pre-shrinking quilt batting?

[because]

What happens if I don't pre-shrink a bamboo/cotton blend quilt batting? The package says 2-3% shrinkage rate. On a ~40" x ~50" baby quilt, what does that look like?

Thanks!

[BurgundyElephant]

Well, 2% of 50" is 1".

I've never pre-shrunk quilt batting. Personally, I like quilts that are a little puffy after being washed.

[SophieAnn]

Most of the quilt blog reading I've done specifically mentions that they love the part where they wash the completed quilt, the batting shrinks up a bit, and the quilt becomes all crinkly.

I really like the crinkly quilts. Reminds me of grandma quilts.

Edited to add:
My 2 favourite quilt blogs are:
http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/
http://www.handmadebyalissa.com/

You should be able to find plenty of pictures of pre-and-post washing and see the crinkling that happens.

[mamadd]

I love Crazy Mom Quilts! I don't know how she does it!

I've never preshrunk batting before, but I believe there is usually instructions on the package for doing so.

This link has some ideas on how to pre-wash the batting if you're going to go for it...

http://www.masterstech-home.com/The_...attingFAQ.html

[Porcelain Interior]

You can preshrink batting by gently agitating it in warm water in the washing machine basin. Then put it in the dryer and dry it on medium.

I never pre-shrink batting though (I use to run a longarm quilting business) and enjoy the antique look.

If you want to avoid that look your only hope is polyester- or pre-shrinking.

80/20 shrinks very minimally though, with 100% cotton being the most puckery.

You can also machine wash cold and air dry your quilts if you would rather not get all raisin like.

I would liken quilt shrinkage to clothing. It's usually very small, and often you won't even notice a size difference.

[BattingMan]

shrinkage

The water temperature and type of scrim determine the amount of shrink caused by washing. During product testing of new blended battings I got to "experiment" on many batting types. If you are looking for the "antique" look use a 100% cotton or 100% bamboo batting do not prewash, instead as soon as your project or quilt is complete, machine wash w/ warm water air dry. A queen size batt will shrink almost 2%, as long as your stichings are no more than 10inches apart this will leave a beautifull puckered antique look. The hotter the water the more loss you will have. For drapabilty for wall hangers or crib bumper pads try a blend batting Soy Blend, Bamboo Blend, or Flax Blend are great