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Quilting Forum - All about quilts and other quilted items.
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Posted by on November 2, 2006, 9:58 am
I just added up what I've spent to complete a throw-sized quilt and I
am horrified.
I do this every time I finish one. I work so hard on the top, trying to
get it right (I am a beginner)....that when it comes to buying backing,
batting, even hand-quilting thread, I go out and buy the absolute best
quality I can find, because I figure I have so much work invested in
the top, I don't want to ruin it by buying batting that will shift, or
a backing that will wear out fast or not hang nice.
I buy everything at a quilt shop. But what would happen if I just
bought lower-priced things at Wal Mart or Hobby Lobby or such? Can you
*really* tell that much of a difference?
Other question, off original topic: Do any of you ever use Heirloom
Wool batting? I looked at some yesterday, it felt so nice I was really
tempted (but there I go again, it was expensive!) Does it wash okay?
Does it work well for hand quilting?
TIA
Sherry in OK
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Posted by Hanne Gottliebsen on November 2, 2006, 10:12 am
Sherry,
Do you have a Joann's nearby? I used to get all my batting there (I am
no longer in the US, therefore "used to").
Sometimes they have 50% on all batting, or you can use a coupon. They do
sell a variety of batting, personally I have always machine quilted and
tend to just stick to Warm and Natural or Warm and White - bought from
the bolt very wide in 10 or 15 yard pieces (but only on sale or with a
coupon!). They also have some prepackaged stuff.
I'd hate to have the back not behave nicely (maybe over time). Often I
use leftovers from the top on the back (planned leftovers?), and for
quilting I like to know that I can do what I want to do with the
batting. So I don't experiment much on that either.
Hmm, not sure that was much help, except you could try to find what you
like to use cheaper than at LQS. My LQS in the US didn't do that much on
batting, I think they realised they couldn't easily compete on brand
name stuff available elsewhere also. But even though you can get some
reasonable fabric in Walmart (and I use their kiddies panels all the
time) in my mind it is just not quite the same as LQS quality.
Hanne in London
sriddles@aol.com wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> I just added up what I've spent to complete a throw-sized quilt and I
> am horrified.
>
> I do this every time I finish one. I work so hard on the top, trying to
> get it right (I am a beginner)....that when it comes to buying backing,
> batting, even hand-quilting thread, I go out and buy the absolute best
> quality I can find, because I figure I have so much work invested in
> the top, I don't want to ruin it by buying batting that will shift, or
> a backing that will wear out fast or not hang nice.
>
> I buy everything at a quilt shop. But what would happen if I just
> bought lower-priced things at Wal Mart or Hobby Lobby or such? Can you
> *really* tell that much of a difference?
>
> Other question, off original topic: Do any of you ever use Heirloom
> Wool batting? I looked at some yesterday, it felt so nice I was really
> tempted (but there I go again, it was expensive!) Does it wash okay?
> Does it work well for hand quilting?
>
> TIA
> Sherry in OK
>
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Posted by Georg on November 2, 2006, 10:46 am
sriddles@aol.com wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> I just added up what I've spent to complete a throw-sized quilt and I
> am horrified.
>
> I do this every time I finish one. I work so hard on the top, trying to
> get it right (I am a beginner)....that when it comes to buying backing,
> batting, even hand-quilting thread, I go out and buy the absolute best
> quality I can find, because I figure I have so much work invested in
> the top, I don't want to ruin it by buying batting that will shift, or
> a backing that will wear out fast or not hang nice.
>
> I buy everything at a quilt shop. But what would happen if I just
> bought lower-priced things at Wal Mart or Hobby Lobby or such? Can you
> *really* tell that much of a difference?
Depends on the quality of the stuff at Wally World et al. Some of their
fabrics are loosely woven and some are dye-runny. Sometimes it doesn't
matter.
show/hide quoted text
> Other question, off original topic: Do any of you ever use Heirloom
> Wool batting? I looked at some yesterday, it felt so nice I was really
> tempted (but there I go again, it was expensive!) Does it wash okay?
> Does it work well for hand quilting?
I have used wool batting and it's a positive dream to hand quilt- but
this was Matilda's Own and not Heirloom Wool. My finished quilt was very
washable (thank goodness because I spilled Diet Coke all over it!). The
directions recommended dry cleaning, but I washed it in the washer
anyway. But then, I very heavily quilted it.
-georg
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Posted by Patti on November 2, 2006, 10:48 am
Sometimes, Sherry, (perhaps mostly?) this is a sum it is not wise to do.
Most 'hobbies' or ways of life, away from day to day work, are expensive
- take golf, for example, or horse-riding! Keeping pets is expensive.
A lot of the things we love are expensive. But, cost is not everything.
When I was running my own garden design business, I used to charge flat
rates, based on size of garden. Well, those figures were based on very
little - certainly nothing scientific - more on what I thought someone
would be prepared to pay! With the result that, quite often, *if* I
calculated afterwards, I would find I had been working for about 30p
(50c). As I was lucky enough not to have to make a living on this, it
didn't matter; but I was far happier doing that than I had been in any
job for years.
So, how do we price 'happiness'?
.
sriddles@aol.com writes
show/hide quoted text
>I just added up what I've spent to complete a throw-sized quilt and I
>am horrified.
>I do this every time I finish one. I work so hard on the top, trying to
>get it right (I am a beginner)....that when it comes to buying backing,
>batting, even hand-quilting thread, I go out and buy the absolute best
>quality I can find, because I figure I have so much work invested in
>the top, I don't want to ruin it by buying batting that will shift, or
>a backing that will wear out fast or not hang nice.
>I buy everything at a quilt shop. But what would happen if I just
>bought lower-priced things at Wal Mart or Hobby Lobby or such? Can you
>*really* tell that much of a difference?
>Other question, off original topic: Do any of you ever use Heirloom
>Wool batting? I looked at some yesterday, it felt so nice I was really
>tempted (but there I go again, it was expensive!) Does it wash okay?
>Does it work well for hand quilting?
>TIA
>Sherry in OK
--
Best Regards
pat on the hill
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Posted by Idahoqltr on November 2, 2006, 11:22 am
I also use batting from Joann's bought with a coupon. I am starting to
piece my backings using big scraps; there are lots of great ideas for
that. I also use John Flynn's method of piecing a backing when I am
just a little short on piceing the backing from one fabric the
traditional way. It works great. I often pay to have my quilts done
on a long-arm now, and I justify that by comparing the cost to buying
my own machine and practicing enough to be that good.
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> am horrified.
>
> I do this every time I finish one. I work so hard on the top, trying to
> get it right (I am a beginner)....that when it comes to buying backing,
> batting, even hand-quilting thread, I go out and buy the absolute best
> quality I can find, because I figure I have so much work invested in
> the top, I don't want to ruin it by buying batting that will shift, or
> a backing that will wear out fast or not hang nice.
>
> I buy everything at a quilt shop. But what would happen if I just
> bought lower-priced things at Wal Mart or Hobby Lobby or such? Can you
> *really* tell that much of a difference?
>
> Other question, off original topic: Do any of you ever use Heirloom
> Wool batting? I looked at some yesterday, it felt so nice I was really
> tempted (but there I go again, it was expensive!) Does it wash okay?
> Does it work well for hand quilting?
>
> TIA
> Sherry in OK
>