Cotton batting

[Constance G.]

I've been wanting to get batting that give a quilt that old fashioned look...I guess you'd call that lumpy. All the bats that I find on the market are highly processed and flat. I've been thinking about trying wool, but I'd really want a cotton bat. I guess not too many people want batting that doesn't stay perfectly flat, but I'm trying to get a not so perfect look. Is there such a bat on the market that I'm not finding?

[Nancy R.]

Do you want lumpy batting or do you want the puckered look that you get with old quilts? It seems like I hear most people wanting that puckered look so that's why I ask. For the puckered look, you use the flat cotton batting and don't prewash it. Then, when it shrinks, it causes the fabric of the top to pucker a bit. I've heard people say that not pre-washing the fabrics helps, but it seems to me that pre-washing the fabrics will give you more puckering because the fabric is shrunk but the batting isn't so you get a greater change in size between the batting and the fabric.

For lumpy batting, I don't know what to tell you. I haven't run across anything like that myself.

Nancy

[Nancy R.]

For a nice 'plumped up' finish I would recommend wool, which I used on my latest quilt Caught Red Handed - the first one you come to on this page http://forum/friendship-triangle-exc...inese-whispers

[Carolyn M.]

Have you tried Hobbs heirloom premium cotton batting (80%cotton and 20% poly)? I have found it easy to use and it doesn't seem to "beard" like some of the pressed cotton battings. When I first tried it, it reminded me of the old-fashioned battings - it is a thin batting and has a bit of a rough texture. It won't make the quilt really lumpy unless you wash the quilt.

[Carolyn M.]

Thanks for the info! I guess I won't really know if it's the kind of bat I'm looking for until I actually use it. I'm just finishing up a quilt so I'll try a out a bat I haven't used before in it.

[Hannelore N.]

Penny, why don't you treat yourself yo a set of tablemats. You could use different batting in each of them. You could then see how they 'behave' when washed, before embarking on a big project. I'm sure the guys here would send you a small piece of batting so you don't have to buy a large amount. I could send you a piece of Hobbs 80/20 to try if you haven't got that.

[Hannelore N.]

yo = to

Too tired to check for typing errors. I'm off to bed now. It's 01.19 here.

[Rita C.]

Penny I don't think any of the cotton battings or blended battings will give you the puffed-up look you seem to be looking for. The wool batting will. I am just wondering why you don't want to use wool, is it because of allergies? I have used it and it is beautiful to use and if you are quilting by hand it is like slicing through butter. The only other alternative I can think of that gives the puffed up look is polyester batting. It comes in different weights depending on how thick you would want it to be. Hope that helps.

[Rita C.]

I am trying to recreate the look of an old quilt, and the new bats don't give you that look. As far as I can figure out, the old style bats don't exist as who in their right mind would want to work with one? So I may have to give up on that idea and make the quilt I have in mind with newer bat.

As for the quilt I'm working on now, it is a purchased kit that I fell in love with. Unfortunately, after I bought it I discovered that the fabric is not a very good quality. I don't want to put an expensive wool bat into such a poor quality item.

[Rita C.]

It sounds as if you could be after the 'soft and puckery' look that Margo favours....

Hey Margo what would you suggest?

[E.M. T.]

Penny...took me a bit , but I located this in the back of the closet. I have had this for a long time... :roll:
used it to show new quilters what NOT to buy....New, all cotton and in the picture you can read the label.
It clearly says" quilt 1/4 to 1/2 inch intervals" . I don't think they produce this any more...but you might
contact Mountain Mist. Anyway ...wouldn't take much to send it to you. If your interested send me a PM.

[Margo C.]

The Mountain Mist 100% cotton batt that Marilyn showed is just like the original cotton batts that Sterns and Foster started selling in 1846, according to their catalog.
Yes....it needs to be quilted about 1/4" intervals, or it will wad up like a wet Kleenex (tissue) when it gets wet! Personally, I only want to quilt that closely because I want to...not because I HAVE to in order to hold the quilt together!
Mountain Mist offers other batts that do not need to be quilted as closely. READ THE LABELS!

Yes, Rosemary, I do like the flat, puckery look of old quilts. I get that effect by using fabrics that have NOT been prewashed, however I do pre-TEST any fabric that I have a feeling might bleed. My "go-to" batting is Hobb's Heirloom Cotton which is 80% cotton and 20% polyester. Unless this batting is preshrunk (which is do-able!) it will shrink about 5% when washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer! This is NOT recommended for wall quilts where you want to maintain a crisp "new" look. I use this for quilts that are intended to be used up and loved to death. Because the fabrics and the batting have not been prewashed or pre-shrunk, when they come out of the dryer they now have the old puckery look, and will begin to have the softness of an old quilt.

The more they are used, the softer they will get.

[E.M. T.]

:lol: :lol: :lol: ....You bet ! Wet Kleenex !! :mrgreen: That's why I had this to show !! Nobody wants to make that mistake
these days !! It's place is most likely in repair and restoration of antiques. I'm in the Hobbs camp,too
and Quilters' Dream , also, ..for all the same reasons detailed by Margo. You really can manipulate the look by
washing batt and top and back....one or the other or both or none !! Thanks, Margo ...for looking it up in MMs'
product list.

[Margo C.]

If you want to know how a batting will look after it's quilted and washed...MAKE A SAMPLE!!!

[E.M. T.]

:!: Big Yes !