I went ahead and preshrunk the wrap n zap as instructed. After soaking as they directed I had a heavy wet mess but I squeezed as much water out as I could and was careful not to actually wring the material. I spread it out on my dining table and stretched and smoothed it as best I could being especially careful in the areas that seemed thick. I was very disappointed at that point. I left the material overnight to dry and it did look much better in the morning. There were no longer any thick places although the material did seem a bit more thick and fluffy. I decided to go ahead and make the cozies and cut my pieces. I did not shrink the cotton that I used. I don't have a reason for not doing it. i guess at that point I didn't want something else to contend with. I just finished my first two cozies and they look very nice. They are bit thicker than the one i was given but i have no idea what was used for batting in that one. I carefully trimmed the wrap n zap as close to the seams as I could to eliminate whatever bulk I could. I found it hard to press the seam before topstitching but did the best I could and then basted before I did the actual topstitching. The cozies look very nice now but I don't know what to expect once they are washed. I wanted to use these as a gift so may make another and wash just to see what happens. I have read they are never to be machine washed but should be washed by hand and not placed in the dryer. I did not use hot water when i washed by hand and squeezed out as much water as I could before placing my bowl upside down on the counter and shaping the cozie over it to dry. It came out fine. As I mentioned, I do not know what materials were used in the one that was gifted to me so i can only relay my experience. I think the suggestion of more quilting would be good to do. I don't like the long pointy corners so i used a cup as a guide to round the corners of mine and I was happy with the results. All comments appreciated.