Quilt Week: Basics: Batting

 

Thank goodness for people who know more than me! LOL Kidding! EVERYONE knows more than me about this type of stuff. I'm a Jane-of-all-trades but not an expert on anything. I found this really awesome site that explains EVERYTHING you need to know about quilting. So you don't have to rummage through the site, I've transferred the info useful to us this week on here. BUT, please do go take a peek if you want to. It's a really neat site!

Batting is the gushy stuff that goes between your fabrics to make the quilt nice and warm and cozy!

Bonded batting vs. Needle-punched Batting

Commercially available battings are held together in one of two ways:

• Bonded batting has the fibers bonded together by a glue-like bonding agent.
• Needle-punched batting has the fibers mechanically felted together by punching them with lots and lots of needles. They are firmer and denser than bonded battings. Their density can also make them harder to hand quilt.

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.

Cotton Quilt Batting

The 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

• Breathable, cool, and comfortable to sleep under. Absorbs some moisture, but not as much as wool or alpaca.
• Drapes well, keeps its shape after initial shrinkage.
• Softens with age, washing, and use.
• Good for machine quilting-its clinging quality helps keep the fabrics from shifting while you quilt, and minimizes the chance that you’ll quilt puckers into in the finished quilt.
• Shrinks and wrinkles the first time you wash it, which makes cotton ideal if you want your quilt to have an antique, puckered look. Use a different batting if you prefer a sleek, modern look.

Cons

• Needle-punched cotton batting isn’t desirable for hand quilting-it can be hard to push the needle through the dense mat of cotton fibers.
• Conventionally grown cotton carries a heavy load of petroleum-based fertilizers, pesticides, and in some cases, bleaches. Choose organic cotton or bamboo batting if you want reduced environmental impact.

Cotton/Polyester Quilt Batting

Somewhat 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

• Combines the stability and easy handling of polyester with the breathability of cotton.

Cons

• Petroleum-based polyester and conventional cotton are both environmentally unfriendly products.

Polyster Quilt Batting

The 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

• Machine washable and dryable. Springs back to shape no matter how many times it’s washed.
• Lighter than cotton batting.
• Non-allergenic.

Cons

• Doesn’t breathe like natural fibers do.
• Polyester’s natural loftiness can make it hard to handle while machine quilting. If you have trouble with this, use a thinner batting or try tying the quilt instead.
• Has a greater tendency to "beard" (work its way out through the weave of the fabric) than battings made from natural fibers.
• A petroleum-based product, not renewable like organic cotton, wool, hemp, or bamboo.

Wool Quilt Batting

Light, 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

• Quilts like butter—a hand-quilter’s dream, and good for machine quilting too.
• Recovers better from being compressed than any other fiber.
• Keeps you warm even when wet. Wool can absorb a third of its own weight in moisture without feeling damp.
• Naturally flame-resistant. This makes it an excellent choice for quilts for infants and children.

Cons

• Can cause allergic reactions in some people.
• Must be protected from moths.
• Needs very careful washing and drying—will felt and shrink if agitated when you wash it. Never put a quilt with wool batting in the dryer—the heat and tumbling motion will ruin it.

Alpaca Quilt Batting
Extremely light and warm, alpaca is a very high-quality and expensive kind of wool that 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

• Extremely warm and lightweight. Alpaca fibers are smoother and less oily than sheep’s wool.
• Hypoallergenic.Because it’s less oily than wool, alpaca seems not to cause the same allergic reactions.
• Like wool, alpaca stays warm when wet, but alpaca doesn’t get the unpleasant “wet sheep” smell that goes with wet wool.

Cons

• Needs very careful washing and drying—will felt and shrink if agitated when you wash it. Never put a quilt with alpaca batting in the dryer—the heat and tumbling motion will ruin it.
• Must be protected from moths.

Silk Quilt Batting

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

• As warm as down, yet lighter weight.
• Supple and more drapable than any other batting.

Cons

• Shrinks more than other battings: about 5% on first washing.
• Needs very careful handling when washed.

Bamboo Quilt Batting

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

• Producing bamboo batting uses many fewer toxic chemicals than conventional cotton or polyester.
• Needlepunched, so it contains no glues or binders.
• Breathable and cool, like cotton.
• Naturally antibacterial.
• Machine washable (estimated shrinkage 2-3%.)

Cons

• Not as widely available as some other battings.

Branch Out and Be Creative!!

Welcome to Quilt Week! Week 1: The Basics

Hello fellow crafters! My friends and I were chatting today because I have a really big itch to make a quilt! So, we have declared the 2nd week of every month Quilt Week! This way, you only work on the quilt for this week and by the time a new month comes around it feels like a fresh project and you don't get burned out. But, by all means, if you're not crafty ADD like we are, feel free to finish your quilt and there will be fun NEW stuff every month to try!

So, today, I wanted to post about sizes:

Lap quilts. Like wall quilts, lap quilts can be whatever size you choose to make them. A drag-around quilt for a small child could be as small as one yard square, or 36” x 36”. (You can make a super-quick whole-cloth quilt by cutting a 36” square of cute children’s fabric, adding backing and quilting it.) A 40” x 60” lap quilt will comfortably cover an adult for a nap on the sofa. You may want to make your lap quilt longer or wider to accommodate a particular set of blocks.

Table topper quilts. These quilts are made to add a decorative touch to a table, and their dimensions depend on the size and shape of your table. Some popular table topper sizes:

• Square card table: 36” x 36”: Table topper size 36” X 36”. Turn the quilt on the diagonal when you put it on the table.

• Dining table 42” x 54” (seats six): Table topper size 13” x 48”
• Dining table 42 x 72” (seats eight): Table topper size 13” x 72”

Size Considerations for Bed Quilts Making a bed quilt the proper size involves a number of factors:

1. How big is the mattress? If possible, measure it exactly. When measuring isn’t possible, use the mattress size chart below.
2. Will the quilt be a “topper” that fits entirely on top of the bed, or will it hang down over the edge? If so, how thick is the mattress? Standard mattresses are 8-12" thick, but new extra-thick mattresses with pillow tops can be up to 20” thick. Is there a box spring to cover also? Will the quilt just cover the depth of the mattress, or will it sweep the floor like a bedspread? Be sure to add enough extra width to make the overhang as deep as you want.
3. Do you need to allow space to cover pillows? If so, how deep are the pillows? If you can’t measure exactly, add 18” to the quilt’s length for pillow coverage. If it’s possible, make up the bed with a bedspread over the pillows, then use a tape measure to measure from the tuck of the spread underneath the pillows, up and over to the back of the pillows. Add this measurement to the quilt’s length.
4. Does your design feature a central medallion or pattern? You may need to adjust your measurements to keep the central pattern from hanging over the edge of the bed or getting hidden by pillows.
5. How densely will you quilt this top? Quilting shrinks a quilt top. The more heavily you quilt the top, the more it will shrink. Allow up to 5% extra room in both width and length for shrinkage. Adding a slightly deeper outer border is a great way to do this.

U.S. MATTRESS SIZES

• Crib 28” x 52”
• Cot 30” x 75”
• Twin 39” x 75”
• Long Twin (common at colleges) 39” x 80”
• Double 54” x 74.5”
• Queen 60” X 80”
• King 76” x 80”
• California King 72” x 84”

U.S. QUILT SIZES

Commercial Comforter size (minimal overhang)

• Crib 36” x 54”. 45” x 60” is large enough for a “toddler” bed.
• Twin 65” x 88”
• Double 80” x 88”
• Queen 86” x 93”
• King 104” x 93”

Bedspread Size (longer overhang)

• Twin 81” x 107”
• Double 96” x 107”
• Queen 102” x 112”
• King 120” x 112”

I hope this helps! I'll post some more later! For now, I gotta go do dishes since the little one is asleep!

Branch Out and Be Creative!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 31

So, being as that I was out of the house all day today, my craft isn't really relevant at 9:50 after everyone's done Halloweening. But because it's still freakin cool, you can make one and store it for next year!

You can buy one here for twenty bucks. it includes the curtain and the rug. Or you can make it with dollar store curtains and rugs and red paint.

Perhaps a fabric medium for the rug though. Don't want to have to re-warsh your feet!


Anyway, Happy Halloween! Time for NaNoWriMo!!! YAY! See you all in a month.

Branch out and Be Creative!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 27

Now, I never want to be one to rip off someones hard work and creativity but I'm also an artist who loves a good challenge! I found these and I just HAVE to try it! Especially when the totally awesome dollar flippy floppies come around at Old Navy!! Plus I have three pairs of Yellow Box that no longer fit me around the foot because of my pregnancy and my permanently swollen foot.

Branch Out and Be Creative!!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 26

So, I've been on a big "Quite Book" kick. Little did I know they're super popular. I have been wanting to start a church quiet book since our church doesn't have a sunday school currently and before I know it M&M will be too big to nap on my chest during the service. So I googled it! I found these::

Photo Credit: Marta-Mojepasje

I LOOOOVE the butterfly page! I want to have an angel in there somewhere with full of different textures. :-) I can't wait to start this. The best part is you can add in all kinds of mediums onto the pages and totally get away with it!

Branch Out and Be Creative!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 24

My wonderful hubby and I have been watching this show called the Colony which is about a group of people trying to rebuild after an apocalypse. This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately because we have been talking about becoming more self sufficient and going much Greener since he started his job at Whole Foods. So, in honor of that, I found these which will not only just be handy but much cheaper and totally resuable! They are available on Etsy or you can use your creativity and try to make your own. I'll try once I get some fleece and perhaps I can post a tutorial of sorts!

Anyway, as always,
Branch out and Be Creative!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 23

So, we've covered Paper Crafts, Fabric Crafts, Knitting/Crochet, and Gardening! This week I want to touch on things that kind of put all of it together! Starting with THIS beauty!

She used pieces of leather she had around her house from bags that were destroyed and actual book pages for the books.
Then, a headpin through the middle of them all and a chain and voila! Beautiful necklace! It was inspired by Anthropology and they wanted $165 for it. She made it for around $4.00! I have someone I know that would love something like this for Christmas. Hopefully she doesn't see it! :-)



Branch out and Be Creative!!!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 15

So, I'm super tired today so I'm sorry but this is going to be a short post! Luckily it's still SUPER cute!!

The Train to Crazy

It's not an actual tutorial but it's got a really great explanation on how to make it. 

Plus, my daughters name is Madeleine and I love her so there ya go!

Branch out and Be Creative!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 14

So, I haven't done any baby stuff because I didn't want to have something that would only work for people that had babies (needing measurements and stuff) but this is such a great gift idea and so easy to make you'd never be without something that moms would definitely love for baby showers or new baby gifts!

 

Cluck Cluck Sew

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 13

Since we've had a few rather involved fabric activities I wanted to do one that was not only useful but also somewhat simple! Sooooo, taadaa!

 To make one, cut a 6 3/4-by-5 7/8-inch rectangle from felt, fold short ends in to meet at center, and pin. Sew sides shut with a 1/2-inch seam allowance, and trim with scallop or pinking shears; adhere mounting tab to back side.

You can also make them following this great tutorial from My Growing Home! I don't have a fancy sewing machine like she does so I liked the simple instructions above!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 12

Goodness, it's already the 12th!! I really should be better about posting early in the day but I never seem to have a minute during the day to do anything other than entertain M&M and the dishes...yuck! Plus today I was able to have a great day with my mom and M&M. we went shopping and I finally got Madeleine's halloween costume! She's gonna be a generic Cinderella (on sale! booya!)  and next year I'll start making her costumes. My friend Kristina got her son a 3 eyed monster costume which I thought was just an adorable idea! I can't wait to see it!

Anyway, today is this one!!! I found it on Pinterest but I further researched it and found During Quiet Time which used a tutorial and PDF print out from Sew Daily! Follow the trail and you can get lots of free sewing ideas!

I love this as a gift idea plus I love all the colors. Have fun!

Branch out and be creative!!!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 11

OMG!!!! I SAW THIS TODAY and I wanted to die!!

It's a ring holder! Plus, the best part is it's easily DIY!! The tutorial for something similar was found on The Toasted Coconut. I think this will be great if you have a pair of shoes where one gets injured (broken heel...it does happen) but the other is in good shape or some super cute shoes you find on sale that just aren't in your size! Keep them around to love while making good use out of them!

I love that she used  fabric and pillow stuffing but I rather like the foam and how professional it looked. She spent 4.00 on the shoes at a garage sale and the ones in the picture are from Ruche and cost 18.99! So, cheap if you don't want to DIY but even cheaper to DIY!

Branch out and be creative!!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 10

So, we know what tools we need to sew and how to use our machine. So..lets get started!
I have found this wonderful tutorial on how to make a flower broach.

Check out Cluck Cluck Sew for the post.

She uses a machine to stitch all of the circles together but I don't think that's necessary if you don't have a machine yet. Just use your needle and thread. You can always cut your scraps into any shape you want like pretty flowers or stars!

Now, for the back, if you don't have an actual pin back to sew onto your flower you can always just use a safety pin, no one will see it anyway.

Also you can add anything you want in the middle of it. I like the button but you can also add rhinestones or something with a strong adhesive.

Anyway, I love this broach because the circles don't have to be perfect nor do they have to be finished edges! They are so easy you can make one for each outfit! It's a great scrap buster!

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 9

So, today I wanted to do a very detailed very picture heavy step by step instruction on how to use your sewing machine. Then I rediscovered Freckled Nest! I was a big follower of hers a while ago (pre sewing) but I never really appreciated what her blog was about. Now that I actually have a machine that goes when I push down the pedal, I love her again! She has this wonderful wonderful tutorial on how to use a basic machine.

So I wanted to put hers on here because it's just so nicely done!
I think the trickiest part about the machine is the bobbin and she explains it pretty well. If you are trying it out and need some help, drop me a line and we can chat about it. I'll be happy to help you!

Branch out and Be Creative!!'

31 Days to Branch Out: Day 8

Hooray! We've made it through the first week! This week we'll be talking about fabric crafting! My favorite thing about fabric is that it doesn't have to just be used for making clothes (or pillow cases in my case). You can do just about anything with fabric that you can do with paper!

So, in honor of the first day of the second week, we'll discuss tools first.

I believe the first thing you need is one of these!
This little machine will cover all your basics and is less than 40.00!! You can also use these for paper crafting which adds unique texture to your pages and cards. It has 8 different stitches on it which may not be important to you while you're starting out but they sure will come in handy later once you get better at it!

Also, check out resale websites like Craigslist to get some really awesome deals. I got my machine plus a HUGE box of notions and fabric PLUS a plastic organizer drawer set with a bunch of patterns for only 60.00. I use my machine at least once a week and it's fantastic. So keep your eyes open for a deal if you're interested in getting started.

Next, you'll need a good pair of scissors. For me, I use the cheapy red handled Crayola scissors that I got from working at the day care because of all the pairs I have they are the only ones that will cut fabric. Lame I know. If you're serious about starting to sew, invest in some good scissors.

A Rotary Cutter has become a staple in my sewing box. You use it on a self-healing mat with with a cutting guide and it cuts perfectly straight lines. Also, if you're going to use this, PLEASE BE CAREFUL!! Cut the fabric not your fingers: invest in a metal mesh glove or finger protection because these blades are extremely sharp and will take off fingers if you're not careful!










A set of sewing needles (to sew by hand) will also be handy. Also, it may not hurt to get some black and white thread! Also, if your machine doesn't come with bobbins, you will need some in order for your sewing machine to work.

All of these little things that are part of sewing are called Sewing Notions. If you go to the store and need help finding any of this, the people there will know what you're talking about!

Tomorrow: How to thread and use your sewing machine!

Branch out and be creative!