Batting has a wrong side?

Batting, an essential part of any warm quilt! Does it really have a right and wrong side like fabric? YES , it actually does.

Here are some basics on batting and how to place it if you are concerned over bearding through your top.

Types of Batting - yes, there are several and a need to know what to choose for your project is a good start. Sew what types are out there for us to use?

Natural and Synthetic. Natural of course are wool, cotton, flax, bamboo, and a few other vegetable based types. Those listed prior are the most common and popular. Synthetic easy on those they are man made plastics of sorts. Wool warmth factor on HIGH setting, cotton breathable and warm, flax is strong and warm, bamboo is strongest and is breathable as well, bamboo actually new to the market over the past few years is one that most sustainable (grows very fast).

How do we decide which to use? Matter of choice really! However, you can choose either one for hand or machine quilting, but know that some will me much harder quilting by hand or machine than others. Now synthetic will sew easily no matter what due to its lack of compression in the processing of it, it has higher loft as well is cheaper, and well cheaper sort of says it all. But again, it is your choice!

Color choice is yours as well, and well your top will define it too. Natural, White or Black are the common choice, and I would not try to dye the batting to change it. You can and if you do let me know what happens! Please.

Okay so now we get to the projects each is good for! Yay!

Quilt construction is the final factor is choosing your batting and how to quilt it. While a decorative quilt is beautiful: will it be durable enough for use daily on a bed? Probably not, due to the number of pieces, the appliques, and embellishments many have, however you can cover stitch all of that to make it more durable. This little topic is one that also helps to decide how to quilt it by hand or machine. Since the number of holes affects the warmth factor, holes from stitches not hole holes! The batting used can be less dense and more easily stitched in these types of quilts.

Now an every day use quilt, well that is one that is stitched and stitched and stitched, a lot of straight lines in piecing. The smaller the stitch setting the stronger the seam, these are used in a utilitarian manner. Sew, you want warmer tighter woven batting. And thus we look at the clean and dirty or the right and wrong or up and down of the batting!

Batting that has been needle punched does have a right side and wrong side. If you look at your batting that has been needle punched to compress you will see little pin holes or dimples on the batting itself. Dimples up is the right side up!

Did I say clean and dirty? YEP!

Clean no flecks of seeds or brownish things, Dirty little flecks of seeds and brownish things. Sew look at your batting do you see what I am talking about? Yes? No? Well it is there, look to the clean side to be the right side or upside. That need to look back at you! yes Look back at you! , (the dirty side needs to be down and dirty) Remember that! Down and dirty is right! You want the seed side down!

Why?

You want your machines needle to penetrate the same holes that were made when the batting was compressed. This helps with a couple of things for you, one is your tension will remain stable and consistent while quilting, two you will not experience bearding or "slubs" or fuzzies appearing through your quilt top seams. When the batting is re-punched by your machines needle it will allow some of the compression to release, when you wash that batting, it will find a way out! Usually through your seams.

How can this affect my tension. Ahhh, very good question here. On the wrong side of the batting you will notice pills. Little balls that are sitting on top of the batting surface, this is due to processing the batting during the compression and weaving process. Cotton is processed in large vats, allowing it to soften then string out. If you have a friend or you make your own yarn you will understand this, it helps in the combing process, which is done to separate fibers and allow them to straighten out some, so the weaving can be done without creating a lot of clumps. These clumps would not go away if they were not combed out first. So when you look at the batting wrong side you will see those little pills, (seeds flecks) these pills do not come off easily, however your needle can catch them and push those pills down and into your bobbin and needle weave system created when sewing with your machine, or they are so dense your needle can try to force it out the back of your quilt. This results in bearding since those pills are attached to other fibers; creating a stringing affect. That is a beard! Not like Grizzly Adams either, they are frustrating and can make a project ruined in a sense, it looks as if you have not made the quilt very well at all and it is already coming apart.

Okay. Sew, we have talked a little on some very important topics here, more will be made clear in the chapter in my book Quit Your Bitchin and start Stitchin - A beginner guide to quilting in the coming months!

Just Remember Down and Dirty, pill down, bumps and clumps down!

Oh scrim shoot almost forgot that one!

Quick note on scrim - matter of choice!
Scrim is a term used to describe the light layer or grid of woven fibers added to some cotton battings. It acts as a stabilizer and helps to hold them together while quilting. If you use a cotton batting without scrim, this is when you’ll need to keep your quilting lines a short distance apart so the fibers don’t separate in the wash. Buy your batting with scrim, and you can keep your quilting lines a wider distance apart.

Sew, scrim really is a choice for you, and it is needed when you want larger designs in your quilting since it gives more stability to the batting. But, if you choose not to use it, know you risk the batting coming a part in the wash!