Tuscany Wool is a favorite choice for both hand and machine quilters. The loft and resilience inherent to the wool fibers allow quilting designs to show off to great advantage. This Tuscany batt is made with the very finest superwashed wool that is carded and resin bonded to retard bearding. The superwash process successfully smooths the scales on wool fibers. This makes the wool pleasant to the touch and less likely to shrink. The natural fiber breathes, allowing excess heat to disperse away from the body. The tiny fibers trap air which creates insulation in this lightweight batt. The loft retention is excellent. We suggest washing items made using Tuscany Wool in cool water by hand and laying out flat to dry. If you prefer to wash by machine, place settings on gentle cycle/no spin/cool water. Be especially cautious with front loading washers as the intense spin cycle on these machines can be very hard on quilts. 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.