batting

>I am starting my first quilts and loving it. Quilts, plural, because I
> have
> twins who will be off to college in the fall. I'm planning and have
> started
> making crazy quilt blocks in each girl's favorite color cotton print
> fabrics. I
> will then have solid dark hopefully a velvet block alternating with the
> crazy
> blocks. The big question I have is about the batting. I have never
> quilted and
> will be using my sewing machine which is very basic (I can buy some
> quilting
> attachments like a walking foot). I want the quilts to be very warm.
> Realistically they have to be machine wash and dryable. So. All factors
> considered it looks like a polyester batt fits the bill, but I don't like
> the
> idea of the fabric deteriorating over time and not being breathable. So
> maybe a
> wool? I found the Quilter' Dream company makes a Dream Puff that sounds
> pretty
> good for my needs. They also make a Dream Wool they claim is machine wash
> and
> dryable? That is amazing. Does anyone know these batts? Do they beard?
> Can
> you really wash and dry the wool in the machine? What would you recommend
> to a
> novice quilter? Your advice will be very much appreciated!
> -------------------------------------
> Karin
> ##-----------------------------------------------##
> Delivered via http://www.sewgirls.com/
> Sewing Community of the Net
> Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup -
> rec.crafts.textiles.quilting - 121310 messages and counting!
> ##-----------------------------------------------##

> Welcome, Karin, to the wonderful word of quilting!
> First, is there a washable velvet you can use in these quilts? (I'm not
> knowledgeable in velvets!) If you do find one, you should know that it's
> not the easiest fabric to work with- you'll need to be careful to get the
> nap in each block facing the same direction. Also, the depth of the nap
> can make the velvet shift a bit as you sew it- a walking foot would
> probably be a good idea for the piecing. A lovely black cotton solid or
> mottled black cotton or tone-on-tone black cotton or a tiny print in the
> theme color on black cotton might be a better choice.
> Second, you didn't say if you will machine or hand quilt these quilts.
> Crazy quilts- generally- are quite bulky with all the seams and
> decorations, etc. on them. They are most often tacked or tied rather than
> quilted. Just something to consider- the bulk may cause you some
> 'situations' in your piecing, quilting and binding.
> Polyester batts used to be the worst for bearding- but I haven't used poly
> in ages and ages and they are probably improved from way back then. I
> love Warm & Natural or Warm & White. Both are 100% cotton and drape and
> handle and wash beautifully. I prefer to pre-wash and machine dry my
> cotton battings- I am not a big fan of the antique 'crinkled' look in my
> quilts. The 100% cotton battings also have the advantage of 'sticking' to
> the quilt top and backing. They aren't sticky but you can smooth the top
> and backing and it will cling to the cotton batting which makes the
> quilting/tying much easier. Some don't care for the Warm & White/Natural
> because it's a bit harder to hand quilt thru them. I am strictly all
> machine work and I buy the Warm & Natural by the 40 yard bolt when Joann
> Fabrics has a half price sale or coupon.
> Hope I answered some of your questions- and welcome again to both the
> wonderful world of quilting and the newsgroup!
> Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.
>>I am starting my first quilts and loving it. Quilts, plural, because I
>> have
>> twins who will be off to college in the fall. I'm planning and have
>> started
>> making crazy quilt blocks in each girl's favorite color cotton print
>> fabrics. I
>> will then have solid dark hopefully a velvet block alternating with the
>> crazy
>> blocks. The big question I have is about the batting. I have never
>> quilted and
>> will be using my sewing machine which is very basic (I can buy some
>> quilting
>> attachments like a walking foot). I want the quilts to be very warm.
>> Realistically they have to be machine wash and dryable. So. All factors
>> considered it looks like a polyester batt fits the bill, but I don't like
>> the
>> idea of the fabric deteriorating over time and not being breathable. So
>> maybe a
>> wool? I found the Quilter' Dream company makes a Dream Puff that sounds
>> pretty
>> good for my needs. They also make a Dream Wool they claim is machine
>> wash
>> and
>> dryable? That is amazing. Does anyone know these batts? Do they beard?
>> Can
>> you really wash and dry the wool in the machine? What would you
>> recommend
>> to a
>> novice quilter? Your advice will be very much appreciated!
>> -------------------------------------
>> Karin
>> ##-----------------------------------------------##
>> Delivered via http://www.sewgirls.com/
>> Sewing Community of the Net
>> Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup -
>> rec.crafts.textiles.quilting - 121310 messages and counting!
>> ##-----------------------------------------------##
>

> Welcome, Karin, to the wonderful word of quilting!

> First, is there a washable velvet you can use in these quilts? (I'm
> not
> knowledgeable in velvets!) If you do find one, you should know that
> it's
> not the easiest fabric to work with- you'll need to be careful to get
> the
> nap in each block facing the same direction. Also, the depth of the
> nap can
> make the velvet shift a bit as you sew it- a walking foot would
> probably be
> a good idea for the piecing. A lovely black cotton solid or mottled
> black
> cotton or tone-on-tone black cotton or a tiny print in the theme color
> on
> black cotton might be a better choice.

> Second, you didn't say if you will machine or hand quilt these quilts.
> Crazy quilts- generally- are quite bulky with all the seams and
> decorations,
> etc. on them. They are most often tacked or tied rather than quilted.
> Just
> something to consider- the bulk may cause you some 'situations' in your

> piecing, quilting and binding.

> Polyester batts used to be the worst for bearding- but I haven't used
> poly
> in ages and ages and they are probably improved from way back then. I
> love
> Warm & Natural or Warm & White. Both are 100% cotton and drape
> and handle
> and wash beautifully. I prefer to pre-wash and machine dry my cotton
> battings- I am not a big fan of the antique 'crinkled' look in my
> quilts.
> The 100% cotton battings also have the advantage of 'sticking' to the
> quilt
> top and backing. They aren't sticky but you can smooth the top and
> backing
> and it will cling to the cotton batting which makes the quilting/tying
> much
> easier. Some don't care for the Warm & White/Natural because it's
> a bit
> harder to hand quilt thru them. I am strictly all machine work and I
> buy
> the Warm & Natural by the 40 yard bolt when Joann Fabrics has a
> half price
> sale or coupon.

> Hope I answered some of your questions- and welcome again to both the
> wonderful world of quilting and the newsgroup!

> Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

>> -------------------------------------
>> Karin
>> ##-----------------------------------------------##
>> Delivered via http://www.sewgirls.com/
>> Sewing Community of the Net
>> Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup -
>> rec.crafts.textiles.quilting - 121310 messages and counting!
>> ##-----------------------------------------------##

> I am starting my first quilts and loving it. Quilts, plural, because I
> have
> twins who will be off to college in the fall. I'm planning and have
> started
> making crazy quilt blocks in each girl's favorite color cotton print
> fabrics. I
> will then have solid dark hopefully a velvet block alternating with the
> crazy
> blocks. The big question I have is about the batting. I have never
> quilted and
> will be using my sewing machine which is very basic (I can buy some
> quilting
> attachments like a walking foot). I want the quilts to be very warm.
> Realistically they have to be machine wash and dryable. So. All factors
> considered it looks like a polyester batt fits the bill, but I don't like
> the
> idea of the fabric deteriorating over time and not being breathable. So
> maybe a
> wool? I found the Quilter' Dream company makes a Dream Puff that sounds
> pretty
> good for my needs. They also make a Dream Wool they claim is machine wash
> and
> dryable? That is amazing. Does anyone know these batts? Do they beard?
> Can
> you really wash and dry the wool in the machine? What would you recommend
> to a
> novice quilter? Your advice will be very much appreciated!
>
>
> -------------------------------------
> Karin
>
>
>
>
>
> ##-----------------------------------------------##
> Delivered via http://www.sewgirls.com/
> Sewing Community of the Net
> Web and RSS access to your favorite newsgroup -
> rec.crafts.textiles.quilting - 121310 messages and counting!
> ##-----------------------------------------------##