MY Crazy Stupid Love of Quilt Batting
Hey everyone! I’m Jill from J-Coterie Design. Today I am excited to share with you My Crazy Stupid Love of Quilt Batting. I am a quilt artist and longarm quilter from the beautiful mountains of Idaho. Truthfully, I got into quilting a tad bit late in life and found my absolute dream job when I bought my longarm machine and opened for business at the age of 51! You can find out more about me and my business on my website: J.COTERIE. Plus, you won’t want to miss out on this FREEBIE either!
My Crazy Stupid Love Of Quilt BAtting
Some people tell me I am bat s*** crazy! They aren’t completely wrong, I do get a little crazy when it comes to choosing the best batting for your quilts. In my search I truly have develop a love for batting… sounds stupid I know. My goal however, is to take that crazy feeling out of selecting batting and let you develop your own stupid love of batting too.
How to Choose
Choosing batting does make a difference in the finished product of your quilt. It is important to keep in mind that even though you cannot see the batting in the finished quilt, good quality batting will give you the best results and provide years and years of use. I like to think of it as the framework of all your hard work. Just like building a house you would not use low quality materials for framing, just because it will be covered by drywall and paint. It is important to purchase the best quality materials you can afford to get the best and lasting results. Often that means purchasing from a reputable quilt store. Also many longarm quilters (myself included) offer batting for purchase to ensure good quality batting.
“The batting actually determines the whole quilt. How long it will last, how it feels, if it will drape and feel soft — that all has to do with what’s on the inside.” -LuAnn Farr Winline Textiles Founder
My Crazy Stupid Love of Quilt BAtting
Let’s Dive in!
There are many great brands, and types of batting out there. To make things simple I am going to tell you about my favorite types of batting that I stock. I use these for my clients on the daily. My preferred batting vendor is Quilter’s Dream. I find them to be excellent quality and easy to work with in ordering. They allow you to order the exact size batting you need, from baby size all the way up to king. You also have the option of ordering an entire roll, if you are using big quantities like me. For organic bamboo cotton , I love and use Winline.
100% Cotton Batting
Quilter’s Dream 100% cotton is my choice for that vintage, keepsake look. After the quilt is done and washed it will give the shrinkage that gives your quilt the soft crinkly look. Over time this softness gets better and becomes so delicious. This cotton batting lends itself to quilting from very dense to light and airy will quilting lines as far as 8” apart. The loft is on the thinner side which is perfect for summer quilts, while still providing warmth without weight.
80/20 Batting
This batting is a blend of 80% natural cotton fibers with 20% polyester. The blend of natural and synthetic fibers gives this batting great stability and is more resistant to creases and wrinkles. It will have a small amount of shrink giving a hint the crinkle of the all cotton batting. This batting is what most of my clients use. I consider it a good all purpose batting.
Polyester Batting
Poly batting is very economical batting. This batting has no shrinkage and will hold its shape well. It is durable and withstand a lot of use. Polyester batting is great for t-shirt quilts, jean quilts, and quilts you expect to get down and dirty with. It comes in a variety of lofts or thickness, The different options are: thin batting in Request, Select, and Deluxe. Deluxe is typically used in show quilts or wall hangings that need to hold their shape. They also have ultra thick poly known as Puff that is thick and plush and makes quilts soft and pillowy like.
Wool Batting
The strides they have made with wool batting is truly remarkable. This batting has a wonderful loft providing your quilts with the plus feel and look and a cozy winter parka. After your quilt is finished you are able to launder it the same as the other batting. I do prefer drying on a low to medium setting.
Bamboo Cotton
Did I tell you about my current crush? Ok, it may have turned to love. Organic bamboo cotton is so dreamy. It seems to have all the best qualities. Great loft, quilts absolutely perfect, and has that soft drapey, snuggle factor that a quilt is supposed to have. I carry lots of this batting in my studio and jump at the chance every time I get to use it.
There you have it, my faves or should I say loves in the world of batting. This is not an all inclusive super extensive look at batting. I wanted to keep it simple and to the point. If you are a details person, there is a fantastic blog from Suzy Quilts that will give you in depth details on batting.
I hope the information I have provided has left you feeling a little less crazy and more in love when it comes to choosing a batting for your next project. If you need more help please reach out. I love to talk quilting all day everyday!
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