So you want to make a Quilt Part 5
The Fluff & Back Crust for the Sandwich
Batting and Backing

The Batting:
OK we have chosen a Pattern, we have Fabric in the Type & Color that we want for our project and we have the Thread to hold it all together. In all most every instance we’re now going to make a sandwich with our Top-using the pattern, the middle with Batting, and the back with a Backing fabric.
Lets start in the middle. Batting-Padding-Wadding, as it is know as, gives a Quilt bulk-thickness, adds warmth, and can help in adding to the final appearance of the Quilt top. Batting comes in a range of natural fibers, cotton, wool, bamboo- or synthetics and man-made fabric.
Cotton- Like most things cotton you can’t go wrong in using it. It does have some drawbacks in it’s pure form, it is made by needle-punched process which makes it a dense fabric and harder to hand quilt, and it tends to be a little more expensive, but it does give a long lasting/excellent finished product.
Cotton/Polyester- This combines some of the best of both worlds, it provides more loft than cotton and is easier to hand quilt, and is more breathable than polyester.
Polyester- Provides the most loft, puffier,  and comes in a variety of weights and lofts. It is non-allergenic and is lighter and easy to hand quilt.
Wool- If you want to create a quilt that keeps you warm without over heating you, wool is your batting of choice. It tends to be pricier than cotton or polyester and you need to preshrink it before you use it, and being a compressed fiber mat can be a little harder to hand quilt.
Alpaca- Is a pricier alternative to wool. It is lighter and offers the same advantages, but has to be cleaned very carefully or it can get ruined.
Silk- Being lightweight and thin if is often used in quilted garments because it insulates like down. Like alpaca it does take some careful handling.
Bamboo- The new kid on the block, it offers a compressed mat that works up easy and in a 50/50 cotton blend gives you excellent breathability/wicking properties and bamboo is naturally anti-micro-bile. Its new, so that you can’t find it everywhere, and it is pricey, but as it’s popularity grows that will most likely change for the better.
Choosing the right batting for your quilt project depends a lot on the type and use that you are creating the quilt for, and again use the best you can afford, check out on line for what’s out there and what it costs so that you’ll know what your getting if you buy it at your local shop.

The Backing:
Now we have an area that your own preferences play a big part in your choice of fabric. If you are doing a small wall hanging or a crib quilt it is not to hard to find a piece of fabric to make it from. If you have created a bed quilt you may have trouble finding or will have to pay a larger price to get what you need in one piece. The experts say never use a sheet to back your quilt with, but what do they know!(an old, much washed  one. NOT brand new.) Seriously if it works and you like the final results do it! Some people make almost another top out of the back- if thats the look you want fine. If you need to you can piece together fabric to make your quilt back- even for something this simple you can find dozens of “best ways”. In the long run do what works best for you and gives you the final creation your looking for. As I have said before have fun, be creative – to me that’s what Quilting is all about.

Next time The Boarder

Return to: Home Page

                      

Tags: Alpaca Batting, Bamboo Batting, Choosing Quilt Backing Fabric, Choosing Quilt Batting, Cotton Batting, Poylester Batting, Quilt Backing Fabric, Quilt Batting, Silk Batting, Wool Batting