How to Care for Wool Batting in Quilts

Quilts made with wool batting must be treated carefully to prevent shrinkage.

One of the decisions that most affect the look of your quilt is what kind of batting to use. There are three main types of batting being used today: cotton and cotton-blend, polyester and wool. While lesser-known batting types such as bamboo and silk are available in limited quantities, the three main versions are what most American quilters use on a day-to-day basis. Each type of batting has different sewing and cleaning requirements. Wool is especially delicate and needs special care to keep it looking good. Care for your quilt according to the requirements for its batting to prevent problems such as shrinkage and bearding.

Things You'll Need

• Cheesecloth

Instructions

1. Create a quilt-size pillowcase made of cheesecloth to encase your batting before layering the batting and fabrics for basting. Wool has a tendency to beard, or have small fibers pop through the top layer of the quilt, more than other kinds of batting. Encase the batting in a layer of cheesecloth to help prevent these fibers from migrating through to the top of the quilt.

2. Sew your quilting lines no farther than 4 inches apart. Wool batting tends to migrate when it's not quilted closely because the fibers are not as interwoven as cotton or polyester batting fibers are. If your quilt design pattern has large spaces built into it, fill in the existing space with crosshatch designs or another regular geometric pattern such as circles or diamonds.

3. Wash your quilt by hand in cool water. Dry it flat by laying it on top of a sheet in a shady spot in your yard.

4. Store your quilt away from direct sunlight and moisture. If you aren't going to use your quilt on top of your bed, fold it and store it wrapped in a sheet. Keep it away from plastic storage boxes because they can cause moisture to condense in the wool batting.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to re-create an extremely puckered old-fashioned look for your quilt, machine wash and dry it once. The wool fibers will shrink considerably, giving your quilt an antiqued look. Hand wash your quilt after this to keep it from shrinking further.

References

• Quilting for Dummies: Gathering Your Tools and Getting Ready
• Quilting 101.com: How to Store a Quilt