I have had quite a few customers calling recently to ask questions about what wadding to use and why, so below is the guide to quilt wadding from the website, hopefully it will be useful!
Also known as batting, the quilt wadding is the filling between the quilt top and backing that gives the quilt its loft and warmth. Available in cotton, cotton/polyester blends, polyester, wool and several new eco friendly types such as bamboo, there is a wealth of wadding brands out there to choose from - the different materials are detailed below.
The other thing to watch out for with wadding is whether it is needlepunched (where the fibres are mechanically felted together by being punched with many needles) or bonded (where the fibres are chemically bonded). Needle punched waddings are firmer and denser than bonded wadding, so can be more difficult to hand quilt, however if you want completely natural materials then the chemicals in bonded wadding are best avoided.
Cotton - Cotton wadding is soft and washable, and its clingy qualities make it great for machine quilting as it helps prevent the fabrics moving during quilting. Cotton can shrink quite a lot on first washing, which is ideal for the antique puckered look, but for a smooth look it is essential to pre-shrink the wadding. Cotton wadding will soften with age, and is breathable and drapes well.
Cotton/polyester blend - Cotton/polyester blend wadding is loftier than 100% cotton wadding and more breathable than 100% polyester. It also shrinks less than all cotton batting, and can be more affordable. For a good combination of the easy handling of polyester and the natural breathability of cotton, a good cotton/polyester blend is ideal. The Hobbs Heirloom quilt wadding we sell is an 80/20 cotton/polyester blend, available in
king,
queen,
twin and
crib pre-cut sizes. It is also available in a
black queen size version for use with dark fabrics.
Polyester - Polyester wadding is soft, light and has high loft, and is probably the easiest wadding to use for hand quilting, but it can be hard to handle when machine quilting so a thinner wadding is best for this. Polyester wadding has very low shrinkage, so is ideal for quilts that will be washed often (such as childrens' quilts), it can also be tumble dried. Cheaper polyester wadding do have a greater tendency to 'beard', where the fibres work their way through the cotton quilt top and backing, so it is worth investing in a good quality brand from a quilt shop rather than the generic 2oz/4oz wadding available from many general sewing shops. Our
Sew Simple polyester wadding is great quality and also great value, available in 1/2 metre units of a 90inch wide bolt.
Heat resistant wadding - A variation on standard polyester wadding is the heat resistant wadding, which uses a combination of Mylar heat-resistant film and hollow polyester fibers. It is ideal for any project that requires thermal properties, such as pot holders, oven gloves, tea cosies and ironing board covers. We stock Sew Simple's
standard heat resistant wadding and
extra wide heat resistant wadding, perfect for larger projects such as table covers.
Wool - wool wadding is very warm and has high loft, and is light to handle. Wool wadding is great for hand quilting and also suitable for machine quilting. It has low shrinkage so can be washed although it should never be tumble dried. Wool wadding is great at regulating body temperature, and can absorb a lot of moisture without feeling damp so it is ideal in lower temperatures. Wool is also naturally flame retardant making it ideal for quilts for infants.
Silk - Silk wadding is a naturally lightweight and warm wadding, often used for quilted garments due to its excellent drapability. Silk wadding has high shrinkage and needs careful washing.
Bamboo - Bamboo wadding is probably the most common of the new wave of eco friendly waddings, being made from the fast growing bamboo plant grown with no fertilizers or pesticides. It is needlepunched, and has low shrinkage and similar breathability and coolness to cotton wadding.
Loads of new fabrics available today! First up are jelly rolls and layer cakes from two Moda ranges - Hi De Ho by Me & My Sister Designs, and Cold Spell by Laundry Basket Quilts, both stunning and very different ranges!
Finally, we have 6 fabrics from the OBO patchwork fabric collection by Stof. Always popular, owl motifs are fun and modern and this is a great selection of fresh coloured owl prints and matching tonals, great for bags and accessories as well as nursery and children's quilts - also available as a coordinating stash pack or discounted fat quarter pack!
Fun, fresh and festive - this describes Makower's Festive patchwork fabric range to a tee. In a variety of bright colours including turquoise, orange and pink as well as Christmas staples red and green, this modern collection is great for funky Christmas decorations! The prints include multicoloured reindeer, stars and Christmas trees as well as stripes and blender fabrics, perfect for any Christmas project.
Posts
