The only time I have ever prewashed a wool batt was once when I used spinners batts for an emergency need it fast child sized quilt. Then I took and basted them between two pieces if gauze, needled the heck out of it, bashed it around in a tub full of ice water with a stick, washed it on cold gentle, and then tossed it into the dryer cranked all the way up as hot as it would go. Yes I was trying to felt and shrink it as much as I could, because I knew it was going to be washed like regular laundry after it got to where it was going. Ironed it afterwards too.
It did felt up a fair bit, but the shrink was not as bad as I expected. I did get a fair amount of felt in the lint filter, but again not as much as I expected.
I have never prewashed a wool quilt batt, and never regretted not doing so either. The only ones I have tried thus far are Hobbs, the bonded and the Tuscany. The Tuscany silk is excellent also, but I have actually never used it on a bed quilt. I have only used the silk on assorted garments, and it makes good warm ones.
So far as the above mentioned child quilt: I put it together whole cloth after beating up on the batting, tie-dyed top from a door curtain I would need to remake for someone else later, and flannel backing. I drew a star in the middle, and echo quilted that out in a fairly closely spaced spiral to the edges free hand on the machine. I actually managed to get it done start to finish in a couple of days working full out on it.
As an addendum to the quilt, DD talked the mama into going to a shelter, and the man who made his family sleep in the unheated garage in January (thank heavens not this January) made the mistake of bragging about it in a biker bar. Happy endings all around.
Thanks for all this information Nightmist. I have a couple of things to do before I do another bed quilt - and they could take some time; but I do think I might try a wool one, so I'm grateful for all the info. and opinions I can get. I have a felted wool jacket, and I really like the effect (though of course it wouldn't be visible as a batting! - would feel good though, very sturdy).
I have used silk batting and found it better than cotton, and not nearly as warm as polyester. I used it in one of my sprig/fall quilts (here in NC summers I tend not to use blankets at all). I think if I had used 2 layers, it would have been warm enough for winter use.
Silk was easy to sew through and did not require any type of pre-wash>>> >>>
Thanks for your response. I have ordered a crib size poly and a crib size silk so I can compare. Going to stay away from wool only because of all the allergies in my family. KT.
Howdy! Hobbs Heirloom. I've just inherited a small quilt project from a friend who used Warm&Nat, it's already pinned so I'm leaving it as is, adding some borders. It's fairly easy to handquilt. And is plenty warm, on a below-freezing afternoon in north Texas. Warm & Natural has a long reputation for warmth. But I prefer Hobbs Heirloom.
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Just because a batting pkg sez "can be quilted 8 (or 10) inches apart" does NOT mean that it should be. Quilting it more closely helps to make that quilt warmer. Also keeps the quilt together longer, maintains its "integrity." There's a reason for some quilting traditions, like good quilting. Less is... well, less. Good luck! Ragmop/Sandy
I'm curious about the quilting closer makes it warmer idea. Thinking of in sulation in a house you want a thick layer to trap air and hold in warmth- and the insulation is some kind of thick fluffy material for the desired de ad air space. Then I think compressed would be compacted tighter and hold warmth in- trapped under an impermeable (correct word and spelling???) lay er. Am I confused or can the argument really go either way?
(I'm thinking NightMist will come up with the correct answer. VBG)
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. where we are getting very tempting little bit s of spring... just before another cold spell hits next week
Really close quilting (like 1/4" apart) will compress the batting enough, I think, to reduce the insulating effect. But good insulation traps air so that it can't move. Perhaps if quilting is too widely space, the air can move around too much inside the quilt. On the other hand, down comforters and feather beds are quilted minimally, if at all, and they are very warm.
Julia > I'm curious about the quilting closer makes it warmer idea. Thinking
Here's the thing though... If you have had a down comforter for some years, you know you have to take it out and beat it up now and again to keep the down fluffy and spread out evenly. You also know that feathers keep popping out here and there and now and again. There is no help for it with a down comforter, because you really cannot use closer lines of stitching on them. They are made in channels or pockets and filled. Trying to quilt over feathers tends to make a real mess and you get quill bits stabbing out. We could talk about poor Aunt Miriam's chicken feather bed here, but that would be best avoided! (G)
With batting you can fix the clumping problem and reduce bearding (the poking out) by quilting more closely. Stabilizing the batting is key in making a quilt that will be warm for years to come. The closer you quilt the more stable the batting. I'm certain there is such a thing as too close, but that would be a real chore to pull off. I am sure you have seen older tied quilts, with no actual quilting, that have lumps and bumps and empty places. You can fix that, but it is a pain in the asterisk. Lumpy, bumpy, bunchy quilts are not warm quilts. Even if the batting says you can use widely spaced quilting, eventually it will bunch up. Quilts are not stationary objects unless they are wall hangers, and even then there is gravity. They are pushed, pulled, flopped about, and spun round and round, and that is not even counting children's quilts. All these mechanical stresses will move the batting around between the quilting. If it only has a little space to move in it will take less damage than if it has a large space. It is as simple as that. Batting is just fibers stuck together, either in a tangle or with a resin or other such "glue" either throughout or just on either side. Move it around regularly and it will begin to pull apart. Quilting doesn't just hold all three layers together, it inhibits the movement of the batting layer so it does not go to pieces as quickly, and if you use close quilting, it keeps it contained in small areas so it does not ball up when it does come apart. IME quilts with standard batting that are closely quilted will wear out the fabric on the top and bottom well before the batting bunches. If you are making an object d'art, or a quilt that you do not plan on being long lived it doesn't matter so much how close the quilting is. However if you are making a quilt that is destined to be used to bits then closer quilting is better.
The batting itself is of course a factor in how close is close enough. If you are using fleece fabric, you can probably get away with 6-8 inches (1). If you are using thermore or other such fabric intended for interior linings and the like, I would go no more than half that(2). On standard battings I consider an inch or two the maximum I will space my quilting. That spinners batt I mentioned in a previous post I quilted at about quarter inch intervals. Even though I beat the heck out of it trying to felt it and still had it sandwiched in gauze.
I think that the air between the layers is sufficient to insulate. If you look at some of the warmest clothing (not including down or an imitation thereof) very little of it is poofy. Heck, look at space blankets, non-woven, and thin, yet warm It is about keeping your body heat rather than letting it escape away into the cold. Perfect is keeping enough to stay comfortable, while letting just enough get away that you do not turn into a sweatball.
NightMist
(1) I have only done a batting with fleece once, and I quilted it about 3 inches apart. I felt weird doing it too, though even farther apart might have been better. It was minkee-fleece-minkee. My grandson will not stay in bed but he loooves minkee! So now he rolls up in that and stays warm on the floor. Yeah DD gets up and puts him back in bed several times a night, once in a while he stays there. Hope this phase is over soon.
(2) I have never quilted thermore or equivalent that far apart, I only use it on garments and on those I tend to be rather exuberant with my quilting. Scrolls and flourishes and all manor of fuss and fancy, done rather small and close.
On Sat, 22 Feb 2014 08:20:21 -0600, Julia in MN wrote:
seems the answers to so many questions lately is 'it depends'. Taria
Really close quilting (like 1/4" apart) will compress the batting enough, I think, to reduce the insulating effect. But good insulation traps air so that it can't move. Perhaps if quilting is too widely space, the air can move around too much inside the quilt. On the other hand, down comforters and feather beds are quilted minimally, if at all, and they are very warm.
Julia > I'm curious about the quilting closer makes it warmer idea. Thinking
Thank you, NightMist! Your email is a keeper and so full of good info. At first I was reluctant to post my question, but based on sooooo many responses, I guess I'm not the only one who was looking for good information. You and others have done a great job in responding!
I agree with what you said about batting, and thank you for all the information. That being said-------I found out a long time ago that I can still tie quilts IF I use 6" blocks (or less AND my quilts ARE simple block quilts) and use an older, well washed, light colored blanket for a batting. Some are 20 years old and still going strong and look pretty good. I use crochet thread and double knot tie the quilts. Barbara, was in SC, now in FL
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