Batting question

LisaAnne, a good cotton batt is always nice for babies. It will work nicely for machine quilting, since cotton fabric and cotton batting cling to each other instead of slithering, as poly has a tendency to do. Even nicer, though, is a poly-cotton blend, such as the Hobbs 80/20 batt. The cotton is a natural fiber and washes and dries quite well, and the poly makes it a tiny bit puffier and easier to handle. Of course, most cotton (or poly-cotton blend) batts must be quilted at least every

BTW, that bit about invisible thread being bad for baby quilts is no longer true, if it ever was (it may have been, but I just don't know). Today's invisible threads are just as fine as cotton, and they break just as easily. There's no more chance of baby's little fingers and toes being caught and pinched off with invisible thread than there is with cotton thread. Just do a breakage test for yourself and you'll see what I mean. :)

I had heard that the invisible thread could get wrapped around a baby's fingers and toes and *you couldn't see it*- which was supposed to be the objection more than the breakage strength. I dunno, but better safe than sorry would be my thought.

I buy Warm & Natural or Warm & White batting by the bolt. It's 100% cotton and only needs to be quilted every 10-12 inches (but I would not space my quilting lines quite that far apart). Also, cotton fabric sticks to it nicely, so getting pleats on the back is a lesser risk. (It's all I use except for the extra thickness needed for trapunto and then I use a high loft poly batting for the extra layer.)

Good luck! Lotsa choices and lotsa opinions! VBG

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

LisaAnne, you certainly can do some quilting on the center panel without disturbing the appearance of the panel. Simply pin it lots (about every 4" in all directions, a good measure is 'so that you can't put your hand down on it without a pin being in the way') ...and wander around and outline the good stuff in the panel with machine stitching. This makes the ducks, trucks or whatever puff up a bit more and it holds your batting in place better. We are so proud that you're going to try this one more time. You can do it and we're here to help and cheer. Polly

Personally, I wouldn't use invisible thread in a baby quilt - I just don't like it and I ask our volunteers not to use it. We very seldom, if ever, get quilts (at least in our chapter) quilted with invisible thread. If we did, I would make an individual decision about that particular quilt depending on how well it was quilted - i.e., no big loose loopy stitches. Project Linus doesn't really have a rule about it that I'm aware of. Our main rule is no toe catchers - no great big stitches that toes or fingers can get caught in. Sandy says invisible thread will break just like cotton, but I'm not sure it would break for a baby - it might if an adult was pulling on it. You can see the cotton thread if wrapped around little fingers and toes - you wouldn't be able to see the invisible thread quickly enough it if was causing problems. We sometimes get fleece blankets with blanket stitching with huge stitches - we have to cut all of that off.

One of our 'rules' that I should put on my chapter website is: Don't cut slits in polar fleece, or crochet or knit slits around an afghan, and then lace ribbon or yarn, etc., through those slits going all the way around the blanket. We got an email from our national office about a message they had gotten telling about a baby that had pulled up the ribbon and then got it wrapped around his neck. That's a definite no-no! Yes, it looks great, but . . . . The same problem would arise if someone laced ribbon through an eyelet lace.

Some people think we're too strict with our rules! (I overheard someone saying that one day.) :-) We just don't want to do harm to a child who is already in distress.

Donna in (SW) Idaho Project Coordinator for Boise/SW Idaho/E Oregon

The Warm company has a new batting that should be available.... called Warm and Safe. It is made from farmed trees and is processed in a "green" plant. (Supposedly the water emitted from the plant is cleaner than the water brought in for the processing.) This is a pretty nice feeling batting and is designed for baby quilts and such. I haven't used it, but have felt it.

Pati, > I'm fond of making quilt tops -- but, I have never finished a quilt. Oh, I

Does is shrink after washing or is it already preshrunk?

I don't recall our son ever managing to wrap anything tightly around his fingers or toes, but our daughter seems to do if fairly often, whatever it is I don't recall ever spotting it before the finger has gone red and it's the red finger that tells you there is something wrapped around it and at that point it doesn't matter whether you can see it or not. With DD it tends to be her hair and some of that is fairly invisible, but we've never had a problem getting it off.

Cheers Anne

When I use ribbon woven into eyelet or other lace on baby things, I ALWAYS stitch the ribbon down. It hadn't entered my mind that it could pose a danger - but it does become a nuisance if it draws up, gathers, or twists so I always stitch it down on both edges of the ribbon. Thank you, Donna. I'll be even more serious with it now. And, thank you for mentioning huge blanket stitches. IMHO, smaller stitches are more appropriate to tiny things and there won't be anything loopy here . . . but me, of course. Polly

Ohhh, good idea!

Thanks... one day I will post pics of my UFO's, and maybe even turn them into real quilts ;-)

Well, the baby the sailboat quilt was for is nearing ten, so the thread really was hard to see and tough to break on purpose. It is most likely changed now.

I have the Harriet Hargrave book, and the cotton batting to go with it. She likes a really antique look, with LOTS of stitches.

The only hint I've used so far is the prohibition on pre-washing.

Thanks a lot for the link! I love the URL, too. Interestingly, she used monofilament in all her quilts! Since I will be setting up a sewing room as soon as I move DS (he wants the downstairs, and his guitar playing necessitates it!) I can really use all the hints Paula gave.

I LOVE Warm and Natural Batting.......your quilting can be 8" to 10" apart. It is cotton and washes beautifully. All cotton can keep a child from overheating if it slept under.

Happy quilting,

Lenore

LisaAnne, I'm with Leslie in that I've only used Warm &Natural/White. Someone else mentioned the Warm & Safe. As the wife of a firefighter and EMT please consider using 100% batting in your (especially) baby quilts. Cotton fibers burn, poly fibers melt. The fibers then melt into the skin (on anyone) versus cotton which does not. Good luck and enjoy!

Kim in NJ