Which to you prefer? the 'flat look' or the 'crinkly look'?
 

Another question that will probably get people 'on one side of the fence or the other'

Do you prefer your finished item to be 'flat'?

or

Do you like your finished item to 'crinkle'?


I will answer first -

I positively, absolutely, final answer - prefer 'the flat look' -

If you want to add 'why' you prefer one look or the other - - -

I prefer 'flat' because that implies that everything has been shrunk before cutting - and the finished item will still be the approximately the same shape and size that it was before it's washed again.

I'm a crinkle girl mostly. I love old quilts and use many reproduction fabrics. To me the crinkle makes it look more like an old antique quilt.

Bear i always love your questionsso I am chiming in first. The answer is.....'it depends'...If its a wall hanging or table topper I like the flat look. If its for quilts, I like the crinkly look - I think it gives the quilts more dimension and also that kind of antiquey look. Of course I am way too lazy to prewash and iron my fabrics so maybe thats why!!!

Ok, we all know im so far out of the box, im in an octagon down the block.
i love both. Depends on the design im doing. Soft pastels and flowery things, to me, look better soft and crinkley, and loved.
Whereas flat, looks more modern, and wall hangy.
does that make sense to you?????

I love both as well.

well flat mostly. I use 80/20 cotton/poly batting and like it much better than polyester batting. The quilt does crinkle a bit when washed and that is fine too.

i preshrink everything except the batting... so i prefer the flatter look, only draws up a smidge with the warm and natural batting

I like both. It depends on the fabric and pattern for me.

I love patchwork the most, and an antique look....Therefore I prefer the crinkly look. Of course at times there might be a project that would look better with a flat look. Patchwork and scrappy I like crinkly

I prefer the flat look. Crinkly looks good in old quilts where the wear on the fabric and the quilt as a whole make the whole piece look consistent. I do like to see some dimension in all quilts, but overly crinkled does not appeal to me.

Dayle

I'm with quiltingNan. I prewash everything except my W&N batting. Then I know it won't bleed and it is preshrunk. Love the look.

For me it depends entirely on the design of the top. I mostly don't do old fashioned designs so I prefer a flatter look. I don't pre-wash fabrics though so for those quilts that I want flatter I use Quilter's Dream poly batting.

So how do antique quilts get that crinkly look??? The fabrics were all pre-washed since they were either scraps from making clothing or the good parts left from worn clothing and quilts were very rarely washed.

Well, I've only done two rag quilts, and they gave the crinkly look, which I really like ;)

jody

Crinkly of course! I don't like wall hangings and table runners eventually get washed so crinkly all the way!!!!

I've also wondered why some think that the crinkly/puckered look "equals" 'antique quilts'

I think each quilt has a "look" that suits it best. I think a traditional patterned quilt looks best with a crinkled look, and most of the new styles, like a bargello, look best with a smoother finish. That is why is I use a batting to match the look I want....poly does not shrink, therefore works best for the smooth look....or a 80/20 blend for the crinkled look. JMHO

I agree, depends on what it is....
On that note, I ALWAYS wash my finished quilts before giving away (never wash my wall hangings or table runners) because I want to make sure all the seams are good, that the quilting doesn't have any loose threads that I didn't see, and I want the recipient to see what it is going to look like after THEY wash it.....I remember the first time my DDIL washed one of my quilts and she called me in tears saying it wrinkled !!!

It depends.. table runners and wall hangings .. no doubt flat. Vintage looking quilts... crinkle! Modern style... FLAT. I do find that for the best "crinkle" preshrink fabrics but not batting.

Almost everything I make now is flat. My granddaughter wants a really fluffy quilt but I will help her make it herself.

I guess this all boils down to type of batting also, and whether or not you pre-wash your batting? Given the cost of it, I'm afraid to try it! lol

I prefer the flat look because, first of all, as you stated, it shows that everything has been pre-washed and the recipient will have no worries about future laundering. I think "flat" is a cleaner look. BUT...I like the crinkled look for certain items, especially if I want them to look "aged"! lol

One of my GD's has requested a quilt in, as she puts it, "old time" fabrics (in shades of pink and hot pink)! She actually gave me a blouse she's no longer wearing to show me what she wants, and it's a very tiny calico print! lol So, I won't worry about pre-washing batting on this one as I'll want it to crinkle. I'd NEVER have guessed that she would want a good old fashioned looking quilt!

She's a very popular young lady, cheerleader, loves makeup, hair, fingernails, etc, and is not yet 15, but will have completed her graduation requirements by the end of this school year!!! Yeah, proud grandma moment. lol

I definately prefer the flat look for all the children's quilts I make.

I agree 100 percent with you.

I guess I have one foot on each side of the fence. I like the flat look for wall-hangings and
table runners but a little crinkly doesn't bother me either. I like crinkly for most quilts I make. Probably the flat look for modern quilts.

I can relate when it comes to size. I just finished a quilt for our bed. Don't know
if I measured wrong or what but after washing it came out quite a bit short.
Oops. Lesson learned: measure twice and allow a few inches for shrinkage.
I guess I'll just have to make another one. :D

I love crinkled... Looks more comfy to me and we use our quilts here. Crinkly means people aren't afraid to touch them.

Hmmm...both here also...although...I wash just about all of the quilts I make at some point, even table toppers and wallhangings. I think if it's really intricately quilted or pieced I might prefer to keep it flat just so that the details of the quilt can be better enjoyed...but I'll be honest...most of what I make is intended for use so it eventually ends up crinkly! ;)

I love them crinkled. Not sure why - I just do.

For home decor items, I prefer flat and for quilts usually crinkly. I did make a biscuit lap quilt and chose the puffy look over the flat look...turned out great. However, if a quilt I'm making has a more elegant pattern, then I opt for flat over crinkly.

I like Flat also

I like both.....just depends on the project. I do pre-wash my fabrics, and usually use warm & natural.

Crinkly look

I like both. Crinkly on big quilts. Wall hangings and runners I don't wash so they lay flat. I actually had to wash a table runner that coffee spilled on it and it didn't crinkle. Don't know why. I was happy though.

I like "crinkly" because of the texture. I love to run my hands over the crinkles. haha It's very soothing to me.

I like crinkle!:thumbup::thumbup:

I have my feet firmly in the "crinkle" camp...though I do see merit in some wall-hangings, runners or contemporary quilts having the flat look (less quilting too). When I look in the mirror there are crinkles galore....so I'm guessing that's why I feel comfortable with that style:).

Both, however since I love the look of old things I like the crinkly look. I also love the flat look since it means everything came out correctly. So I stick with my answer of both. LOL.....
Kat

I like flat on the other had crinkly sure covers a multitude of oops .

i am a depends girl also hehe!!! i love the crinkle antique look but for a table topper or applique wall hanging i like flat...i also love love tons of quilting and micro quilting

I'm a crinkle person, too - feet firmly right in that camp, too. I learned the lesson of shrinkage on a project, too. I pay attention to my batting (the dream cotton says it shrinks about 1%) and I now make my quilts 3 or 4 or 5 inches larger than I want to account for shrinkage.. Too big is better than too small..

For me it is not the look, it's the feel. If I am going to cuddle in something it needs to cuddle back, not lay flat around me.

Isn't it wonderful that we can create both and please us all?

Enjoy your day. Wonderful fabric sales to all of us! Cheers!!!!!!!

Pat