Tuscany Bleached Cotton is especially designed to give a soft hand and an even appearance in light colored quilts. Exceptionally easy to quilt by hand or machine, it is the softest cotton batting on the market today. Made with only the finest cotton fibers, this clean, bleached, long staple virgin cotton batting proudly displays the Cotton Incorporated Seal. Containing no scrim or binders, this 100% cotton product is needle punched to resist bunching and shifting. Tuscany Bleached is highly recommended for white or very light colored quilts. The bleached cotton fibers provide a lovely white batting that will not cause a shadow effect on the colors of a light quilt top. Prewashing is not recommended. Used straight from the package, the batt will shrink after quilting to create the desired look of antique puckering when washed. Cotton quilts can be washed many times and become softer and more beautiful with time. You may experience shrinkage of 3-5% and it may be quilted up to 4” apart. We recommend that the quilt maker spend some time learning about this product before using it on a major project. Make samples using this batting to see how it launders and how it needles, both by hand and by machine, so that you can obtain the look you want in your final project.