Best batting for baby quilt - polyester or cotton

I would suggest the cotton batt over the polyester. I like the softness of the cotton, to me it's just more people and baby friendly.

Ooh, a religious issue! My own preference is always natural fiber. Cotton breathes, it shrinks up and makes a lovely textured surface, drapes well, and it's a lot easier to machine quilt, if that's your plan. Assuming your fabrics are also cotton, why not stick with a good thing? And there's the fire safety issue, not that your friend will ever suffer a fire. Polyester melts and sticks, cotton needs a much higher temperature before it will burn. Sounds like a really pretty quilt! Roberta in D

"Tutu Haynes-Smart" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net...

I would go for a cotton. You are always advised as a parent to use natural fibres for bedding and clothing as much as possible as it helps stop the baby becoming overheated. Morag

Tutu, I'd go with the cotton. Poly is nice, but it doesn't breathe the way cotton does, so it's not as nice when you're underneath it. Besides, cotton is, I believe, a bit warmer.

Thanks for all the input so far.

My initial instinct was to go for cotton. I loathe poly, so why (despite my kidphobia) should a baby have to put up with it.

Also as all my fabric is cotton, if I use cotton then it could get forgotten in the tumble dryer without major damage. But lots of sites say that poly is fun and puffy for kids.

I'm tending more and more to cotton - are there ANY downsides??

yes, a quilt with cotton batting can be a bit stiffer than one with poly batting and initially not feel as soft, to get round this, my suggestion would be to choose a cotton batting that allows a large space between lines of quilting and not quilt it densely, it will soften up with use and washing.

Cheers Anne

Sounds lovely. I'm in the middle of baby quilts too (unfortunately also for other people's grandchildren!) and I've used cotton batting. I chose it:

1. Because can be well washed at whatever temperature the Mum chooses (though I do put a 'Care label' on saying the quilt has already been washed at 40degrees, delicate wash with a Silk/Wool detergent. 2. If she decides to give it a good ironing it will survive!
2. Nice natural charateristics - I like to sleep under unmanmade bedding.
3. I like using it - don't enjoy quilting poly!

I don't think temperature would be an issue - houses are centrally heated anyway, and the days of frosting on the inside are long gone, thank goodness.

I think the worst downside is that a quilt with cotton batting weighs more than one with poly. But that is relatively minor. Also, don't forget that in case of fire (which we all hope doesn't happen, of course), poly *melts* and can cause worse damage to the human body than cotton, which burns cleanly.

I had a request from my son for a puffy quilt, suitable fo putting on the floor. Soooo, my thought was to make a poly quilt, it is really puffy and very cool. I am also going to make a cotton batting quilt for a blanket. I am also going to make a smaller "blankie" that will just fit over the baby when being held. Then, I have been thinking of making.....LOL

Love the idea of a grandbaby to make things for.

Howdy!

Has this been your experience, Anne?

I'm thinking of the quilts I love to cuddle, how they turn out soft w/ the cotton blend, quilted w/in 2" all over. I've never known of a cotton batt that yields a "stiff" quilt, but perhaps it's the wonderful 80/20 blend that solves that problem. Loose quilting often leads to a shifting batt, more wear on the quilt top & back. At least that's what I've noted in 30+ yrs of quilting, and seen in many of the older quilts I've repaired. (I do not believe the pkgs that say may be quilted 6" or 8" apart; sparse quilting doesn't usually yield long-lasting good results.) Good quality products make a big difference in the outcome. Tutu, you got that thing quilted yet? ;-P

R/Sandy

I've only got one quilt with polyester batting inside, it definitely started out softer than any with I've handled with cotton inside. My daughter was given a baby quilt and whilst it wasn't unpleasantly stiff it was definitely stiffer and less soft than either the aforementioned one, or any other bedding she was used to, it's only taken a couple of washes to soften it as well as a lot of use! I've just basted a quilt with a cotton wool blend and that does feel softer, the packet says 3 inches as the quilting distance, which is a non issue as I like to quilt fairly densely, I'm yet to start quilting it though, so I don't know how it will feel when done.

Cheers Anne

For those who are interested - consensus is cotton in 99% of cases (with the exception of Ragmop who is 80/20!).

So that's what I shall use. And if the grandmother/mother/baby complain I shall ask them to direct their problems to you.

Thankyou everyone!!

Tutu, I must admit that, when I said "cotton", I was thinking of the Hobbs 80/20, which is what I use 99% of the time. Oops! I should have been more specific.

Hi, use the cotton batting instead of the poly. Polyester is plastic and will melt and stick to skin if it catches on fire.

Denise

Yes, drying it in the UK climate if you don't have a tumble dryer. Poly batting holds very little water so you are only trying to dry the "skin" of the quilt.

It always makes me laugh when the advice for quilts is to wash them, only spin minimally and then lay outside covered with a sheet to dry. No way would that have worked over here this summer!

Lizzy in grey, damp Lancashire, UK