flhomeschoolmom

I don't think you need to "wash" the batting. I've made a few quilts and never prewashed my batting. I can't remember now which batting (poly or cotton) I used. But, I have to agree with what another lady said, the more quilting that you put into it (even if it's just in the ditch) then the fewer problems there will be if people put it into the washer and dryer.

And as for your other batting that you did prewash and it messed up, turn it into polyfill for a cushion or cut it down and make it into doll quilts or pot holders. No need to waste the batting just because it's unsuitable for a bed quilt.

117becca

i have always used warm & natural, and when I wash it, I do get a wrinkly look, but I like that look. I don't use a poly batting, don't like the way they feel.

I am currently working on my first quilt w/ the Dream Cotton Request because it says it's light-weight. I saw that it said only 1% shrinkage, and I will be real curious to see how this looks after I wash & dry it when I'm finished.

quiltstringz

I have almost always used Quilter's Dream and have never prewashed. I have also used their Poly and it is really nice - not like the other polyesters and wash and dry in the dryer my quilts.

ckcowl

i made my first quilt in 1976-
i make anywhere from 20-70 quilts in a year
i have never ever pre-washed a batting
i have never ever had any adverse effects from not prewashing a batting
the amount of quilting, the fabrics, the way it is laundered all play a part in the outcome of a quilt-
i LOVE the batts from the dream company-
my favorite *personal* quilt is a white whole cloth that lives on my bed- with Dream Wool batting- it gets washed and dried 3-4 times a year- it comes out FABULOUS!!! it is soft- fluffy- oh so cozy when it comes out of the dryer! even wool batts i have never considered pre-washing my batting-
seems like an awful lot of work- for less than happy results.

Handcraftsbyjen

I've never prewashed any battings.

Lori S

I don't pre wash , but I do preshrink batting for some projects. Tablerunners in particular because I want to make sure it lays Flat, and then I use warm and natural . It get soaked , spun , and into the dryer.
Do consider some of the nice poly battings, they have advantages, no shrinkage, and the quilt dryes much faster than a cotton batting. Quilters dream poly is a nice choice.

mucky

I just don't understand why anyone would want to wash batting! if you don't want chemicals Dream Cotton sells one without.

Prism99

If it was Hobbs wool batting or Quilter's Dream wool batting, you are safe to wash it. If you want to be super-careful, air dry it; however, if you have a reasonable amount of quilting on it (not lines 12 inches apart!), I wouldn't be afraid to toss it in the dryer too.

If it's another brand of wool, you really have to make sure that it is well quilted all over (I'd say a max of 3 inches apart) so you don't get any lumps when you wash.

bmanley

Gosh, I'm glad you cleared that up because I have never pre-soaked, spinned batting. Never knew I should. I do wash my quilts after quilting. I like the puckered look. Does everyone pre-soak? Always learning something new on here.

Scissor Queen

It depends on what look and qualities I want what batting I use and how I treat it. Most of the time anymore I just use a spray bottle and spray the batting pretty heavy with water and toss in the dryer.