I deliberated about batting. Cotton? Poly? I love the cotton batting I've been using but, honestly, it doesn't seem very warm. Or cuddly. So I decided on poly. I had some in the closet, pulled it out, cut it, and realized that it was way too thick. If I'd used it, the quilt would have been a mat instead of a cuddly cover. Besides that, polyester seems like it could be dangerous because it melts. My daughter and her husband use a wood stove to heat their small home. Let my imagination turn aside and go no further down that road. . . .
So I headed to the store and ended up with a bat that is 80% cotton and 20% polyester. While I don't like the feel of it on my hands, I know it will be completely encased in fabric. It seems cuddly and warm. I'll write more about the brand and how it quilts in a later post.
I'm linking this post to WOW (WiPs on Wednesday) at Esther's Blog and to W.i.P. Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. Thanks, Esther and Lee.
I'm also linking this to A Lovely Year of Finishes at Fiber of All Sorts. My original post claiming this as my goal for the month was posted on November 1.
--Nancy.
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What an adorable baby quilt Nancy! I just finished up two baby quilts - aren't they fun??? Well, not as fun as the babies, but close LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteVery sweet quilt! Love the applique flowers on the border. Perfect touch!
ReplyDeleteOh, how lovely! The flowers make it just perfect! It's obvious that your grand baby will be loved.
ReplyDeleteThis turned out great, Nancy! It has a vintage-y little girl feel about it. I'm sure she'll love to snuggle under this.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty quilt! I love the deep border with the applique!
ReplyDeleteLOVE LOVE the quilt! That's one lucky grandbaby of yours ~ she's going to love it even more than I do!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful quilt. Lucky girl. Thank you for sharing your handiwork with the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteI go back and forth between poly and poly/cotton and cotton, too. Hate the shrinkage of the cotton, so I tend to go with the needle punched thin poly batt.
ReplyDeleteThat quilt is exquisite. What a treasure. I always think babies should have smaller quilts, so that size should be perfect. Lovely!
Elizabeth
opquilt
Hi Nancy, I usually use Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 - yes it's thin, but I find it's snuggly and drapes softly, makes cuddly baby quilts. I cut the wadding a little larger than I need, fold it so that it will fit in the kitchen sink, and then give it a soak in warm water. I squeeze out the excess water (don't twist) and then put it into the spin cycle on the washer. Once it's out I put it over the bannister to support it until it's dry. I haven't had a wrinkly quilt since - unless I wanted one! I love the quilt top for the baby. Elaine
ReplyDeleteThank you for the detailed information about preparing the batting, Elaine. I'll try the Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 on an upcoming quilt and try the soak/rinse/dry process for it. I don't mind the shrinking of quilts with cotton batting -- unless it shrinks smaller than the size I wanted! Thank you, too, for your kind words about the quilt. I appreciate them.
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