Saturday, October 29, 2016

Batting Week - 2 Layers of Batting

As a lot of show quilts use 2 layers of batting and I do a lot of show quilts, I wondered what would happen with different double layered batts.

I've done two layers of wool.  The combination has great puff, it's flexible and easy to put through my machine, BUT what else could I do?

Here are three of my quilts in my Flower in a Pot Quilt Along (patterns available in the tab at the top of my blog).  The first has two layers of wool.



The quilt is very flexible and drapes well.  The feathers have a nice puff to them, the most of anything I tried.  It is definitely lighter in weight than the other two samples.

The next quilt has two layers of Hobbs Cotton-Wool Batting.  I love that the cotton-wool has the stability of cotton with a little puff of wool.  This quilt is the stiffest of the three samples I made.  It does give the feathers a little puff. and it definitely keeps it's "squareness" and shape which is something that would be good for show quilts.


The last sample has two layers of Hobbs Tuscany Silk Batting.  The Tuscany Silk is 90% silk, 10% polyester.  It's soft and flexible like the wool and has a little more puff than the two layers of Cotton-Wool.  I'm not sure why this is, but my husband the non-quilting engineer agrees whole-heartedly  with me about the level of puff.  It think this batting holds it's shape well like cotton too.


The most common combination of double batting is a layer of cotton or 80/20 cotton/poly with a layer of wool on top for puff.  I have used this combination in the past and like it too.  I think what really keeps me from using double layers of batting in my quilts is the weight it adds when I'm dragging it through the machine.  It's more intense.

The main lesson learned:  Try out different combinations of batts in your small quilts to see what you like.  Be sure to mark what's in them on the back so you remember (yes, been there, done that, have no idea what's inside!).

Be sure to come back next week to see all sorts of amazing quilts and classes from Houston!

I hope you get to quilt today!  (I get to pack for  Houston!)
Suzy

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for your most informative post. I, too, forget to label what I did for fill and regret it! My fave has been the 80/20 with the silk over. Haven't tried the cotton/wool but hope to. Wall quilts definitely require stability considerations.

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