Quilters have many choices when it comes to selecting quilt batting. They can choose from various kinds of fibers, colors, sizes, and thicknesses.
There really isn’t a single right choice for every situation. Part of this is determined by personal preference. Among the factors to consider are color, size, loft, and fiber content.
The color of the batting plays a role only if your quilt top has lots of white or light colored fabrics. Decide whether you want to keep the lighter look. If so, white polyester is a good choice. Bleached white cotton would also work. When you’re dealing with dark colored quilt tops, you can choose from non-white polyesters, unbleached cotton, and dark wool battings.
Batts come in a wide range of sizes from crib quilts all the way up to king and queen. For wall quilts and wall hangings, these can be cut from any size of batting you happen to have around. Save all the leftover pieces as they can be used for making stuffed toys, and pillows.
Thickness is also known as loft. This refers to the flatness or puffiness of the finished project. Personal preference is really the key. Some quilters like a flat look.
The higher loft can be harder to quilt if you’re doing this by hand. With tied quilts, extra loft is nice. Both high loft polyester and cotton are excellent choices for tied projects.
The fiber content is a major concern for most quilters. Quilt batting is made from various kinds of fiber, including cotton, polyester, wool, and silk. Cotton, cotton/polyester blends, and pure polyester are most commonly used.
The advantages of cotton are numerous. Cotton batting doesn’t tend to slip around during the quilting process. Very versatile, it breaths. This is preferred for traditional and heirloom quilts as it tends to soften with age. Because cotton batting does shrink, wash this before quilting if the batting contains a scrim or binder.
On the other hand, polyester doesn’t shrink. It offers little needle resistance during hand quilting. Polyester doesn’t breathe as well as natural fibers.
Cotton/polyester blends are also available. The content can vary from one brand to another. Typically, these contain around 50% cotton. They can be used for both machine and hand quilting. The finished quilt will be puffier than one made from ordinary cotton batting.
For comfort, wool battings can’t be beat. These are warm without being heavy. Yet, the completed quilts are light enough to use much of the year. However, some people are allergic to wool. The downside to wool is that it is a little more expensive than cotton or polyester. Wool batting is washable. This is available in both black and bleached.
Silk is very expensive. But, for a luxurious quilt it is well worth the price. This is a good alternative for those who are allergic to wool or down. Most silk batting actually contains a small amount of polyester, which helps to stabilize the product and limits shrinkage to about five per cent. Silk breaths well, and is washable.
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