Hmmm ... got a big quilt on Max so I won't be talking quilts for a while ... at least not until I get this one off and pictures taken.
So, this morning I got an interesting question via e-mail from Judy (Hi Judy!). She wanted to know about batttings. So here's what I told her.
My all-time favorite battings are Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 and Quilters Dream (QD) 70/30 Blend. Both are fabulous battings and I just go eeny-meeny-miny-mo when I cannot decide which one to use. I have them both on rolls and its very very convenient for me and hopefully for the customer, since I can unroll a clean unwrinkled sheet of batting and charge the customer for only what is used. It's a win-win, no? I also have available the QD 100% Cotton in the Deluxe or Supreme level. I try not to use the Request level of 100% cotton because I find it a bit thin. It works, but I really like the higher levels of loft. I have also used the QD Wool, the QD Poly, and the QD Puff. I like all of them for different quilts. And for those occasions where a natural or white batting is not what I want, I keep some black batting on hand. If I see a quilt coming up that needs that black batting and I don't have the correct size, I'll just order ahead of time. I mean, do I really need to take up another room in the house just for storing batting?? LOL!
For a wall/display quilt, I like to use two battings. The blend or cotton on the bottom with a layer of wool or poly or puff on top. The definition you get with the quilting is fabulous. The wool is pricey but the effect can be stunning.
And remember, just because I haven't mentioned a particular batting doesn't mean that there aren't other good battings out there. There is only one batting I don't want to use ... it tends to come out of the bag way too inconsistent and sometimes you can get gaps of air with the batting (holes) ... but I'll be respectful and not mention names here. My customers know which one I'm talking about! And your local quilt stores won't be carrying it ... those other big-box stores might entice you with low prices. Be very very wary ...
I remember when I handed over quilt tops to my quilter and at first I had my quilt top in one hand and a bag of batting in the other. Then when I learned that she carried batting, I felt FREE! No more bags of batting! She took care of it and now I'm continuing that legacy! Most of my customers also like that I 'take care of the batting' ... and I like that I get a clean unwrinkled product to work with.
So that's my dissertation for today. As I told Judy, save your $$$$ for beautiful fabric! I'll take care of the batting!
