Batting
August 8, 2008 at 8:38 am 5 comments
Batting: Lots Of Choices
I recently re-did my batting samples for my hand quilting workshop. (Incidentally, if you live near Flint, Michigan I’ll be teaching “How To Improve Your Quilting Stitch” in my @Home Classroom this month.) I provide nearly 40 batts for students to stitch on as we discuss things in the quilting environment, like batting, that can be changed to work to the quilter’s advantage
There are well over 50 different quilt batts currently on the market for quilters to pick from, and the task is daunting! So many things to consider. In my half-day workshops I have my students evaluate THREE things:
1. Needle-ability. That’s how easy it is for your needle to go in and out of the quilted sandwich and make the quilting stitch. Some batts stitch like “butter.” Others don’t.
2. Loft. How flat or fluffy is the batting. While I love the look of an old-fashioned cotton batt, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Some like fluffy.
3. Bearding. That’s what we call the batting fibers that are trying to escape from your quilt! Bearding makes your quilt look like it needs a shave! Not a good thing. Thankfully, with batting these days, there’s not much bearding going on.
Just for fun, I’ve listed some of the major batting manufacturers and some of their products. Tell me which is your favorite. You can check more than one box AND you can leave a comment. Please check only the boxes corresponding to your FAVORITE batting, however, NOT alll the ones you have ever used. Click here to take the survey. Send this page to your friends so they can participate too.
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Entry filed under: Quilting.
1. Amy | August 8, 2008 at 10:53 am
Have you tried bamboo batting?
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2. Amy | August 8, 2008 at 10:56 am
I have sent silk & wool to be used by my long armers. (I think I started to hand quilt using one of those – not sure which now – but Silk sounds right. (Not sure the brand on either)
I plan on using bamboo soon.
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3. Machelle | August 8, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I am a hand quilter and found that a low loft is easier, but I am starting to learn to machine quilt and I am enjoying the fact that I am able to venture out and use other batts. I found that if I am wanting to have a full feather that using 2 battings is great. I use both wool and warm and natural and there is a great fullness to the feathers.
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4. Sandy | August 11, 2008 at 7:07 pm
I started years ago using Warm and Natural, but have since switched to silk. To me the needle goes thru like butter.
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5. Sharron Evans | September 1, 2008 at 10:15 pm
I have tried the bamboo batting. (50% cotton/50% bamboo).
It works like silk…. very nice- very, very soft hand.
LOVE IT!
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