which batting to use...wool, cotton, or blend

[E.M. T.]

I am making a baby quilt that is going to Hawaii, and wonder if it's ok to use wool batting, or if there will be a problem with it as it is so humid there? Can anyone help me? Thanks.

[Margo C.]

I hope someone with experience will pipe in here, but I would think that any of those choices would be fine because they all "breathe", meaning that they won't trap heat around a baby like polyester would.
I love the way a wool batt is lightweight but warm without being suffocating!

[Nancy R.]

I generally choose cotton over wool for baby quilts in general just because these quilts tend to need fairly aggressive washing and I worry about harsh washing with wool batting. Since my family aren't generally careful about washing, I also use cotton for their quilts and they live in Kansas City. I haven't noticed any difference in the feel of a quilt with cotton batting in humid Kansas City than in dry Colorado where I live.

Nancy

[Margo C.]

Good point, Nancy! The blend would hold up better with lots of washes and will get softer and more huggable with each laundering!

[Margo C.]

And I love Quilters Dream Angel for baby quilts! It's a fire retardant batting and even though it is poly it is very soft and drapes nicely.

If the top concern is that the quilt will be too warm then perhaps just a layer of Hobbs Thermore or flannel will be the lightest.

[Margo C.]

I have made dozens of baby quilts and always used the 80% cotton and 20% poly blend bat. I find that the bit of synthetic in the bat helps with endurance against rigorous washings.

Jeanine in freezing NS

[Susan B.]

I may be opening a can of worms, but there has been a fair amount of evidence of the harm of fire retardant chemicals. Personally, I wouldn't use them with anything around babies, especially if the parents are non-smokers. An internet search will give the evidence from many sources. I'm glad to know that this is a consideration of some battings and will read labels on my next purchases! Thanks, Michelle!

[Susan B.]

Sue, I am no expert but I am under the impression that Quilters Dream Angel is a batting that is somehow not made with fire retardant chemicals sprayed into it. I don't know exactly how it is made. I have read the info on their website about this batting and you might be interested in reading it also. I also have the package insert and can send it to you if you are interested... it has more specific info on it than the website has.

http://quiltersdreambatting.com/dream-angel.htm

[Susan B.]

Thank you for this, Michelle. I did follow your link and was encouraged to see that Quilters Dream Angel producers are awake and aware of the chemical issue.

[Susan B.]

thanks everyone for helping me figure it out!