QUITLING Samples and Shrinkage Fun!

For the last few weeks, I've had deadlines and traveling commitments and no time for quilting just for fun...
So now that I'm home and settled back in, I've been experimenting with some small quilting samples and trapunto and raw edge appliqué.

I recently made an Internet Faux Pas...bought an entire bolt of bleached muslin advertised as cotton, but wrinkle resistant...and it arrived with the content being mostly polyester.  ;(  

I wanted to try it to see how much shrinkage I could get before using it as backing on some larger projects.  I've now decided not to use it at all in the future for quilting, but the results were a good experiment to see how much the cotton batting and binding and dense quilting could actually impact the shrinkage even when the fabric was not going to shrink much on its own.

This sample is the mystery muslin top and bottom.  Dense quilting with poly thread #40 weight So Fine from Superior and Hobbs 80/20 Heirloom batting.  So again, mixed materials.  Poly thread, and 20% poly batting.  The binding is 100% cotton Kona jelly roll.
Interesting results:  before laundering

This has an added layer of Hobbs 80/20 under the Shamrock, which I cut away before the McTavishing.  Then threw it in the washer.

These are close ups of the quilting after washing and drying on regular perma press settings.

Then I moved on to two samples with the mystery muslin as backing and regular high quality quilters cotton as the quilt top. 

The quilting is traditional McTavishing.  Same 80/20 batting and So Fine #40 poly thread.  Binding is still 100% cotton as well.  The finished sample before laundry.

Then I threw it in perma press washer and dryer and experienced this shrinkage and puckering (which I LOVE).

And the last sample is a seafoam design, waves and bubbles.  Similar products as above.  First pictures before laundry.

And then I threw it into the washer and dryer with this result.

I would say the quilt top fabric is significant in the shrinkage, and the mystery muslin when used as top and backing did not shrink enough for the vintage "grandma made it" look I like.  But it's good to have as a potential alternative if the quilting needs to stay more formal and flat.

I just love that I can noodle around in my studio and have the fantastic APQS Millie as an essential tool to save time and make high impact design ideas a reality.

Stay tuned...next samples will be Dupioni Silk!!