Which quilt batting

Better option for machine quilting. Generally must be quilted closely. Washes better without pilling. This can be good or bad, depending on your personal preference. I personally like when the batting shrinks after the first wash because it softens the quilt and gives it a softer, more vintage appearance.

Generally softens over time and ages well. Good for machine quilting. This is what I use most often. Resists folding and creasing and has great stitch-definition for showing off fancy machine quilting.

Wool batting is warmer and at the same time lighter-weight. Bamboo — eco-friendly, natural fiber. Typically blended with Cotton which makes it great for breath-ability.

This Maple Leaf quilt was made with Bamboo Blend batting and the texture of the quilting as well as the drape of the quilt are amazing, even for a quilt that is densely-machine-quilted. Fusible Batting is made with a fusible resin on both sides of the batting. This is a temporary fusing and typically works best on smaller scale projects. You can find Fusible Batting here. Not all brands are created equal, so making sure that you get a good brand will be something to keep in mind.

If you have a special quilt that you want to invest in, I think batting is an important thing to consider. I mostly recommend this for custom quilting because it really makes the quilting POP! This is a great choice if you plan to display or enter a quilt into a show.

I have tested it in many of my personal quilts and it washes and wears well. If you want to spend a few extra dollars for a special quilt that needs to be extra cozy, I recommend a bamboo or a bamboo blend. I actually put this in most of my quilts. You want a quilt to be a family favorite? Add this batting! It also gives the perfect crinkle. Thanks Melissa! Batting is also available to purchase in bulk by the entire bolt — which is a great option if you use a lot of batting.

Batting goes on sale often at the big box stores. Lots of Quilt Batting options are available by the roll or off the bolt or pre-packaged individual sizes. Connecting Threads has a huge variety of batting choices and frequent sales. Connecting Threads also has a helpful info page about what size and kind of batting you need.

You can also find batting on Amazon. And even easier to use fusible Batting Seam Tape to join smaller pieces together side by side. Or you can use your scraps to make an easy table runner! In other words the backing should be the biggest of the three layers. For larger quilts you will need to piece your back — meaning you will need to sew yardage together. A pieced back can be as simple as one seam, using the same fabric for the whole back or complex with multiple fabrics and seams.

Once again there are lots of options. Pin Basting a Quilt shortcut from Pat Sloan. I finally decided to look at the prepackaged batting at Hobby Lobby the other day. I thought it would be more expensive, but I found this stuff called Mountain Mist Cream Rose that is percent cotton unlike Warm and Natural…total false advertising I think and it ended up being 4.

Actually, in order to go into my longarm quilting business, I had to send in batting samples to the State Laboratory in Reynoldsburg, Ohio and have them test the batting that I intended to use. I get overwhelmed with all the batting options out there. Thank you for the link to your article! I thought this post was going to be about Halloween….

LOVE bamboo batting!! Hubby wants an extra-warm quilt for winter snoozes on the couch and I was thinking of doubling up on a low-loft batting to keep the quilt. Thanks for sharing what you do with all of us!! I have used bamboo batting and it is very lovely to quilt, both for hand quilting and for machine quilting. My only complaint with bamboo and it is not much of a complaint is that it does beard a little.

This can be somewhat annoying when working with a dark background fabric. But by no means is the bearding a deal breaker. If I use cotton, I love Quilters. I like it. Hi Amy! Congrats on the feature! Batting is a mine field. I recently tried a bamboo and cotton blend batting and that was lovely to work with. There is a blog of a very brave lady that has set herself the task of systematically comparing different battings.

It seems a lot of work, but it makes for some useful reading. A local quilter told me that bamboo is warmer that cotton. These seeds contain oils.

So she suggested to never use the warm and. Think I got the answer… Sorry wasting your time. It seems so much easier than pinning or spraying, is there a reason not to use it? That is a great question! Thanks for bringing it up! Anyone have any insights on fusible batting? I was a bit skeptical to use it at first but after the quilt was washed it looks great and is nice and soft. I applaud you! Before answering your two questions, let me throw out another option — send your pieced quilt top and backing to a professional longarm quilter.

Now to your questions: 1 Nope! Most packaged batting does not need to be prewashed and it should say so on the usage instructions. Lint from bamboo? I am only tying the knots to hold the quilt — not actually quilting!

I designed a sunrise scene over an ocean and the fabric pieces are big. I found a cool trick on a YouTube tutorial for making the quilt sandwich using skewers to center it. The amount of math involved in designing this thing would make Einstein flinch.

But what a fun winter project it has been!!!! Thanks again! They said they had to clean the bobbin after every line. Hello, I am making my first t-shirt quilt and my t-shirt quilt-topper is fused and sewn. I am now choosing a batting fiber and loft and deciding on a quilt-backing. Also, what is your suggestion on hand quilting vs. I am a bit nervous to get this large quilt onto my Bernina , even with having purchased a walking foot and darning foot.

Thanks for your feedback! They have a lot of similar qualities. My new favorite batting for hand quilting. Drapes beautifully. VERY consistent thickness mid-loft, but quilts like a low-loft for a blend blended with bamboo, cotton, and tencel. Worth the money. How warm is the silk? I am making a summer quilt for our bed and want it to be very lightweight. I am considering silk and also bamboo as an option.

I want the quilt to be very thin and very lightweight for this menopausal mama. I use Quilters Dream bamboo. I prefer a cotton batting for my projects but my concern is the weight of a quilt as a cover for a baby.

Unless you are using a few layers of batting, none of these options are weighted enough to cause any issue. Hey Molly, thanks so much for your input! What makes you say that wool is not suited for washing?

I think a lot of quilters opt for cotton batting because it is the most prevalent in stores. I wash all my quilts in my washing machine no dryer and never had a problem with bearding! The loft is a little bit more than cotton. I think Molly is talking about non treated wool batting which some mills make as part of their yarn business. It has to be treated like a pure wool sweater or it will felt.

Quilts made from this type of wool batting have to be hand washed in cold water and not agitated while wet but the resulting quilt is beautiful with this type of batting. Just ordered QD orient blend for a plus design bed quilt. First time using…. Fabric was not prewashed…. Just curious. In reply to fire retardent batting angel , it makes me wonder if the chemicals used are safe for babies?

How would it compare to Pellon White Cotton? I used the former on my first quilt and am happy with the loft and warmth. Thanks for all the great advice throught your site! They will show through light fabrics. I guess the companies were trying to save some money?

I trust the consistent quality of Quilters Dream. I like all of the options on loft and type they offer. Where do you buy it? Wow that stuff has gotten hard to find! I wonder why. I just emailed my contact at Quilters Dream to see if they are phasing out that product.

My contact said that it can still be found on Amazon eh…questionable , but can definitely be found at batt-mart. Hi Suzy! Love your site. I keep getting request for a heavy quilt. Any suggestions? Would it be batting choice or fabric choice that makes a quilt heavier? Do you want the quilt to be soft and warm, or just heavy? What batting would you use between two layers of fleece?

My mom made three of my children warm, heavy quilts like this before she died. We have since added two more children to our family. I would like to make them quilts just like this. A quilter friend advised me not to use batting in between. I really want to make one just like it. Any advise? FYI Quilters Dream poly batting has a few different lofts that range in denseness.

The Deluxe will be the heaviest. Any ideas? It drapes nicely and washes well though. I have found bamboo to be really light, and also a thin poly batting would be light. Wool and cotton will probably be a bit heavier. I often use Pellon wool, it is light as a feather and not too warm.

Love the loft and weight. Love the pattern and really taught me to be more careful with pressing. Working on a baby quilt. A rock steady pattern! So with that said I want this one to be cozy and warm while still being breathable.

I made a quilt for house with wool and love it, so warm and cozy but perhaps wool would be too thick and not as breathable which I think is important for baby quilts. So perhaps Cotton poly blend? I am considering a wool batting … How will I know if my fabric is a tightly woven fabric or has a high thread count? Just saying I use the spray baste, but I have not tried it on a bed-sz quilt.

I tape my backing to a tabletop and spread the batting and top, then lift half at a time, starting in the middle, working outward. For small art quilts, I keep a trash bag for covering enough of the table with the can in my kitchen away from my machines. Brand name matters, I recommend the one Hobby Lobby sells, blue can, use a coupon. Just finished a table runner which is fine except that the spray gummed up my needle. Only had to change or clean it once.

This post was very informative to a quilt novice such as myself. Life got in the way and I picked it up again last month. Now I must research how to hand quilt this huge quilt in a very small space. I figure to purchase a large embroidery hoop and quilt one square at a time and doing the connecting borders as I go along…. This post is fantastic and so informative. I know you mentioned using high quality fabric to prevent bearding but is there anything to do if the bearding does happen?

Or is it just a lost cause once it starts? I have a question. But it is called Orient because it is a combination of cotton, tencel, silk and rayon from bamboo. Thanks for all your work on quilting subjects!!! This is a great question and the choice is really up to you since both are great options for warm-weather batting.

When it comes to picking your favorite batting, I advocate for trying out different brands and deciding for yourself what you like. The Quilters Dream Orient is a bamboo blend, but based on what they blend with it, it remains very silky soft and breathable.

It came highly recommended and especially happy with how the bamboo feels and washes up. Great article, thank you. Which would you say is the coolest batting to use as I live in a warm area of the country? The backing fabric is Cuddle Luxe. What batting would you suggest for a lighter weight quilt?

Thank you for all doing so much research!! What are your thoughts on silk batting? Thank you in advance. My only experience with silk batting is a silk, bamboo blend Quilters Dream Orient. That batting is very light and soft with a beautiful drape. Any thoughts or tips on using two layers of batting? A cotton-poly blend with a wool on top? Thanks for all your insight! Three things come to mind — 1. Use a larger stitch length when quilting. Probably around 4. You may want to test that out on a small sample.

Baste really really well. If you are a pin baster, use more pins than normal. Thanks for all the tips Suzy. I have one question though.

I want the back of my twin size quilt to be soft. What would you suggest? Also would piecing the backing cause a problem? Softer than flannel? Hmmmm…Flannel is pretty soft. I want it to be a heavier quilt. Also would you recommend using two pieces of fabric for the backing? So it would be thicker? QD Deluxe Poly is awesome. I love that stuff. Very dense and thick. Another option if you want the quilt to be warm and snuggly is QD Wool.

I think two pieces of fabric would be overkill. I have just finished a king size quilt. I do not want it to be too heavy and am considering using flannel as my batting. Any thoughts? Have you considered a bamboo blend? Love your article and all the wonderful information. I used bamboo batting in the last throw quilt I made and found that it bearded! Have you had that issue? Oops…forgot to say my go-to batting has always been TherMore. I love that it is thin, light weight, and super easy to quilt.

Oh no! That is a major bummer. Thanks for the info on batting. Crazy question: I have a hankering to use my thin, light feather comforter as batting… Provided I could keep the feathers from shifting and maybe using tie and thread techniques… Feasible or horrendous nightmare?

Hilarious analogy! Let me think…the quilt historian in me wants you to go for it because years ago women were cramming much crazier stuff inside their quilts.

However, the biggest negative in creating a quilt from a down comforter is that down comforters typically last years and then the feathers have either migrated out or have been completely crushed into oblivion. Whatever you decide, good luck! Hi Suzy, This may have been addressed in one of the previous posts, so I apologize if I ask a question that has already been asked.

I want to hand quilt some pillow tops and table runners and am looking for low loft. Thanks for your help! You can assume the batting is low loft unless it is otherwise stated. Is this impossible to find?

Hi Suzy. I find all of this to be very informative. Not as much weight or loft as quilters dream. Makes the perfect summer weight quilt. Unfortunately they are not making it any more. Complaints that it bearded too much. I never had that problem. I miss it, would love to try their cotton wool blend, but I have only seen it in a big roll and want to try before I buy a huge amount.

Love following you and all the others in the group. Thank you for the great article. I have hand embroidered 30 pre-pirnted panels for my first quilt. The quilting pattern is also pre-printed on the panels. I plan on hand quilting this queen size quilt and need help choosing the right batting. Here is what I know: I need white batting. If I use cotton look out for seeds. The rest is very confusing. Do I want something with a scrim? Thank you for your time.

Quilters Dream Orient Bamboo blend would be a good option. Hi Suzy, love your website, you are a wealth of knowledge, thank you! Thank you! Probably something stiff with medium loft.

I am going to make a baby quilt like I did for each of my own two children for my first grandchild. I made a baby quilt for my last child over 26 years ago. I will be machine quilting and I need a batting that will hold up to numerous washings. The only time you need that is if you are sending it to a longarm quilter. Thanks Suzy! Thank you for providing so much information about batting. I am considering bamboo but I find that most are sold with scrim.

Is that necessary? Thank you for your help. Is that a batting thing? What am I doing wrong? Or will it just soften up as it gets used and washed? Once you wash the quilt it will drastically change the drape. Wash it a couple times and I bet all stiffness will be gone. Is it just goofy idea or can I get away with this? Batting works as a great buffer for feeling the seams made when patching together all of those different fabrics for the top.

You definitely can finish your quilt with no batting, but instead I would recommend using a really like batting like bamboo or a very light cotton, such as Quilters Dream Request loft. I am new to quilting. I am making quilts for Christmas for my boys.

That have said they want fluffy warm quilts. I bought a poly blend batting with a loft of 8. Wondering if I could put 2 layers of batting to make the quilts extra fluffy?

I am tying the quilts with yarn, not quilting. What do you think will a double layer be too thick? Lots of people use two layers of batting! I think you should cut a small sample, make a quilt sandwich, and see if it works well with ties.

I would love to use wool batting to make it extra fluffy and cozy. Will this be a problem? Would you use a poly blend instead? Any tips would be much appreciated! Your unwashed flannel, however, will shrink. I suggest washing with cold water and drying on low heat or air drying to avoid too much shrinkage. I keep going back and forth between thinking it is just the front fabric and the back fabric with nothing in between and thinking there is just another piece of quilting fabric as the batting…but maybe there is a traditional type of batting inside?

I recently started my own quilt. I got the low loft Warm and Natural batting thinking it felt really thin! I am just so at a loss. A piece of flannel or soft knit is all you need if you want a really thin quilt. It sounds like this particular quilt has been laundered and loved for a long time. When that happens, quilts can lose some of their batting as it travels through the stitches and out into the world.

Batting also softens and compresses as you wash it and cuddle it. Once you have it completed, washed and dried, the stiffness will be gone and it will continue to get softer and softer as you use it. Which is best for hand quilting? I am new at it and want something easy on the hands so as not to get discouraged. Check out bamboo or a low-loft cotton. I have hand-quilted three quilts. My grandma would use an old blanket for batting and then tie her quilts with crochet thread. I may have someone else machine quilt it!

So if I am gifting a quilt to someone who lives in a very humid climate, would you recommend a bamboo batting? And would cotton piecing have problems with mildew in that climate? Would you piece with a different fabric? Bamboo is a wonderful choice for warm climates. Examples are basements or being put into a sealed tub that is moist.

I would very much appreciate your help. Your email address will not be published. Trending patterns! Add to Wishlist. Quick View. Rated 5. Poly Blend Batting Pictured below is the free Squared quilt pattern.

Wool Batting See more pics of this fluffy Maypole quilt here! Bamboo Batting. Of course I do! July 27, at pm Reply. Robin says: I am finishing my first quilt ever for my hubby for Christmas. November 4, at am Reply. Did you mention which one is your fav? Suzy Quilts says: Tutti girl, you missed nothing. July 28, at am Reply. April 4, at pm Reply. Suzy Quilts says: Either batting would be a great choice. A poly blend will be a lighter quilt than the cotton.

March 5, at am Reply. March 7, at pm Reply. Steffe says: Great post! Suzy Quilts says: I have never done that, but I doubt it would ruin the quilt. These different fibers all have unique characteristics that will effect the appearance and feel of your finished quilt. Here are just a few fiber choices you may want to try:. Cotton - Cotton is a natural choice for many quilters because we're already working with cotton fabric. However, cotton will always have a tendency to shrink within your quilt, which produces a soft, crinkly effect on the surface.

This is terrific for bed quilts, but probably not the best choice for wall hangings where you want the quilting stitches and design to shine. Polyester - This man made material has virtually no shrink and produces quilts that can hang stunningly straight on a wall. This batting is also extremely stable and a perfect choice for special quilting techniques like trapunto that depend on the batting holding it's shape perfectly.

Wool - Super warm and soft, wool is a great choice for winter bed quilts. This special fiber is unique in that it holds no memory so your quilts will never get fold lines and creases, even when folded up tightly for months.

For this reason, wool is a very popular show quilt batting. Bamboo - Bamboo is a wonderful batting type from an abundant resource. These battings tend to have a bit of shrinkage, but a very soft hand and lightweight feel. They're a great choice for summer time bed quilts and lightweight throw quilts. Cut a 15 - 20 inch square of batting, sandwich it with cotton fabric on the top and bottom, and quilt it in a similar style to your next quilt.

Just in case you're searching for inspiration you can find 30 easy designs to try in the workshop Beginner Free Motion Quilting Fillers! Bind the edges of your mini quilt, then throw it in the washer. Treat this little sample exactly the same way you would a real quilt.