Quilting batting can be called the most important part of a quilt.
Quilt battling gives your quilt life by making it heavy, insulated, and making sure you stay warm underneath it. Choosing the right batting is crucial to make sure that you can get the best out of your quilt.
But choosing the right batting is tricky and requires knowledge. You might be wondering – how do you pick a batting for a quilt?
Wonder no more and continue reading our article to find out all about picking the best batting. After all, a quilt is only as good as the batting inside it.
What Is Quilt Batting?
Simply put, quilt batting is the innermost layer of a quilt. Also known as quilt padding or wadding, this part can vary in size, dimensions, fabric, thickness, etc. No matter for which season or what type of quilt you are building, you will surely find something.
Knowing how to pick a batting is key as this will dictate the overall quality and the warmth of the quilt overall.
Types of Batting
Let us talk about the many types of batting that are available in the market. Each of these types comes with its own pros and cons and can be used in many different scenarios.
After reading about them in detail, you will hopefully be able to choose something for your own quilt.
- Cotton Batting
Cotton is a very common and frequently used batting material. It is loved for its ability to be breathable and comfortable without making the quilt too heavy. Also, it is said to be good for both machine and hand quilting.
One of the biggest downsides of cotton is that it tends to shrink after it is washed. This light shrinking is said to be preferred by many users in their bed or home quilts.
You also need to check thoroughly to make sure that there are no cotton seeds left behind in the batting material.
If there are any seeds left behind, it will make the quilt user uncomfortable and may even stain your quilt from the inside.
- Wool Batting
Wool is a top batting choice when it comes to knitting quilts in colder areas. It is extremely soft, comfortable, warm, and loved by people for the snuggly feeling. Just like cotton, wool can be used for batting by hand or by using a machine.
A great benefit of wool is it does not tend to crease and is thus good to be used in decorative quilts.
Perhaps a potential downside of wool is its cost. It is a high-priced material for many quilters and buyers out there.
We suggest that you always be cautious about washing woolen quilts as they cannot be washed the same way cotton quilts can be. Watch out for potential allergic reactions, as many people are allergic to wool.
- Polyester
Polyester is a synthetic material but has many perks that make it a favorite among users. Thanks to its low cost, it is great for making budget quilts.
It is lightweight and thus comfortable but also provides good insulation and makes sure you stay warm. Polyester batting has little tendency to shrink, which makes the quilts look fit and chic all year round.
If you are making a quilt that is going to be used very frequently and thus also needs frequent washing, polyester is the best choice.
One of the very few notable downsides polyester batting has is that it often shifts and makes parts of the quilt have uneven batting.
- Blended Fabrics
Cotton blend or wool blend fabrics are a mix of either cotton and polyester or wool and polyester.
The quality, durability, and how well you can work with that while quilting largely depends on the percentage of each of the materials in the blend.
Cotton blend with 80% or more cotton and the remaining part polyester is what most quilters prefer as it has the best of both polyester and cotton.
Bamboo is a popular choice that is used as a blend of half cotton and half bamboo. It is popular among environment enthusiasts and can produce some very beautiful decorative quilts.
How Do You Pick a Batting for a Quilt?
Finally, let us talk about the very frequently enquired topic. Continue reading below to find out in detail how you can properly choose a battle for the quilt you are making.
Always remember that the best quilt batting is the one that fits the situation and meets the needs.
- Consider the Purpose
Consider the purpose the quilt is going to serve. Quilts that are made for decorative purposes should not have the same batting materials as those which are made for bedroom use.
Decorative quilt batting materials generally do not take matters such as shrinking, cleaning, etc., into consideration.
Quilts that are made to be used and frequently cleaned, such as baby quilts, quilts at a motel, quilts for pets, will also have different batting materials than regular quilts.
- The Loft
The loft is what quilters say to refer to density or thickness. High loft quilts are denser and are most frequently used in colder areas. They make the quilt warm, puffy, and perfect for winter use.
On the other hand, low loft quilts tend to be flatter and are often chosen for decorative quilts. Whenever you are choosing a loft, focus on your needs and what you want to use the quilt for.
- Size of The Batting
Batting can be purchased pre-sized. If you prefer, you can also buy rolls of fabric and then customize it however you need.
If you are a beginner quilter, we especially recommend buying rolls of fabric and buying slightly more than you need. That way, you will have more fabric to take help from if you make any mistake.
- Machine vs. Hand Quilting
Though it is commonly said that most batting materials can be used for both hand and machine quilting, most materials are more appropriate for any method.
Be sure to know which method should be followed for the materials you are using. Also, consider which quilting method you as a quilter are more comfortable with following.
If you are using a professional or a domestic machine for quilting is also an important factor. Professional sewing machines can handle heavy-duty stitching and are perfect for quilts that have a thicker loft.
- Washing and Creasing
Though these two features may not be as important as material or loft, or size, you surely cannot ignore them either. While choosing a batting, make sure to keep these factors in mind.
Batting materials that tend to crease are not generally preferred for making decorative quilts. Washing is an important factor to consider if you are making quilts that will be used, not decorated.
Final Words
After going through our article, we hope you have learned how do you pick a batting for a quilt.
Always remember that the perfect batting is the one that serves the purpose and fulfills your needs. We hope you have a fun time creating art quilts that bring you joy.