AZ Jane

That was my first thought when I saw it. It almost has a melted look to it, but if it still soft, that would not explain it.

RosaSharon

I have a beginner's question. Does cotton batting need to be pre-shrunk? If not, will it shrink in the washing after it has been used?

I know they say shrinkage is good, because it makes the quilt look soft and "older" etc. but I don't want mine to look that way. I pre-wash all my material to pre-shrink. My dear Granny taught me that years ago when we made clothing, so I can't get it out of my head.

I have been using poly batting from Dream Queen. So far, all of my quilts are about 3 months old -- lol. So you see, I need all the quilt-education I can get.

I will appreciate any opinions please.

klbell1022

It looks like it melted. Was the quilt dried on high heat often?

Jeanne S

i do prewash my cotton batting if I don't want the crinkly look. I just put it in the washer on gentle cycle and into the dryer. I use warm and white cotton batting and have done several this way with good results.

MargeD

I had something similar happen to a quilt that I made for my DS when he was about 12, but he took that quilt wherever he went. He's now 39, so that tells you how long ago I made it. My point is that several years down the road with numerous washings, when he came home to live for the last time, I noted that the quilt had become very thin, not sure how, but the batting seemed to have almost disappeared. Granted I had used inexpensive polyester batting, but that's why I now use Warm & Natural in my quilts, as it seems to withstand the tests of time better than polyester, just my experience.

PaperPrincess

Go to the website of the manufacturer for your batting , they give instructions for pre shrinking their batting.
Also, this info is often on the package or paper insert.

Karamarie

Reading about batting not holding up makes me wonder about the fabric. I've read many comments about washing or not washing fabric first. Could anyone share some "happenings" about what has happened to quilts that the fabric wasn't prewashed and also if the fabric was bought at a store other than a quilt store. In my quilting group, some absolutely will use nothing but quilting store fabric, others use whatever they can find. I have done both or even combined quilt store fabric with fabric from box stores. Also - when you use a jelly roll or any other small pre-cuts that really can't be prewashed, how will they stand up - have any of you had good, bad or ugly results? Thanks for sharing.

hobo2000

I have a quilt on my king sized bed made well over twenty years ago with poly batting. This quilt is wash at least twice a month or more due to my three little furry babies. It is almost as good as new. A little thinner but still lovely. It was machine quilter every three inches + or -. I think it's becaise it was tied way too far apart.

FroggyinTexas

My experience with quilt shop fabric is that some of it is twice as expensive and half as good as fabric sold by JoAnn, Hobby Lobby or even Wal Mart. Wherever you buy fabric, you've got to be knowledgeable enough to read and understand the end of the bolt and to know by the feel (called "hand") whether what you are getting is good enough quality to spend your money on. I am becoming more and more cautious about buying even well-known brands of fabric. I never pre-wash anything and now that color catchers are available, never worry too much about colors running. My mother always prewashed everything because in the old days, fabric sometimes shrank 10 percent. froggyintexas

justflyingin

This is so true. If the lady used it for her dog, and we know how dogs use these things daily, should we be surprised? Will any material hold up against constant, daily, hours and hours of use over a period of years?

To those of you who are worrying...
I wouldn't spend another minute worrying. If the quilt wears out, it wears out--it's an excuse to give the person another one.

Life is too short to spend fretting over presents you gifted in the past, wondering if they look like this.

If they do, at least it means the gift was used and then used up. I don't find that particularly annoying at all--it means that my work was appreciated for a number of years--or at least months. If any other present I gave would actually get "worn out" from use, then I consider that a gift that was well-thought of and appreciated.