good and damp and then dry it that it also will cause it to shrink.

Seems to me that it is the heat from the dryer that causes the shrinkage.

I hope that the above methods and information will help.

amh

Oops. Forgot to mention that when I purchase my own batting I get the pre-shrunk kind. That's the real answer.