Now that one of the teens has resumed school for her final year after a 2 1/2 month Summer break, I have quickly come to realize that late nights and early mornings do NOT mix. Only a little sewing has taken place so far this week:
A lot of unproductive time filled with distractions (as well as two days of 40C ~ ugh!). As you can see I have unrolled my Sherbet Pips Jelly Roll (first time Jelly Roll user here folks ~ and also discovered that they're a little messy) and have stitched up a really simple quilt top and basted it.
I am a long time fan of 100% cotton batting because it is a natural fiber with a low loft (height) which makes it easier to work with, and has great stability. Cotton batting makes for a thin quilt with less bulk and a beautiful drape ~ and that's just how I like my quilts to look.
However, I am really keen to give this new Cotton/Wool blend product a try! The Cotton/Wool blend batting is slightly more lofty than the 100% Cotton batting but I don't think it will make a noticeable difference in the quilt. This batting is all natural, great for allergies, cool in Summer, warm in Winter and machine washable.
Although polyester batting has many fine qualities (lightweight, cheap, easy to wash, quick to dry) I avoid it, preferring an all natural product over synthetic. All bats are suitable for machine quilting, the product you use is a personal decision and one that very much affects the look of the finished quilt.
Preparing batting for use:
I have previously written about preparing/washing batting ~ see here.
Although the manufacturer's instructions indicate that batting does not shrink noticeably I do wash the batting with a no-rinse cleaning product called SOAK before use. It takes at least 4 hours for the water to be absorbed into the closely compacted fibers (I often leave it to soak overnight). I then drain the water and spin it in the washing machine at high speed to extract water. I either line dry the batting or if pushed for time, I will dry it in the dryer. As I use an all natural batting product I remove wrinkles and creases (if any) with a dry iron.
I have not had any problems subjecting this brand of batting to this rigorous procedure.
Ready to start quilting ...
Rita
Although polyester batting has many fine qualities (lightweight, cheap, easy to wash, quick to dry) I avoid it, preferring an all natural product over synthetic. All bats are suitable for machine quilting, the product you use is a personal decision and one that very much affects the look of the finished quilt.
Preparing batting for use:
I have previously written about preparing/washing batting ~ see here.
Although the manufacturer's instructions indicate that batting does not shrink noticeably I do wash the batting with a no-rinse cleaning product called SOAK before use. It takes at least 4 hours for the water to be absorbed into the closely compacted fibers (I often leave it to soak overnight). I then drain the water and spin it in the washing machine at high speed to extract water. I either line dry the batting or if pushed for time, I will dry it in the dryer. As I use an all natural batting product I remove wrinkles and creases (if any) with a dry iron.
I have not had any problems subjecting this brand of batting to this rigorous procedure.
Ready to start quilting ...
Rita
