Batting refers to the cotton, wool or synthetic fiber used to insulate quilts (
figure A). Host Alex Anderson welcomes author and quilting expert Harriet Hargrave to discuss the importance of batting and how to choose the right batting for your quilt.
There are many different kinds of batting and it is often difficult for consumers to make an informed decision. Before running out and purchasing batting, Hargrave encourages people to try and answer some questions about the quilt they are planning to make.
- How do you want the quilt to look? Modern or antique?
- How do you want the quilt to feel? Thick or thin? Flat or fluffy?
- How will you make the quilt? By hand or machine?
- How warm do you want the quilt to be?
- Are allergies an issue?
- How frequently might the quilt need to be washed?
By having a clear sense of the style and use you intend for your quilt, you are more likely to be satisfied when you finish making it. For example, a polyester batting is excellent in a baby quilt if you want it to be soft, fluffy and smooth with no wrinkling or puckering. Cotton batting helps give the crinkled charm to quilts designed to seem older. And wool batting lets a quilt breathe so that a night spent underneath is cozy and warm but not stifling (figure B).
Batting also comes in a variety of colors. Dark quilts generally need to have a dark batting in order to avoid unsightly bearding, which is the migration of batting fiber to the surface of the quilt. Charcoal-colored batting will beard, but the fibers look silvery and are much less noticeable on a dark quilt.
A pure white quilt should have white batting to avoid any yellow casting that a natural-colored batting might cause. Also be aware that natural-colored batting may contain seed flecks and particles as part of the ginning process. And those particles contain small amounts of oil. Washing a white or very light-colored quilt with natural batting could result in permanent spotting. Natural batting is fine for scrap quilts, medium-colored backgrounds or muslin, but not for white or a solid light color.
Tip - Hargrave offers this suggestion if your batting isn't large enough. Sewing two straight edges together can cause a visible break line. Instead, make a serpentine cut through two layers, peel the batting apart and do a herring bone stitch over the edge. No one will be able to tell where the batting was spliced (figure C).
Hargrave tests all kinds of batting samples to see how different varieties create different looks and feels. Among her favorites are:
- Mountain Mist Natural - According to Hargrave, this batting reproduces the look of a 1930s quilt better than anything else on the market. It has a high shrinkage rate, so make sure to accommodate for this when measuring.
- Organic by Hobbs - A pure organic cotton with no finish or scrim that can recreate the look of quilts from the 1800s.
- Fairfield SoftTouch - This batting can capture the style of a variety of old-time quilting methods depending on whether it is pre-washed or not.
- Hobbs Heirloom 8020 (blended) - A versatile cotton batting that can be puckered puffy or flat puffy by washing or not washing.
Be sure to ask your local supplier if you have questions about a particular batting. And remember, there isn't just one product out there that's going to be the perfect choice for every quilt you want to make.
Resources Heirloom Machine Quilting: A Comprehensive Guide...
by Harriet Hargrave (ISBN: 0914881922)
Click
here to order this title.
C & T Publishing Inc.
Website:
www.ctpub.com
Guests Harriet Hargrave
Machine Quilting Expert
Author and owner of Harriet's Treadle Arts
Website:
www.harriethargrave.com
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