Why and How to Pre-wash Batting
Retain That Smooth Look to Show Off the Quilting!
Do you like your quilts to have that crinkled look they often get after the first wash? If so, this may not be for you. However, if you prefer to have the quilting predominate, then minimize crinkling and puckering by pre-washing both the fabric and batting.
Sue Garman preferred for her intricately appliqued quilts to remain unpuckered so she tested 16 different battings for shrinkage (she didn’t care if her “utility” quilts puckered). She discovered that they all shrink, even poly batting and those that are supposedly pre-shrunk.
Consequently, she developed a method for pre-shrinking batting by letting it soak in the washer (never agitate it) and then spinning the water out. The batting is dried to an almost-dry state in the dryer.
The result is a truly pre-shrunk batting that will allow a quilt to retain it’s smooth look (pre-wash the fabric and backing too). Learn Sue’s exact method in the article below.
