QUILTING FOUNDATIONS - Part 1 of 2

Whether it’s a house you’re building or a quilting project, the foundation HAS to be right! Did you know that quilting and quilt batting has been around for centuries? Some of the earliest known quilts have been traced back to the Crusade days! Some experts even believe the Egyptians dabbled in quilting. 

Even though it’s been around a long time, when it comes to quilt batting, this is perhaps the most overlooked, yet most important hidden element of any quilt. Questions that arise when it comes to quilting and batting include:

• Do I use cotton, polyester or?

• How do I know which side of the batting is the “right” side?

• How much fabric do I need?

• Do I prewash or not?

• What do these terms mean: bearded, bonded, drape, loft...?

This month’s blog is part 1 of 2 as we look at the importance of batting and quilting. Let’s dive in!

BATTING TYPES

The foundation of your quilt is the batting - not the baseball kind. This is where your quilt stitches will be laid, providing dimension to the stitching. Batting provides the fluffy element to the quilt. The five main types of material used are polyester, cotton, silk, wool, and bamboo.

POLYESTER has a higher loft than cotton does, adding more dimension to the finished product. This fiber is lightweight, is manmade, and will retain its shape better than most. You can also wash polyester more times than cotton or wool. Your quilting patterns will hold up better and stand out more, making polyester a big favorite among quilting circles. 

COTTON is probably the main “go to” fabric in this list. It is made from natural fiber, will age well, is breathable, and is a great choice for heirloom quilts. 

Although cotton batting will wash well, keep in mind that it does have a tendency to clump. We recommend washing cotton on the gentle cycle, and either hung to dry or dried on a low setting. 

SILK is also a natural fiber, breathes well, and has a lower loft than polyester and other fabrics. Many quilting enthusiasts prefer silk as it has a good drape and is overall much lighter in weight than most. For summer projects, silk tends to be a huge favorite along with cotton. One thing to remember is that if you prewash silk, the finished project will not shrink. If you forget this step you may not like the outcome.

WOOL is also made from natural fibers, and is a cool-weather favorite. Wool is not only a great choice for quilts, but is also used for wall hangings and other art projects. Remember that wool does not wash well. If you do wash it it will shrink and clump up. 

BAMBOO is especially a great choice for summer. It is lightweight, thin and strong! It is also mold and mildew resistant. While bamboo batting can be more costly, this material will outlast most any other types of batting. 

USING THE CORRECT SIDE OF THE BATTING

Lastly, it is important to realize that all batting has a right and wrong side to use. If you’re using a needle-punched batting you will notice small pin holes in the surface. Your machine needle needs to go in the same direction as the needles did that punched those holes. The wrong side of the batting is where you’ll see little fabric balls. If the pin holes are hard to see (as is the case in some batting types) you can try sliding a needle through from each side, and usually the “right” side is the one that allows the needle to pass through more easily.

GET IT RIGHT - GET IT FROM MARSHALLS

Marshall Dry Goods carries one of the largest amounts of fabric in inventory in the United States, including all types of backing. We have several million yards of material available for you to choose from. That means you can definitely find exactly the right fabric you’re looking for! Aside from our Classic Product Line, we carry 35 other popular brands of fabrics as well, in order to make sure you have the best options available to you. 

We make it simple so that you can order your chosen fabric from anywhere in the world, right from our website. Shop our fabrics online to get inspiration for your next project!