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Guide to Quilt BattingFacts You Need to Know to Choose the Perfect Batting for Your QuiltWhether you call it batting, padding or wadding - it's the essential middle layer that gives your quilt its cozy warmth. Which batting is right for your next project:?
Battings made from different fibers vary greatly in warmth, breathability, comfort, and ease of quilting. Even if you have a favorite batting you’ve used for a long time, lots of new batting options have become available in recent years that are worth investigating. Some of the new battings are more eco-friendly than the old standbys. These include batting made from organic cotton, bamboo, and even corn sugar. Others include premium fibers like silk or alpaca. Here’s what you need to know about the different types of batting to choose the right one for your next before you you’re your next quilt. Bonded batting vs. Needle-punched BattingCommercially available battings are held together in one of two ways:
If you’re hand quilting, you may want to avoid needle-punched battings. If you want to avoid chemicals in your quilt, avoid bonded battings. CottonThe most popular choice among serious quilters, cotton batting is soft, washable, and can accept very detailed quilting stitches. It is the batting of choice for quilts that will be entered in shows and competitions. Cost level: More expensive than polyester, less expensive than wool, bamboo, alpaca, or silk. Recommended quilting distance: varies by brand, up to 8”. Pros
Cons
Cotton/PolyesterSomewhat loftier than 100% cotton batting and more breathable than 100% polyester. Shrinks less than cotton batting. Cost Level: Similar to all-cotton batting. Recommended quilting distance: 2” – 4” Pros
Cons
PolysterThe loftiest batting – it packs well and makes a lightweight, puffy, cozy quilt. Comes in a variety of weights and lofts. Cost level: Usually the least expensive batting option. Recommended quilting distance: Varies by brand. Pros
Cons
WoolLight, warm, lofty, and resilient, wool regulates body temperature better than any other fiber, keeping you from getting too hot OR too cold while sleeping. Cost level: More expensive than cotton, polyester, or bamboo, less expensive than alpaca or silk. Recommended quilting distance: up to 4”. Pros
Cons
AlpacaExtremely light, warm, and cozy, alpaca is a very high-quality and expensive kind of wool. Alpaca batting makes a quilt exceptionally warm for its weight. Available online from Pacafill battings in alpaca/cotton or alpaca/wool blends that are needle-punched and contain no binders or resins. Cost level: Expensive. Recommended quilting distance: up to 8”. Pros
Cons
SilkVery lightweight, thin, and supple, silk batting is favored by many quilters for making quilted garments. It’s available from Hobbs under the name Tuscany in a 90% silk/10% polyester resin-bonded blend. Mountain Mist’s Cotton Blossom batting is 95% cotton, 5% silk. Cost level: expensive. Recommended quilting distance: 3½”. Pros
Cons
Bamboo Bamboo is an extremely fast-growing plant that needs no pesticides or fertilizers to grow, so is much more environmentally friendly than conventional cotton. The bamboo batting currently available from Fairfield is 50% organic cotton/50% bamboo. The company recommends it for machine quilting. Cost level: Expensive. Recommended quilting distance: up to 8”. Pros
Cons
The copyright of the article Guide to Quilt Batting in Quilting is owned by Christine Mann. Permission to republish Guide to Quilt Batting in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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