nanna-up-north

Lately I've seen a lot about pre-shrinking batting. I've never done this but it does make sense when the batting says it will shrink 3%. That's 3" on a king size quilt. I'm thinking that I want a smoother looking quilt that won't bubble up once it's washed.

I did read that you put your batting in the washer.... no soap.... hot water and let it soak 15-20 minutes and spin out the water..... got that. But then it says to put it in a warm dryer. Do you turn the dryer on? Wouldn't that shred the batting? But, just letting it sit in a warm dryer doesn't sound like that would work. So, I'm a little dense..... could someone explain in more detail the drying part? Thanks.

dunster

Yes, you turn the dryer on.

Prism99

If you want a smooth quilt, why not use polyester batting? It won't shrink, and so does not need pre-washing.

Most cotton battings can be preshrunk, but a few cannot. Check the package. Typically battings that are needlepunched can take prewashing. A vintage type batting such as Mountain Mist cotton will fall apart in water.

ckcowl

There is such a large variety of battings to choose from now, why not simply choose one that better suits your needs? -- seems a lot easier than trying to prewashing a batting

nanna-up-north

Well, I don't like polyester much because I've had such a problem with it bearding through the top.

And, I'm in an area of Michigan's UP where there's not a lot of selection. The closest shop is 40+ miles away. I could order online but am not a big fan of that. Shipping is so expensive these days.... so is gasoline to drive so far away to get more choices.

I'm using W&N so there is skrim to hold it together. I'm doing a baby quilt right now but I don't want it any smaller than I've made the top.... 36" x 48".

Jeanne S

I use Warm and White cotton batting and always preshrink it. I put it in very warm water in my large utility room sink and let it soak 30 minutes to an hour (depending on if I forget about it or not!). Then let it drain, squish out excess water so I can pick it up and put it in the washer for a delicate spin only cycle. Transfer it to the dryer and run on low heat delicate cycle again. Pull it out promptly and fold it up till I need it. Works great.

joe'smom

I wouldn't pre-wash a batting if the packaging didn't give instructions for doing so. As I recall, Warm and Natural batting specifies not to spin it. That's what makes it hard to pre-wash, since you have to try and squeeze the excess water out by hand and with towels before putting in the dryer.

I wonder if washing the quilt in cold water and air drying the first time would eliminate the need to pre-wash the batting? Quilter's Dream says the shrinkage is minimal, and they specifically say pre-washing is not necessary, and don't give directions for it.

Geri B

..all this prewashing is making me tired! I would not even consider washing the batt..next someone will be prewashing cotton thread so it doesn't shrink to bleed.....or maybe someone has already done that.....how did that work....but to each is own....

Terri D.

I use a timed dry cycle--no more than five minutes initially--on a very low heat setting. Then I clean out the lint trap and maybe run it for two to three more minutes, remove it and spread it out on the bed to finish air drying.

ghostrider

The whole thing makes me wonder why the batting manufacturers don't combine preshrinking the cotton when they clean it before they process it into batts. Sure seems like it would be easier to shrink the bolls than the batts!