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Lofty Decisions
Choosing The Right Batting
Part 1, Natural Fibers
Batting Sizes
Never try to skimp on batting.
Frustrated quilters can tell you stories about nearing the edge of a quilt only to find
that a "just right" batt was drawn up during quilting on a three-rail frame and
was no longer big enough. The false economy of trying to "make do" with a
smaller batt may have you scurrying back to the store to try and match the batting you are
using.
It may sound obvious, but to determine what size batt you will need for your quilt,
measure your quilt top! In QNM patterns we recommend that you cut your batting at least 4
inches larger than the dimensions of the quilt top. While many of the pre-packaged batts
come with descriptive sizes printed on their labels, such as twin, full, or queen, be sure
to look at the measurements as well. If you want a long drape for the sides of your quilt
or a pillow tuck, you may find that you need a king-size batt even though your mattress is
a queen size. How your top is going to be quilted can also affect how much extra batting
you will need; some commercial-machine quilters ask for as much as an extra 10 inches of
batting on either end of a quilt to wrap around the rollers on their machines. If you are
working on an odd-size quilt or wall hanging and are looking to economize, consider buying
name-brand batting off the roll.
Be sure to keep the package or label from the batting with your project while you are
quilting so you remember what type of batt you are using. If you are happy with the
batting, you'll want to be able to find the same brand again. You might want to make the
batting information part of the permanent label for your quilt, noting any special care
instructions from the manufacturer. You, and especially those who receive your quilts at a
later date, will be thankful for that information.
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