The Machine Quilting Adventure

Batting can make a difference in your machine quilting. Discover how to choose batting for your quilt that will show off your machine quilting AND be easy to work with. Click here to learn more

Would You Invest a Few Minutes to Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation with an Expert if He could Prevent Your Dream Quilt from Becoming a Nightmare?

Most Quilters Don't Think too Much About the Batting They Put Beneath the Quilt top They Worked on for Months. Sometimes that Small Detail Can Ruin the Quilt You Thought Would Last for Generations....

After Hearing This Man Talk, You Won't Ever Make that Mistake.

From: Penny Halgren
Date:

Greetings,

So many things have changed about batting since I began quilting, it's hard to keep up. And, much like thread, we are presented with so many choices, it's hard to figure out what is best.

What I do know, though, is that some of my quilts were ruined simply because I used the wrong batting - or handled it wrong before it even got into my quilt.

The cotton batting in this quilt was not pre-shrunk, and when it was washed, it became this wacky shape

Frankly, I don't know which was the bigger problem - not pre-washing, or not quilting close enough together. Whichever it was, when I pulled the quilt pictured on the right out of the dryer, it was a mess.

Some parts were shriveled up, and the places I didn't quilt separated from the rest of the quilt like little parachutes. Plus, overall, the quilt was all lumpy and didn't lay flat.

This was the first quilt where I used something other than polyester. I used a 100% cotton batting. But nobody told me I needed to pre-wash it. And nobody told me that I needed to quilt it at some specified distance - I just quilted where I wanted, and some quilting lines were about 8 inches apart.

Years after I made this quilt, a quilter suggested Hobbs Heirloom cotton batting. It is 80% cotton, 20% polyester, and it's needlepunched. That specific information didn't mean very much to me at the time.

But along with that information came the instructions to pre-wash the batting, and to quilt no more than about 4 inches apart. This was wonderful, and Hobbs Heirloom became my favorite batting.

Then came The Machine Quilting Adventure. And expert machine quilter, Pam Bauer, told us on an Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation, that for beginning quilters, Warm and Natural was a better choice because it was a little stiffer and would make the machine quilting easier.

Then we heard Bob Purcell, President of Superior Threads, tell us that we should consider the particular project as we selected the right thread to use. Before Bob, thread seemed so simple. Pick a color, put it through a needle, and sew.

Now we discover that there are threads that work better for machine quilting, embroidery and hand quilting. And that there is a difference in the quality of thread among manufacturers.

Hmmm. And now what about batting? Time to do some investigating.

And Where Do Quilters Get Reliable Information About Batting?

At the Houston Quilt Festival, I stopped at several batting booths. Many of the vendors talked about their products. I heard things like: cotton batting doesn't shrink at all, that I could use a high loft polyester batting for machine quilting, and that their batting had a special finish so there wouldn't be any bearding (or pilling).

After talking to several vendors, it was clear to me that they didn't know the difference between their product and the products from other companies. Or why I should use one batting over another one in any particular project. they all had conflicting information, and it all seemed to be self-serving.

Then I stopped at the Hobbs booth. And I met H.D. Wilbanks. H.D. is a batting expert, and is a wealth of information. In less than 10 minutes, he:

showed me the difference between needle-punch, scrim binding, and resin bonded batting, and told me that some of these processes actually may make bearding / pilling worse, if you use the wrong batting
explained that all cotton batting shrinks, even though some packages of batting say something different, which might mean that your quilt will shrink more than you expect, and the result will be disaster
told me that batting with a scrim will make your hand quilting almost impossible, while it is perfect for machine quilting
said that pilling or bearding is something that really cannot be prevented during the manufacturing process, and if it does occur, don't pull on the batting fiber that shows through the fabric in your quilt; instead cut the little piece of batting off - or better yet leave it alone and it will wear off
if you plan to use a wool-polyester batting, plan that it will shrink a small amount.

And now that the topic of batting is back, I decided it was time to get in touch with H.D. to see if he would "tell all" about batting.

He was thrilled! And this last year he "told all" to our Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation.

H.D. will spent about 1 1/2 hours with us, answering these top 10 questions about batting and more:

choosing the right batting for your project - baby quilt, antique quilt, wall hanging, or quilt for someone with allergies - you want your finished quilt to look perfect, and using the right batting can make a difference - H.D. will tell you how to choose
everything about cotton batting - you'll know exactly what to expect and how to prepare your cotton batting so you get the look you want in your finished quilt
pilling / bearding - those little threads of batting working their way between the threads of fabric in your quilt can be quilte annoying, especially if you weren't expecting them. You will learn what, if anything, can be done to prevent them or deal with them
machine quilting vs. hand quilting - your quilting life will be much easier and you will be happier with your finished quilt using the perfect batting for the type of quilting you plan
different brands - learn the truth about brands of batting and what the package says, based on objective scientific analysis, not just advertising "hype"
the amount of quilting for each batt - armed with this information, your quilts will never again have "batting bulge"
fusible batting - you'll know how this batting can make your quilting easier and whether Hobbs will be making other kinds of batting fusible, too
piecing batting - are you risking a lumpy quilt by piecing your batting? Find out - and learn whether there is a "best" way to piece batting
batting loft - when you give that fun, puffy quilt to your son or daughter, you will know whether it will still be puffy when they give their child the "quilt grandma made" or whether it will flatten out over time
batting terms - siliconized, thermal bonded, resin bonded - you will buy batting confidently knowing how the finish will make your quilt look.

and much, much more

Click the button below to listen to just a part of the Conversation with H.D. Wilbanks where he talks about wool batting:

As a Special Bonus, H.D. has also provided (just for us), some special information about batting. These are also pdf files you can download and save to your computer:

Tuscany Collection - The Ultimate Quilt Batting
Batting Types - Advantages, Liabilities
Batting Uses - Similar Products

And because this information is so valuable, you will want to get a copy of the CD recording of this Conversation so you can his every word and get the answers to your questions about how to choose the right batting for your quilt.

Just think, you won't need to find the book to look it up in - you can just pop in this CD, and the answer is sure to come up - even if you missed it the first time.

You could be the hero in your quilting neighborhood. With a copy of the CD of this call, you can share this valuable information with your quilting friends and quilt guild by simply playing the CD for them at a meeting or over tea. They will love you forever, and because you are bringing the entertainment, you probably won't need to make the pie.

batting for quilts Yes! Send me a CD recording of the Conversation with H.D. Wilbanks about batting.