Tips for Quilting by The Staff Of The Old Coun

Author:The Staff Of The Old Coun [Coun, The Staff Of The Old]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Good Books
Published: 2013-12-31T14:00:00+00:00

D. Pros and Cons of Natural Battings

I have found that natural fibers adhere better to cotton fabrics, making them easier to quilt. Natural fibers have some shrinkage which causes that crinkled, aged look. This is either an advantage or disadvantage, depending on what end result you prefer.

Nancee McCann, Wilmington, DE

Natural fibers have stood the test of time. We know that quilts using these fibers last. The newer batting made from bamboo, recycled bottles, etc., do not have this proven track record.

Georgia Pierce, Seattle, WA

Cotton batting is soft to the touch, drapes nicely, quilts beautifully, and does not have little fibers that get up your nose like a polyester batting does. The biggest disadvantage is that cotton shows fold and crease lines more than polyester does.

Judy Dowdy, Grandy, NC

I’m not keen on bamboo batting. Although it’s soft, when I quilt it on the long arm machine, it pops through the stitch holes and brings a lot of fluff around the needle and bobbin.

Louise Lott, Healesville, Australia

Natural fiber batting can be stronger. My mother used wool batting made from felt that was previously used to press water out of paper at a paper mill. These battings have outlived their fabric sandwiches and are currently being used in new quilts.

Karen Enslen, Port Republic, VA

Natural fibers can breathe, but they are more expensive than poly fibers. Natural fibers burn but do not melt as do poly fibers, making them safer for children’s quilts.

Betty Phelps, Wichita Falls, TX

Polyester battings do hold their shape better and also resist molds and mildew. A polyester-filled quilt will be thicker but weigh less than a quilt with a 100% cotton batting.

Sharon Sutton, Lindsey, OH

As a vegan and environmental activist, I prefer fabrics and batting made from natural fibers grown organically. As organic is not always the easiest to find, and there is not as much selection as far as patterns and colors go, this is a definite disadvantage. Some new battings are becoming available made from recycled manmade fibers that are also more environmentally friendly than, say, conventionally grown cotton, which requires immense amounts of water and pesticides.

Wool should only be used on quilts that will get a lot of use as the batting could attract moths in storage.

Amanda Kei Andrews, Vero Beach, FL

Cotton batting is my favorite. Bamboo seems super linty, and wool should only be used on quilts that will get a lot of use as the batting could attract moths in storage.

Leigh Spears, San Antonio, TX

Make a sample set for yourself. Get pieces of many types of batting and sew them, wash them, and keep them so that when you need a batting, you have a reference guide of your own. Mark each so you know what it is. Washing lets you know how it will wash as far as shrinking and keeping its shape. A good place to get samples is at quilt shows. Batting companies many times will give a sample pack of their products.

When purchasing a bag of batting, read the bag. It

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.