Bree123

I agree with Peckish. I love working with muslin. If it is quality (e.g., RK) muslin, it really shouldn't shrink noticeably more than other quality cottons (like Kona), assuming you was on cold/gentle cycle, and dry on low heat -- which is how I wash all my quilts.

I am making a Calico Gardens quilt that is appliqued prints on an muslin background. I did not wash the muslin before starting, nor did I wash any of the other fabrics. I have not finished mine yet, but a number of other girls in my class & the teacher all skipped pre-wash (because we received each month's kit at the start of each class) and so far they have all laundered just fine.

If it's a lower quality muslin, I agree with CMW -- denser quilting with a cotton thread will reduce likelihood of shrinkage during laundering process -- just know that typically will slightly reduce the size of your top as a small percentage of fabric is taken up in the stitching.

carolynjo

Good advice from the Board. I, too, would use a poly batting and quilt it to death. Beautiful quilt, by the way.

quilttiger

Polyester batting should work well since it will show the definition of the quilting nicely. Go for it and finish your quilt. It will turn out just fine. It may not be what you expect, but I bet it will look great in its own way.

anorton

Looks like you have good answers to your question, so I just want to tell you your quilt is gorgeous!

Bree123

Edit to my earlier post:
I'm seeing 2 different things proposed on here. If you are concerned with crinkling, then you want a poly batt (or at least a blend -- like Warm & Natural) & poly thread, with far apart quilting. The more densely you quilt & the more curvy your lines, the more it will crinkle. Crinkling is a property of all cotton fabrics. It's just a fancy name for wrinkling & does not involve the fabric actually shrinking. You can get rid of this effect by either wet blocking or steam blocking your quilt after laundering it.

Then, there is the actual shrinkage rate of cottons. Lower quality cottons (including lower quality muslins) shrink more. The "dressmakers'" muslin they sell at JAF for dirt cheap shrinks quite a lot. If it's a wall quilt, you could back the whole top with stabilizer so it doesn't shrink. For a bed quilt, your best bet is to pick a high loft batting (either Warm & Plush, or a high-loft poly batt) and quilt it more densely. With quilting lines closer together, it is very important to increase the loft of your batting, or else the quilt will end up feeling like a floor mat.

In the future... if I'm ever trying to make something from cheap muslin that's going to be washed (which is incredibly rare), I would pre-wash it in hot water & dry it on high heat. Designer muslin usually doesn't shrink noticeably more than other designer cottons -- at least not how I launder, which is cold water & low heat.

Yvonne

Thank you so much for the encouragement and more information. This will not be a wall quilt. As with all of my quilts this one is growing by leaps and bounds! The photo has it displayed on a double size bed and it's still missing the bottom right corner!
Bree, thank you so much for your comments. The muslin is a good quality from the local quilt shops. The black and the colored squares are Moda's Bella. I am going to wash one of the bella squares today and see how much it shrinks. Just for the heck of it!
After reading the above comments I will probably use a polyester batt. Ordinarily I like the 'antique crinkling' look but I don't think that's what I want for this more modern quilt. I'm anxious now to see how this whole experiment will turn out.
I always want to be sure the quilt is perfect for my grandchildren but especially for this grandson. He's already bragged to his brothers that his quilt was going to be much better than theirs! Now I've got to live up to this? LOL
Thank you all so much! Your help is appreciated more than you know!

Kitsie

I use Kona premium only! I never pre-wash it or any of my other fabrics unless I fear it may bleed. Muslin is my backing (except for flannel for kids quilts) and very often, my background. The quilts turn out just fine and wash up well without a noticeable difference.

I agree, go forth and enjoy! (I wash on "warm" and dry on hot)

cassiemae

Love the quilt.

ube quilting

Polyester batting is a great idea to keep the shrinkage to a minimum.

lovingmama

Keep calm and quilt on!

I know it'll be loved and that makes it perfect!