What kind of batting should i use for my quilt

I'd become dependent upon that single cheap batting and suddenly I had to start experimenting and trying different battings in different lofts and fibers. Yes, this was scary and frustrating at times, but it was also thrilling to see how different my quilts looked and felt when I used a different batting in the middle.

There's no real way of knowing a batting is "good" or "bad" except to try it out for yourself. You need to see how the batting behaves and decide for yourself what you'd like to see in your quilts. Developing your own opinions is one of the most crucial steps to becoming a happy quilter. For example, there might be a batting that I absolutely love, but you will hate because it smells funny to you.

The only way to know what works is to try it! There are so many amazing fiber choices when it comes to batting. Many companies are now offering cotton, polyester, wool, bamboo, and many blends of these materials as well. 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. Cotton is the least expensive option and is super comfortable, and its heavy weight might surprise you. Wool and silk are both breathable and lightweight, making them prime for summer quilts. Loft is basically a fancy way of saying thickness. If you go for high-loft batting, the lines of your quilting will be more visible and the quilt will be puffier overall.

Low-loft batting gives a flatter finish, which is great if you want to show off the piecing more than the actual quilting lines. Quilters are definitely a loyal bunch, and most have a favorite batting brand or two. Professional longarm quilting machines can handle pretty much any batting you can buy.

Good to Know: For more info on completing large projects on an everyday sewing machine, check out our online class Quilting Big Projects on a Small Machine. Fusible batting is great for small quilting projects. It can be ironed to temporarily secure it into the middle of a quilt, which will save you time basting. It acts as a stabilizer and helps to hold the batting together while quilting. Bonded quilt battings contain a type of glue or bonding adhesive, which means the batting may become looser once the quilt is washed.

This usually requires close quilting lines to make sure your quilt holds up over time. Pro Tip: Some battings specify an optimal quilting distance between rows of stitches. Take a look at your quilting pattern and use this info to your advantage. Is this a problem after it is sewn? Man I said 2 questions, but that turned into 4! Thank you!!

Very ambitious! 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. Just kidding! First, a surprise! We do agree on one thing: the batting should fit the project. Check the batting labels for useful information. Use a permanent fabric marker to record the data about the batting: fiber content, recommended quilting distance, laundering, care instructions, etc.

Quilt some stitches and motifs on your sample sandwich to see how it needles. These little sandwiches are a gold mine of information! This is a quick and easy way to learn a lot about many different battings. Another thing we agree on: We both like to have lots of quilting in our projects.

This means we select a batting that has low loft height , since these are easier to needle, by hand or machine. Patricia: I am a hand quilter who looks for a batting that is thin and easy to needle. I have not yet found the perfect batt for my quilts. In the meantime, I use a stable, thin polyester batt, such as Hobbs Thermore or Mountain Mist , because it does not beard.

Donna: I am a machine quilter and like a very stable batt that will not stretch or distort when it is in the machine. I launder all my quilts, some several times a year. I do not want the cotton batting to shrink when laundered, so I pre-treat my batting in the following manner:.