Candace

Now, I can see why someone would make you promise to PREWASH it, but I have no idea someone would care so much about not washing...especially batiks that are notorious for running. I also prewash everything and have been quilting for over 20 years. So maybe I can make you promise to wash next time? hehe.. It came out lovely, it's too bad it shrunk so much for you. Remember, that quilting does take up the quilt too and the more you quilt does help to draw it up.

FroggyinTexas

Why is it that most women think they are somehow at fault, could have, should have, might have done something wrong, different, etc.? The truth is that the fabric should not shrink that much and neither should the batting. You should not have to go to the extra expense, time and trouble of preshrinking modern fabric.

And I am not going to do so. I will just have to make everything 10 percent bigger to start with and then let 'er shrink! froggyintexas

Jeanne S

That is a lot of shrinkage. Did you perhaps wash in hot water or a hot dryer?? I only wash I cold or warm and air dry. Otherwise don't have a clue what the issue could be.. How frustrating!

Prism99

Washing machine and dryer.

I should add that she measured the quilt before washing and drying, and again afterwards. It shrank about 3% -- what would be expected from the shrinkage of the batting.

Onebyone

I only prewash if I think the color may bleed. I test it before washing. I use starch/spray and iron the fabric before cutting. The steam and heat will shrink the fabric if it is going to shrink.
About batting, I never pre shrink batting. I wouldn't use it if I had to. Scrim is a good thing for cotton batting, keeps the batting from shredding. There are too many sites online that will inform you of everything you need to know about batting. Many think bamboo is the miracle fiber for batting, it's not. Many think the label of 100% cotton won't have scrim, it does.

I grow a few cotton plants in my yard to use for stuffing for small projects. It's as natural and as organic as you can get but it would make a horrible batting.

Craftnut

I prewash all fabrics. I don't want any surprises in shrinking or color bleeding onto a project I spend time and money doing. I only use quality cotton batting though.

debbiemarie

I have only had one quilt do that to me, and it had a muslin backing.

bearisgray

I agree that one should not need to do anything with the fabric after one brings it home.

Especially the need to use Retayne and/or Synthrapol on commerically dyed fabrics. Or why one should need to starch it to get to have enough body.

I think many of us have developed a routine for what we feel works for us -

I wash for one main reason: to avoid having problems later on with the fabrics I am using - it is much easier for me to find out if what I have has bad manners up front - than trying to rescue or salvage an already made item.

Been there - done that. Way too much of a hassle for me.

bearisgray

Temperature of water? cycle used? heat/cycle of the dryer?

sewwhat85

you know that even with just the quilting it does draw up your quilt and it can measure smaller than before it was quilted then with washing and that shrinkage it just all adds up . It does always surprise me also how much