Quilt Batting – Which One Do I Choose?
Batting is a layer of material used as
the sandwich filling between your pieced top and the backing It is designed to
give warmth, thickness and weight. Your climate, as well as the size and
purpose of your quilt may influence the type of batting (also known as wadding)
that you choose.
Four
Common Batting Materials
Cotton Batting
Although cotton has a number of
different sub-options, it’s a great choice for most quilting projects. The
drape of a 100% cotton batting quilt can be stiff at first; snuggles loosen it
up. Like all things cotton, we’re used to cotton shrinking a little bit. When
inside quilts, this produces a soft, crinkly effect on your quilt surface,
which some people like for comfy bedspreads, and others hate on their quilts-on-display.
Cotton batting has been re-invented in
recent years. If you’re only familiar with the cotton batting found in older
quilts, things have improved consider-ably. That batting was pretty much
pressed lint. Stitches needed to be close together to keep it from bunching and
shifting. That’s no longer the case.
Loft is the thickness of the batting. What used to be ¼” now seems closer to
1/8.” There could be several reasons for this – e.g. manufacturers trying to
save costs, tighter weaves requiring less density. If you want the denser puffy
look, pay close attention to this feature. Often these thicker versions have
“Deluxe” in their name.
Some quilters prefer white over natural,
especially if their quilt top has considerable white piecing. Sometimes darker
flecks may be found in “natural” cotton and they can show through light-colored
fabric. Look for cotton seeds in the batting you select. These can actually
stain fabric! Cotton can also bunch after washing unless quilting lines are
pretty close together. Read the
package instructions to double check how closely your stitching should be.
Natural fibers are cool in
summer and warm in winter; they are not sensitive to heat and less flammable.
Cotton/Poly Blend Batting
A poly blend batting can be a great
alternative to natural fibers if you have some types of allergies. Polyester
blends also tend to cost less if you’re looking for a thrifty option. Keep in
mind that not all poly blends will feel the same because the ratio of cotton to
poly varies anywhere from 80/20 to 60/40.
Unlike 100% cotton batting, poly blends
don't change as much in size and drape after washing. This type of batting is
also easy to work with, and pretty low-maintenance. And it tends to be warmer
than 100% cotton. The one caveat I’d share is that batting with polyester
should not be ironed. Making wrinkles relax from polyester batting requires a
little extra work. Remove it from its package two or three days before you plan
to use it and spread it out over a bed.
Wool Batting
If it’s wool, it’s warm. It’s also fluffy
and relatively easy to work with when quilting. Wool will never get fold lines
or creases, even after months of being folded, which is pretty awesome for
quilters who stacks quilts for storage.
The downside? Wool’s going to hit your
wallet a little harder, and it has the tendency to beard. Bearding, in the
quilting world, is when fibers from the batting travel through the top of the
quilt. It’s pretty common with wool batting, and basically looks like your
quilt is growing a 5 o’clock shadow. The best way to avoid bearding from your
wool batting is to use a sharp needle (probably fresh from the package) when
quilting and when your pieced top uses tightly woven fabric. If your fabric is
a loose weave or a low thread count, the wool can easily travel through it once
the quilt has been washed.
Bamboo Batting
Bamboo batting is the high-end batting
option… for a reason. It’s soft, drapes nicely, dries quickly after washing,
and doesn’t allow mold or mildew to form. It’s amazing...and expensive. Bamboo
batting is a great investment if you’re working on a gorgeous, heirloom,
keep-it-forever type of quilt. Often bamboo batting is combined with other
fibers (e.g. tencel, silk, rayon). I found no clear guidance on one product
composition over another. The plus for our more mild or temperate climates is
that it tends to be cooler and weigh less.
Other Options
Silk and alpaca were two other options I
saw discussed. Pricey. Interesting features Feel free to check them out for
more info if you are interested. Also, Quilter’s Dream has a good green product
made from recycled bottles.
Brand Names for Batting
Materials
The brand of batting you choose can make
a difference in the longevity and overall quality of you quilt. Here are a few
brands that are regularly recommended.
Quilter’s
Dream batting is
everything batting should be; consisting of high quality materials with soft
and silky fibers. Quilter’s Dream offers cotton, poly blends, wool, bamboo, and
even an earth-friendly option made out of recycled plastic bottles! Reviews
posted indicate this is a brand you can count on with all of them being
well-made.
Pellon also offers all four major batting
material options, and is a standard go-to batting brand for a lot of beginners
and experienced quilters alike. It is recommended for both machine and hand
quilting, Pellon’s cotton batting is also ultra-clean, so you won’t have to
worry about those pesky cotton seeds mentioned earlier.
Hobbs is another well-known, top-quality
brand that pretty much offers every different kind of batting option out there.
Many quilters recommended Hobbs Heirloom wool, and though it’s on the more
expensive side, it’s so reliable, and drapes really well.
What
else do I need to know about Batting?
Know
the Skinny on Scrim.
Some batting comes with “scrim,” which is a thin layer of stabilizer that gives
your batting some strength, and keeps fibers from escaping and creating that
dreaded beard. If you decide to go with a batting with scrim, it’s best to face
it toward the back of your project. You'll be able to feel the difference.
Don't
Get Too Lofty. One
other term you should know when checking out batting is “loft.” Loft basically
refers to how thick or fluffy your batting is, with lower loft being thinner.
Low loft batting is great for a flatter finish, where you want to show off your
piecing more than your quilting lines. Fleece is the thinnest of all low loft
batts. A single layer of prewashed cotton flannel is good for table runners and
wall hangings. Go for higher loft if you want a nice, puffy quilt with very
visible quilting lines. However, keep in mind that if you get a high-loft
batting it can look a bit dated – remember those puffy Care Bear quilts from
the 80s or puffer coats?
Preshrinking.
Most batting comes
preshrunk, but yes, inevitably both the prewashed batting and prewashed fabric
will still shrink a small amount on the second wash anyway. In fact, if you’re
using cotton thread, that will even tighten up a bit too. Prewashing your
fabric will lessen the crinkle, however, most packaged batting does not need to
be prewashed and it should say so on the usage instructions. If you are using
Pellon, Quilter’s Dream or Hobbs (the big names), none of them require it.
The Right Side to Batting. Just like fabric, a lot of batting has a right side
and a wrong side. This is important to be aware of, because if you place your
batting wrong-side-up, you’ll have issues with consistent thread tension, and
your quilt may grow more of a beard!
Needle-Punched Batting. Take a good look at your batting, and see if there
are small pin holes (these look like dimples) in its surface. That’s the right
side that should go next to your pieced top. Some cotton quilt batting is
'needle-punched' in which batting fibers are punched with special needles to
bind them together. Needle-punched means the fibers have been broken up
allowing for easier needling. And the micro-thin polyester scrim that is used allows
you to quilt at 8 to 10-inch intervals. If you see little tiny balls of
batting, like the little pills that form on a worn sweater, you’re looking at
the “bottom” of your batting. You want this side, and all those little balls,
to go against the backing of your quilt. If there are no needle marks, don’t
stress – it just means there isn’t a right and wrong side (think batiks). Also,
if you are using a “bonded” batting (thermal or resin) there’s no right or
wrong side up.
Final
Tips
If you are going to machine quilt your Gypsy Wife, consider
using a sharp needle (90/14) and a slightly stronger thread (40w). Also, I’d
suggest avoiding the use of basting sprays and fusible products if you are new
to this part of quilting. There are added details you’ll need to learn.
Its
most desirous to purchase batting that does not need to be pieced – in other
words the opened batting is large enough to cover the complete surface of the
pieced front and backing fabric. The
batting should be 3 to 4 inches larger than the quilt top on all four sides or
8-inches longer and 8-inches wider than the top.
For some projects, you may use up those
leftover pieces. Whether using up leftovers or piecing to get the right size,
it is best not to overlap the batting when stitching it together. You do not
want to create a welt by overlapped edges.
Cut a clean edge by placing
your two pieces slightly on top of each other and cut a straight line with a
dull rotary cutter. Butt the two clean edges together, and join the pieces with
a needle and thread using a whipstitch or similar process.
Some quilters refuse to use a
straight edge but rather a serpentine edge when joining pieces. The curved lines may distract
the eye and render a serpentine joint more invisible than a straight line
would.
Reference – Several sites were explored to gather this
information. Suzy’s Quilts has several extensive articles include ones on the
use of flannel and silk for batting. This information can be found at: https://suzyquilts.com/
