It Shrunk 5 inches
05-19-2014, 11:47 AM
#11
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Southern Indiana
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patti p - that would have been heartbreaking! I don't have an answer, but I don't prewash my precuts either. I think if I were going to use precuts and yardage.. I would probably not prewash any of it. That may sound shocking, the thought was shocking to me too... until I did Quilts for Kids kit ... and I didn't prewash anything
05-19-2014, 12:32 PM
#12
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Sandpoint, Idaho
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I have made maybe a dozen quilts in the last 2 years ( that is when i started quilting) and have not had any issues with shrinkage of the sort... so i am going to send the quilt top to my friend and explain what happened hopefully she will be agreeable to take it as is. (a little smaller than i would have liked) it will not drape over as much.
05-19-2014, 01:03 PM
#13
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Location: Western Wisconsin
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It is the batting that controls shrinkage of a finished quilt. If you don't want any shrinkage, use a polyester batting (polyester does not shrink) or prewash a cotton batting (you need to be sure the cotton batting is capable of being prewashed without falling apart; not all cotton battings can be prewashed).
Check the batting package or Google the manufacturer of the batting to find the one you used. Typically the manufacturer specifies that a cotton batting is expected to shrink 3 to 5%. This happens the first time you wash/dry the batting.
Assuming the quilt has moderate quilting on it (lines 3 or 4" apart), all of the shrinking in a finished quilt will be due to the batting. Whether the fabric is prewashed or not makes no difference with moderate quilting, as batting will not allow fabric to shrink more than the batting shrinks.
Fabrics washed on their own shrink at their own rate. They do not shrink in the same way once they have been quilted to batting. This is why prewashing fabric has little to nothing to do with how much a quilt shrinks.
If you pay attention to the shrinkage rate for the batting you are using, you can plan in advance how big to make the quilt top so that the finished quilt fits the bed. For example, say you want a size after washing of 90" square and the batting specifies shrinkage of 3-5%. 90" x .05 = 4.5". You will want to make the top at least 95" square to be sure it will be at least 90" square after washing. It's also a good idea to add an inch or two in each direction to account for quilting take-up; more for larger quilts, less for smaller quilts.
Check the batting package or Google the manufacturer of the batting to find the one you used. Typically the manufacturer specifies that a cotton batting is expected to shrink 3 to 5%. This happens the first time you wash/dry the batting.
Assuming the quilt has moderate quilting on it (lines 3 or 4" apart), all of the shrinking in a finished quilt will be due to the batting. Whether the fabric is prewashed or not makes no difference with moderate quilting, as batting will not allow fabric to shrink more than the batting shrinks.
Fabrics washed on their own shrink at their own rate. They do not shrink in the same way once they have been quilted to batting. This is why prewashing fabric has little to nothing to do with how much a quilt shrinks.
If you pay attention to the shrinkage rate for the batting you are using, you can plan in advance how big to make the quilt top so that the finished quilt fits the bed. For example, say you want a size after washing of 90" square and the batting specifies shrinkage of 3-5%. 90" x .05 = 4.5". You will want to make the top at least 95" square to be sure it will be at least 90" square after washing. It's also a good idea to add an inch or two in each direction to account for quilting take-up; more for larger quilts, less for smaller quilts.
05-19-2014, 01:24 PM
#15
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Location: Southern California
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I very seldom wash a quilt and I certainly would not put it in the dryer. Old school, let it dry out of the sun. There could be shrinkage because of not pre-washing, also you blocks could be smaller with the seam allowance you stitch. If you are off a 1/16" that can quickly add up. And yes, cotton batting will shrink in a warm or hot dryer.
05-19-2014, 01:58 PM
#16
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 290
Did you measure the quilt size after it was quilted and again after washing the quilted quilt? I have found that the tighter the quilting the smaller the quilt. Also the thread used in the quilting can draw up to shrink it some. I always figure the quilt will be smaller than when started and build extra size into borders and binding area just to make sure it will be bigger than the projected finished size.
05-19-2014, 02:22 PM
#17
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: FL
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Usually 72x90 is a twin size. Queen mattress is 60x80. If you made a 72x90 it would not fit a queen mattress properly - there would be very little overhang!
I don't measure before/after, but often my quilts come out slightly different than the pattern size. I've never made one that HAD to be a particular size, so if it's bigger/smaller that has been fine with me. I do get some shrinkage, but not sure how much since I don't measure before/after.
I don't measure before/after, but often my quilts come out slightly different than the pattern size. I've never made one that HAD to be a particular size, so if it's bigger/smaller that has been fine with me. I do get some shrinkage, but not sure how much since I don't measure before/after.
05-19-2014, 02:24 PM
#18
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Sandpoint, Idaho
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Thank you Prism99 this helps ALOT for future projects, to help me not make the same mistake.i guess i never really thought about the shrinkage rate on my own i just made them and used them.
05-19-2014, 02:28 PM
#19
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Location: Corpus Christi, Tx.
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I prewash precuts in lingerie bags in hot water and a hot dryer. i just pre-wash everything. All my fabric. Polyesters and synthetics also get pre-washed. I have probably 12 lingerie bags and I use them alot. I use no fabric softener and my washer has different number of spins.
05-19-2014, 02:39 PM
#20
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Sandpoint, Idaho
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Originally Posted by katier825
Usually 72x90 is a twin size. Queen mattress is 60x80. If you made a 72x90 it would not fit a queen mattress properly - there would be very little overhang!
I don't measure before/after, but often my quilts come out slightly different than the pattern size. I've never made one that HAD to be a particular size, so if it's bigger/smaller that has been fine with me. I do get some shrinkage, but not
sure how much since I don't measure before/after.
I don't measure before/after, but often my quilts come out slightly different than the pattern size. I've never made one that HAD to be a particular size, so if it's bigger/smaller that has been fine with me. I do get some shrinkage, but not
sure how much since I don't measure before/after.
no i did not measure after i quilted it. it was only lite to moderate quilting.
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