I've gone Completely Batty!

2011-11-11T07:34:00.001-05:00

I am sorry I have not posted the results but its not because I have not done them it is because I still have not received the batting samples from Innovative Craft Products. I wrote them again but still nothing, so frustrating! I just don't understand as I spoke to them on the phone and they seemed excited to be included in my project. I got all ready to test these products as I love making totes and purses I had a personal interest as well. If I come across these products at my LQS I may go ahead and purchase and test for bag/tote making as I know how many quilters enjoy making these (even though we already have so many) It's "sew" addictive!

New batting samples are on the way!

2011-09-19T11:34:00.000-04:00

Have some new batting samples from Innovative Craft Products on the way for me to test, these were created for making bags, totes and purses (I am told they will give your tote/purse projects that "Vera Bradley" feel) They are including a stiff, non-woven fusible product called Inn-spire that can be used to mold fabrics into a desired shape,which could be used to mold purses and bags or if you are an art quilter this might be right up your alley! Here is a link to the products:
http://www.innovative-crafts.com/products.html

I'll let you know what I think when I get my samples made.

Just finshed the batting samples for Matilda's own brand

2011-03-25T15:37:00.000-04:00

I received 4 samples from Matilda's Own line a 100% wool batt, a wool/cotton blend, a wool/poly blend and I believe the last one is a Silk/cotton blend but I am not 100% percent sure and have put in a call to the person who sent them to me to make sure as I cetainly do not want to mislabel any samples. That puts the grand total to 87 different samples! These are from a line of batts from Australia, all are needle punched with a light scrim and no binders. For more info on the batting line see the link below-

http://www.victoriantextiles.com.au/files/batting_care.pdf

More batting samples on their way!

2011-03-18T11:20:00.000-04:00

Finally was able to make contact with Matilda's and have samples of their batting line on the way!!

Off to buy more muslin to prepare to make samples when the batting arrives!

NEW List of battings tested thus far 3/11/2011

2011-03-11T15:14:00.001-05:00

Hobbs (12) 200 S Commerce Dr Waco TX 76710 1-800-433-3357 sales@HobbsBondedFibers.com

1. Tuscany Polyester- siliconized resin bonded

2. Polydown-Polyester siliconized resin bonded

3. Thermore-Polyester resin bonded ultra thin patented process

4. Tuscany Silk -90%/10% polyester lightly needle punched light resin bonded

5. Tucany Wool -100% resin bonded

6. Heirloom Cotton Fusible- 80% cotton 20% Polyester resin bonding contains a fusible chemical that fuses to both sides.

7. Heirloom bleached -80% bleached cotton 20% polyester lightly resin bonded

8. Heirloom Black- 80% cotton 20% polyester lightly needle punched resin bonded

9. Heirloom Premium -80% cotton 20% polyester un-bleached lightly resin bonded needle punched

*10. Heirloom Natural -100% organic cotton needle punched

11. Heirloom Bleached- 100%cotton needle punched

12. Heirloom Natural -w/ scrim un-bleached needle punched

Quilters Dream (9) 589 Central Dr. Virginia Beach, VA 23454 1-888-268-8664 quiltersdreambatting@juno.com

13. Dream Poly- request loft 100% polyester needle punched no resin no scrim

14. Dream Poly- select loft 100% polyester needle punched no resin no scrim

*15. Dream Orient- select loft silk, tencel, bamboo and cotton blend needle punched no resin no scrim

16. Dream Green -select loft 100% recycled plastic bottles needle punched no resin no scrim

17.Dream Cotton -request loft 100% cotton needle punched no resin no scrim

18. Dream Blend- select loft 70% cotton 30% polyester needle punched ultra light scrim

19. Dream Cotton -select loft 100% cotton needle punched no scrim no resin

20. Dream Midnight -black request loft 100% polyester needle punched no resin no scrim

21. Dream Angel -request loft 100% flame retardant fibers needle punched

Mountain Mist (8) 2551 Crescentville Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45241 1-513-326-3912

22. Blue Ribbon- 100% cotton needle punched water soluble resin bonded

23. Cream Rose -100% cotton needle punched no scrim no resin

24. Cotton Blossom- 95% cotton 5 % wool resin bonded

25.Cotton Blossom- 95% cotton 5 % silk resin bonded

26. Mountain Mist -Light 100% polyester resin bonded

27. Mountain Mist Gold -50% cotton 50% polyester needle punched resin bonded

28. Heritage Collection Completely Cotton -100% cotton lightly needle punched resin bonded

29. Eco Craft -50% PLA (corn) 50% cotton carded resin bonded

Fairfield (12) P.O. Box 1130 Danbury CT 06813 1-800-980-8000 consumer@poly-fil.com

30.Poly-fil low loft- 100% polyester low melt bonded

31.Poly-fil Traditional Craft Batt- 100% poly needle punched

32.Poly-fil Hi Loft -100% poly low melt bonded

33. Poly-fil Extra loft batting- 100% poly low melt bonded

34. Fairfield Machine 60/40 -60%bleached Cotton/40%Poly needle punched w/ scrim

35. Fairfield Soft Touch -100% bleached cotton needle punched No scrim or seed waste

36.Fairfield Quilters -80/20 Blend unbleached 80%cotton/20% poly needle punched

*37.Fairfield Cotton Classic- 100% Organic cotton no scrim unbleached water based bonding

*38. Fairfield Bamboo Batting- 50% organic cotton 50% bamboo needle punched w/ scrim

39.Fairfield Fusi Boo- bamboo, rayon, cotton blend, Fusible, needle punched

*40.Fairfield Wool -100% wool, resin bonded, unbleached

*41. Nature-Fil- 50% rayon from Bamboo 50% organic cotton, needle punched w/ scrim

Fiberco (10) 1300 Eden Drive Ft Worth, TX 76117 1-800-828-3778 fiberco@fiberco.com

42. Simply Cotton -100% cotton bleached needle punched w/ scrim

43. Soy Soft- unbleached 50% cotton 50% soy needle punched w/ scrim

*44. Bamboo Blend -50%certified organic bamboo 50%Ultra-Clean ® cotton unbleached needle punched w/scrim

45. Simply Cotton -100% unbleached needle punched w/ scrim

*46. Earth Blend -50% Flax 50% cotton unbleached needle punched w/scrim

47. Simply Bamboo- 100% bamboo unbleached needle punched w/ scrim

48. Simply Soft and Safe- 100% Rayon needle punched

49. Poly Perfect -100% polyester needle punched w/ scrim

50. Soft & Elegant-80% cotton 20% poly unbleached needle punched w/scrim

51. Super Soft Cotton- 50% bleached cotton 50% slick poly needle punched w/scrim

Back to Back Alpaca(2) 5901 E McKellips Suite 109 Mesa, AZ 85215 1-480-445-9068 sue@backtobackalpaca.com

52. 50/50 Alpaca/ Cotton- needle punched unbleached

53. 60/40 Alpaca/Wool -needle punched unbleached

Moda (3) 13800 Hutton Dr. Dallas, TX 75234 www.modafabrics.com

*54. Luna Kyoto- 50%Bamboo 50% Cotton unbleached needle punched w/scrim

*55. Luna Loft -80% Cotton 20% poly unbleached needle punched w/ scrim

56. Soy Soft - 50% Soy 50% Cotton unbleached needle punched w/ scrim

The Warm Co (7). 5529 186th Place SW Lynnwood, WA 98037 1-425-248-2424 info@warmcompany.com

57.Soft & Natural-100% cotton unbleached needle punched no scrim

58. Warm Blend -50% cotton 50% poly bleached needle punched w/ scrim

59. Insul-Bright -100% hollow polyester needle punched through metalized insulating poly

60. Warm & Natural- 100%cotton unbleached needle punched w/ scrim

61. Warm & Safe- 100% Rayon needle punched w/ scrim

62 Soft & Bright -100% hollow Polyester needle punched w/ scrim

63. Warm & White -100% bleached cotton needle punched w/ scrim

Other (1) included in the Warm samples but NOT a Warm Co. product

64. 100% Cotton flannel -purchased by the yard at Joann’s

Whisper Color (1) 5709 Ravenswood Lane Carmichael, CA 95608 1-916-531-3163 Laurel@whispercolor.com

65. Whisper Color -100% Bamboo unbleached needle punched thin scrim

Cedarview Farms (1) 1-519-864-4470 3028 Kimball Road Courtright, ON www.cedarviewfarms.org

*66. 100% Wool-open batt no scrim no resins

Pellon –Legacy (17) 1- 727-388-7171 mspellon@verizon.net

67. Soy Blend -50% Soy 50% cotton needle punched w/ scrim

68. Bamboo Blend-50%cotton/50%bamboo blend, needle punched w/ scrim

69. White Cotton-100% bleached cotton, needle punched, no scrim

*70. Natural Cotton- 100% natural cotton needle punched, no scrim

*71. Wool- 100% super washed wool thermal bonded w/ binder fibers

72. Natural 80/20 Blend- 80% cotton/20% poly, needle punched bonded, no scrim

73. 100% Polyester- Bonded (pre-test on dark fabrics for bearding) no scrim

74. 100% White cotton w/s-100 % bleached cotton, needle punched with scrim

75. 100% Natural Cotton w/s-unbleached, needle punched with scrim

76. Natural Blend 80%cotton/ 20% polyester, needle punched to a light scrim

77. Light Blend-50%bleached cotton/50%slick polyester, needle punched w/ scrim

78. Dark Blend-70% bleached cotton that has been dyed black, 30%.Polyester needle punched, with scrim

*79. Flax Linen Blend-50%cotton/50%flax (linen, needle punched w/ scrim

80. FR Rayon-Fire resistant 100% rayon, needle punched w/light weight scrim, shrinkage 4-6%pre-soaking recommended

81. Ultra Thin Poly-(998) 100% siliconized micro denier polyester fibers

82. Pellon Fleece-(988) 100% polyester needle punched

83. Thermolam Plus-100% polyester, needle punched designed for home dec & craft projects

Matilda’s Own (4) 458 Danbury Rd A-18 New Milford, CT 06776 info@sewcraft.com 203-395-4720

84.Wool/Cotton Blend 60%wool40%cotton needle punched w/scrim

85.Wool/Poly 60%wool 40%polyester needle punched w/scrim

86.Wool 100% wool needle punched w/ scrim

87. Silky Cotton 60% Silk 40% cotton needle punched w/scrim

I have marked a few w/ a red astrix that I plan to use in future projects that I found noteworthy during the testing process.

Straight cut fuse

2011-03-07T20:09:00.000-05:00

I heard back from Jeanne she said "The trick with using straight cuts is to glide the heat of the iron across the batting tape without adding any down pressure" So I am going to try again using her advice soon and I will let you know how I do and I will hand needle that sample as well-until then
Debra

Content Information

2011-03-07T14:46:00.000-05:00

I heard back from Jeanne about the Heat Press Tape she promptly replied to my e-mail request and informed me the tape is 100% polyester. She also said you really have to do some testing of your own depending on what brand of iron you are using. Here is what she said-
"The fabric content is polyester. The product has a 2 second fuse with the tempature of 250 degrees. Although our irons aren't calabrated in degrees, I have found that the synthetic setting is a good start for 100% polyester and the rest of the batting contents can go up to the wool setting. In testing, we also found that each iron company has different tempature settings for synthetic to wool. So, the metal sole irons must be tested with the product and a paticular chosen batting content. The teflon sole irons are not as hot and do not present the same problem. Some quilters are using the applique sheets on 100% polyester batting, especially the light fluffy batting that most charities are using today."
Thanks Jeanne for your quick reply and all that great information!

Have you ever needed to put two pieces of batting together to get the size you needed?

2011-03-06T12:39:00.002-05:00

I attended a quilt show this past Friday and found a product I decided to test and include in my batting lectures. The name of the product is "Heat Press Batting together" by Jeanne Harwood Designs (http://www.heatpressbattingtogether.com/). I paid $8.00 for a 10 yard roll of 1 1/2 " wide tape. There was no fiber content information on the packaging or on the web site so I have written and requested this information and I will post it as soon as I hear back from them.

I tested the fusible cloth tape on a soy/cotton blend (50%/50%) using a straight cut, butting the edges together and fusing using the recommended iron settings. I was less than pleased with the gap that was visible where the two pieces of batting don't quite meet up. I tried this fusing process again this time I pre-ironed the batting giving it three good bursts of steam with my steam generator. My thinking here was maybe the fibers were drawing up from the heat during the fusing process and causing the gap. I did not have any more success than the first effort. I went ahead and sandwiched this between two layers of 100% cotton muslin and quilted it using a 3/4" diagonal grid on the machine using a walking foot and 100% cotton Aurafil thread. I then serged around the edge and washed the sample and threw it in the dryer, hoping maybe the gap would somehow pull together and go away in the washing/drying process, it did not. Here is a photo of the finished sample. I have it taped to the window so you can see the light through the gap.

Now maybe I am being too much of a perfectionist here. If you were making a quilt with darker fabrics you probably wouldn't even notice this.

I decided to do the test again this time I pre steamed the batting and then I over lapped the edges of the batting and used my rotary cutter to cut through both layers making a wavy cut. This is the method I have always used to join batting, a curved seam join, but with hand stitching. Harriet Hargrave recommends this method in her book "From Fiber to Fabric" see page 120

(I am using Pellon Flame Retardant Rayon Batting scraps in this test.) I found it much easier to get the curved edges to fit against the other with no gaps. I have them slightly apart in this picture so you can see the cut. Then I butted them together and fused the join. I sandwiched this sample the same as the first

and quilted and serged the edges and washed and dried the sample same as the first. This photo shows the results. I have my finger on the Heat Press tape so you will be able to find it as I had a hard time locating it. As you can see there are no gaps I was able to achieve a nice clean join. The laundering process did not affect the join or shift the edges apart. I have not tried to hand stitch through this product yet. It is so thin and light weight I can't imagine it would offer resistance to needling unless the bonding agent (fusible) does. Here is a close up of the tape, fusible side up.

As you can see it is very sheer almost tricot like. So I found this product to be quite a time saver when you need to quickly and effortlessly join two batting pieces and in today's economy we might find that to be a real money saver allowing us to use up every piece of batting and not waste any scraps. I would however recommend pre-steaming the area to be joined and using a curved seam.

Would I use it in a heirloom Baltimore Album quilt? Personally, no but I wouldn't piece my batting in that instance either, nor would I use any fusible product such as fusible batting. They haven't been around long enough to stand the test of time. Who know how these "glue/binding" agents will break down in time or what effect they will have on our cotton fabrics. Please note these binding agents are also present in some thermal bonded battings if you have concerns about these agents you may want to avoid them too. I know the quilters in the past were probably thrilled to have colorfast fabrics in their day but would be horrified if they saw the affects some of the mordants used to make them colorfast had on the fabrics, eating away at the fibers until there was nothing left.

For using up batting scraps in everyday utilitarian quilts I say thumbs up! Thanks Jeanne for bringing us this time saver!

A video demo of this available on Utube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0KtXtgpka8

The Pellon Legacy Line is done

2011-02-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

Well I did finish the Pellon Legacy line on the day of my last post. There are some nice ones in this line and some are being carried in Jo Ann's now on the bolt, which is nice because we can grab them at the last minute (I NEVER do that do you??) and use a COUPON!
So nice to have the sewing studio back in order and have that off my list of things to do . I have to admit after making 83 166 (83 times 2 cause there is one washed and one un-washed sample for each brand) samples and binding each one I am slowing down. But all it will take is for some new fiber combos to hit the market and my fingers will be itching to try them.
If anyone sees any new batting on the market anywhere please let me know so I can get my hands on it!

I am SEW ashamed to admit...

2011-02-13T15:06:00.001-05:00

that I STILL have not gotten through the Pellon Legacy line. I am working on it at present and had to get up and take a break.(not my favorite thing to do -machine work that is, and this work is so repetitive and boring it is quite difficult to stay focused and on task!) I figured I better get upgraded here too as I have been negligent in keeping up with my blogs again too!!! I WILL finish these samples today!!
I have been doing some more fiber research and found some interesting facts I thought I would share with you-
Soybean fiber which I thought was a fairly new discovery was in fact invented by Henry Ford in 1937 and was termed as soy “Wool". Henry Ford also made a suit and necktie from soybean fiber (see photo of him in said suit) and used this unique fiber in car upholstery. Soybean like wool was also a victim of the war and the cheaply available man-made fibers.
The new current method of making soybean fiber was invented in 1998 and was promoted in 2000. The advantages of soybean fiber being blended with cotton (50/50) is said to: Enhances the comfort, luster, moisture-permeability, quick-dry and drape properties of cotton. I do have some concerns with the color of the soy batting products showing through the fabrics of our quilt tops as it has a distinctively darker color than un-bleached cotton, with a some what yellow/orange tinge in every brand I have tested. I was really surprised to see what other raw materials fiber manufacturers are using to create new up and coming fiber products Corn (PLA)-there is already batting available made from this, Milk (casein), hemp, banana
and sea weed (called Sea Cell) who knows what other new blends the future of quilt batting will hold. Alright I better get back to work... those samples won't sew themselves!

Back to the samples!!

2010-12-02T07:58:00.000-05:00

Well the November show is behind me and I have the house decorated and the tree up as well. The gingerbread houses are baked and ready for my grandchildren to come decorate them on Saturday, sew...today I shall get back to finishing up the Pellon samples, Finally! I want to get these done and set my sewing studio right so I will be ready to gear up for thread caddy mass production for the January show. I'll get back to you later with the results on the Pellon Legacy batting samples!!

Ready to begin!

2010-10-07T06:30:00.001-04:00

I have the new samples of Pellon's Legacy line ready to go. Can't wait to hand needle test a few of these samples,the wool and flax/cotton blend look like interesting candidates for future projects.

There is quite a stack to get through here and I haven't prepared the muslin/freezer paper to feed through the printer to make the labels yet either so it will be a while before these samples are machine quilted, hand needle tested ,bound, washed and labeled. But stay tuned for the results,I plan to try and get through these in addition to mass producing Thread Caddies for the November show and making Christmas gifts, good grief I better get to it, time is a wasting!

Finally!!!!

2010-10-06T16:07:00.001-04:00

The Pellon legacy samples are finally here!! I'll be working on them for the next few weeks. Can't wait to see how it performs

scissors,scissors and more scissors

2010-09-16T23:37:00.000-04:00

I get teased by my friends about how many pairs of scissors

I own. A friend of mine posted her scissors on her blog and I started thinking if I put all my scissors on the table I don't think I could get them all in one shot to take a photo. I am a hairdresser so I have several pairs of hair cutting shears and thinning shears. I am a nail tech so I have 5 pairs of small scissors I use to cut fiberglass & silk wraps. I groom my own dogs so more scissors. I love to cook so I have several pairs of kitchen shears. I scrapbook so that is about 36 pairs of scissors (all different design blades), I garden so more scissors and shears. Stained glass requires special scissors that trim a little extra sliver off your pattern to allow room for the foil and solder. Have scissors in my giftwrap trunk and at my desk and in the garage and floral design scissors too. OK so maybe I do have a lot of scissors but I use them all!! Here is a shot of just my sewing scissors...

Awaiting the arrival of Pellon's Legacy line

2010-09-13T21:59:00.000-04:00

New line of batting to make samples from is on its way! Pellon's Legacy Line- Went and bought more muslin today in preparation. I bought all the ones they carry in JoAnn's from the line and made made those samples up quick like a bunny to take with me tonight to share with the Piecemakers Quilt Guild, but they didn't have the cottons or cotton blends or bamboo. I haven't forgotten I promised you a list of favorites I just want to get as many different brands as possible tested before I compile that list.
Happy Stitchin'!
Debra

New Batting from Warm

2010-09-02T21:21:00.001-04:00

The Warm Company has come out with a new batting called Warm Tater. They claims its a 100% natural cotton that has not been chemically treated?? But it does not say organic and we know that conventionally grown cotton uses 25 % of the worlds total pesticide use...This batting was designed to make quilted bags to use in your Microwave to cook potatoes in????
http://www.warmcompany.com/warmtater.html

I dunno maybe I am missing something...

2 more battings tested

2010-08-13T12:40:00.000-04:00

I just finished testing Fairfield's Fusi-Boo (fusible bamboo) and Fairfield's wool. The wool was great but I have grave concerns about the fusible product. I washed a sample of just the batt (not quilted) in HOT water and soap to remove the fusible as Fairfield states it washes away completely. I found it would still fuse after this process so it did not wash away. I wish I had a time machine to travel forward in time and see for myself what affect these chemicals will have on our precious quilts in say 100 years. I am sure quilters of old would be horrified to see how some of the mordants in the dyes of their time ate away at the fibers or changed the color completely

Life is Beautiful

2010-07-29T09:48:00.001-04:00

I just dicovered the Life is beautiful quilt and I think I just have to have this pattern!! Check it out at: http://hugsnkisses.typepad.com/hugsfromhelen/2009/11/life-is-beautiful.html I submitted a quote to Helen to try and win a iron on transfer pattern pack. My quote suggestion was:
"What we see is mainly what we look for"
You can submit a quote and try to win too.
Now to go find some peace and gratitude...because Life IS Beautiful!

Last Nights lecture

2010-05-04T15:32:00.001-04:00

Last nights lecture at the Manatee Patchworkers was "sew" fun, the ladies "seamed" to enjoy seeing all 63 battings. LOTS of questions! Lots of interest in the wool batt , except for a few allergic to wool, which is important to note. As much as it is a wonderful product if it is a gift quilt you'll want to ask before you use wool if the recipient is allergic. For those few that are there is always Alpaca which does not contain lanolin and is less likely to cause allergies.
I always get asked, "Whats your Favorite batting?" I try my best to explain there is no one batt that fits for every project. If I tell you my favorite, it might be for a very puckered vintage look that might not suit your taste or your project. BUT I get asked this over and over, so I guess I am going to have to compile a list of what my favorite battings would be for different situations, although I never wanted it to be about what I like, I wanted this to be for you read the information I have compiled, to learn about the finishes manufactures use on the battings, see the samples and make your educated decision about what batting best suits your taste/projects. If I was to compile a list what would you like to see included I have started a list below, if you think of any others categories, let hear from you!! I would also LOVE to hear what brand of batting you would vote for each of these categories!
Best for the most antique/puckered look-
Best to hand needle-
Best for smoothest finish-
Best for repeated laundering-
Most Eco-Friendly-
Quilted Rainbow suggested -Best Drape

Hand outs are printed and ready for tomorrows lecture

2010-05-02T14:02:00.000-04:00

Migration/ Bearding is so slight

2010-04-30T12:45:00.002-04:00

So this morning in the light of day I am finishing the open wool batting samples and upon closer inspection there is a slight amount of migration. Everything I read about open batts said "severe migration/bearding issues." Maybe that is the case with Merino wools, but is not the case here. These photos are after washing this sample and I had to fold it back and photograph and edge to be able to see any at all. So I made another with 1/2 black backing and here are the photos of both so you can see too. Now these are low thread count muslin's I used in my sample so I imagine using good quality quilt shop fabrics would greatly improve the results. Double click the photo to get a larger view-
Debra

Wow! Wool is amazing

2010-04-30T09:39:00.001-04:00

I got one sample done last night and it took me some time to get the hang of hand needling on this wonderful wool. Your needle springs back at you, it's so resilient. So I am afraid my stitches are not great on the sample. I was just starting to get my rhythm when I came to the end of the row of stitches.
I plan to do some hand needling on the next one too, in the hopes I will do this sample justice! I was amazed there was NO bearding. Not when I hand or machine stitched, NONE! I did nothing to prepare the batt, no cheesecloth, nothing. This is not a fine merino wool, it is Suffolk/Dorset cross and they tell me their wool is coarser which is why the bearing is not such a problem, I'm sold!

I want to sleep under a quilt made with this batt and they have this program if your guild orders 9 batts they will give you a queen size free that can be used for a raffle quilt or whatever you want. All the issues I have heard about wool batts did not present themselves in my testing of this brand.

The wool has arrived

2010-04-29T20:16:00.000-04:00

OMG! I never expected it to look like this! The open wool batt arrived from Cedarview farms and boy is it ever luscious! Bet you can guess who is going to wielding a needle tonight!! I can't wait to try this batting out! Thanks Lauren for getting it here in time to include it in Mondays lecture!

I am afraid I too have Klosjes fever!

2010-04-27T11:10:00.001-04:00

I have come down with the Klosjes fever! The first few I made I didn't really like (bottom left) . They look like half empty spools to me. So a kind friend (Thanks SEW much Linda) redrafted it for me in EQ and now they look half full. I am definitely a half full kind of gal!

Waiting for a PLA(corn) batt and an open wool from Cedarview Farms to arrive

2010-04-26T17:13:00.002-04:00

Its going to be cutting it real close but I really want these batts in my samples for my lecture next Monday!
There are still some manufactuers that never responded to my letters or e-mails. SO if anybody uses a batt that is not on my list and they have some left over I sure would appreciate it if you could send it to me! Just shoot me an e-mail and tell me what you have! Thanks-
Debra

More Sample photos

2010-04-23T10:18:00.000-04:00

Sample photo

2010-04-23T10:11:00.000-04:00

A photo of one of my samples

All the Terminology on one place

2010-04-23T10:04:00.002-04:00

Alpaca- A member of the camelidae (camels and llamas) family this fur bearing animal who is native to the mountainous regions of South America are now being raised commercially in the US and Australia. Its silky fleece is as soft as cashmere and comes in 22 natural colors. Alpaca fleece contains no lanolin and requires much less scouring than wool.

Bast Fiber - Strong, soft, woody fibers, which are obtained from the inner bark in the stems of such plants as flax, jute, hemp, and ramie.

Batting (or Wadding) - A soft assembly of loose non woven fibers, usually carded , sold in sheets used for warm interlinings, padding, quilts and comforter stuffing.

Bearding- Refers to the migration of batting fibers through the quilt front or back.

Binder- An adhesive applied with a solvent or a plastic melted to bond fibers together in a web, used in chemical and thermal bonding.

Blends-A combination of fibers blended together, can be a blend of natural and manmade fibers or two or more natural fibers.

Bleaching-A process used to remove the natural pigment from a fiber. The chemicals used also help disintegrate cotton seed and boll husk waste that is left behind after the fiber has been processed through ginning, carding and/or scouring. The process uses chemicals such as sodium hydroxide or hydrogen peroxide.

Bonding/Bonded- The binding together of fibers in a single layer of material called a web. A process that uses sprayed on binders and/or resins and adhesives or uses heat (thermal bonding) or needle punching, to treat/bond batting fibers to prevent bearding (migrating), and allows the batting to remain in one smooth sheet this helps prevents tearing and stretching as it is unrolled and spread between the top and back of a quilt.

Bonding Methods-Chemical (adhesive, resin, latex), needle punch, spun laced/hydro entangling, and thermal bond.

Breathability - The movement of moisture from one side of the
fiber to the other, caused by capillary or wicking action.

Bunching/Shifting- When batting fibers bunch up and or shift inside the quilted lines of stitching, will appear as clumps of fibers in the corners of a quilted area.

Card-A machine used to remove impurities, separate and align fibers (Flat Card- The type of card used for cotton fibers. It is so called for the flat wire brushes called flats that are assembled on an endless chain that partially surrounds the main cylinder. The fiber is worked between the flats and a cylinder, and then transferred to a doffer roll, and finally peeled off as a web.)

Carding/ Carded-The brushing of fibers between two cards to remove dirt and debris still remaining in the fiber. The process untangles them and arranges the fibers into a very thin layer. This process can also be called garneting.

Cellulose- A carbohydrate which is the chief component of the cell walls of plants,
it is found in wood and in cotton, linen, jute, hemp, and all of the bast, leaf, and stem fibers.

Color-Batting generally comes in natural-off white (un-bleached), white (bleached) and black. There is a new “green/eco-friendly” batting that is made from recycled plastic bottles and it is green in color as well. Be aware that this green may shadow through and affect the color of your quilt. Some of the soy batts and soy blends may be several shades darker than a natural/un-bleached cotton. Check for shadowing of that color through your light colored tops before purchasing.

Combing - The combing process is an additional step beyond carding. In this
process the fibers are arranged in a highly parallel form, and additional short fibers
are removed, producing excellent strength, fineness, and uniformity.

Continuous Filament - A long continuous, unbroken strand of fiber extruded
from a spinneret in the form of a monofilament. Most manufactured fibers such as
nylon, polyester, rayon, and acetate are made in continuous filament form.

Cotton - A unicellular, natural fiber that grows in the seed pod of the cotton plant
Fibers are typically 1/2 inch to 2 inches long. The longest staple fibers, longer than
1 1/2 inch, including the Pima and Egyptian varieties, produce the highest quality
cotton fibers.

Denier- A system of measuring the weight of a continuous filament fiber. In the
U S, this measurement is used to number all manufactured fibers and silk. The lower the number, the finer the fiber; the higher the number, the heavier the fiber.

Drape- The hang or stiffness a finished quilt or quilted clothing will have which is directly affected by the loft of the batting and the density of the quilting.

Fiber Content- is the type of natural or man-made material that makes up the batting. The fiber content gives you a key to how comfortable the quilt will be in different climates and what kind of care it requires.

Finish-The method used to treat the fibers in a batting. This can be needle punched, bonded (thermally or with resin) or can have a layers of scrim added.

Flax - The plant from which cellulosic linen fiber is obtained, it is one of the oldest textile fibers. These fibers are stronger and more lustrous than cotton and are very cool and absorbent.

Fleece - The wool shorn from any sheep, or from any animal in the wool category.

Garnetting-Is a process whereby individual cotton fibers of various lengths are laid into a thin web by combing. The garnett machine creates these webs and then lays one web on top of another forming a very specific size and weight cotton batt.

Glazing Finish-Typically the batting is passed through a mechanical process that applies resin to the surface of the web. The surface is “sealed” or “glazed”. This helps minimize the potential for bearding, bunching and shifting and results in good stability. Not to be confused with Stearn and Foster’s (Mountain Mist) Glazene® finish which is a water soluble starch based product that is applied to the surface of their cotton batting and washes away the first time it is laundered.

High Loft - A term given to a fiber structure that contains more air than fiber. It is
a lofty, low-density material.

Loft- The weight, thickness and resilience of batting.

Lyocell Fiber - A manufactured fiber composed of wood pulp cellulose.
Lyocell has a similar hand and drape as rayon, but is stronger, more durable, and
in many cases machine washable. It has a subtle luster. Lyocell possesses low shrinkage characteristics, as well as good absorbency. It is marketed in the U.S. as tencel

Migration/ Bearding- The movement of batting fibers which go from where they are sandwiched in the center through the quilt top or back to the outside surface of the finished quilt.

Mercerization - A process of treating a cotton yarn or fabric, in which the fabric
or yarn is immersed in a caustic soda solution (alkali) and later neutralized in acid. The
process causes a permanent swelling of the fiber, resulting in an increased luster
on the surface of the fabric, an increased affinity for dyes, as well as increased strength.

Microfibers/Microdeniers - The name given to ultra-fine manufactured fibers
and the name given to the technology of developing these fibers. Fibers made
using microfiber technology, produce fibers which weigh less than 1.0 denier. They have a superior hand, a gentle drape, and incredible softness. Comparatively, microfibers are two times finer than silk, three times finer than cotton, eight times finer than wool, and one hundred times finer than a human hair. Currently, there are several types of microfibers being produced. These include acrylic, nylon and polyester microfibers.

Needle Loom- A machine for bonding a nonwoven web by mechanically orienting
fibers through a web. The process is called needling, or needle punching. Barbed needles set into a board punch the fiber into the batt and withdraw, leaving the fibers entangled. The needles are spaced in a nonaligned arrangement. By varying the strokes per minute, the degree of penetration of the needles and the weight of the batting, a wide range of densities can be made. For additional strength, the fiber web can be needled to a bonded fabric. Bonding agents may also be used.

Needle punched- The process of punching hundreds of tiny barbed needles through the fibers which causes the fibers to interlock similar to needle felting. Needle punched wool or poly tends to migrate. But will not bunch or shift like plain carded products. Needle punched battings can also be thermal or resin bonded.

Needling-The act of passing a threaded needle through the top, batting, and back of a quilt during the quilting process.

Neps- Tiny wads or knots of entangled fibers which can make it difficult to needle.

Nonwoven Fabric - An assembly of fibers held together by mechanical interlocking in a random web or mat, by fusing the fibers or by bonding with a cementing medium such as starch, casein or glue, or synthetic resins. Initially, the fibers may be oriented in one direction or may be deposited in a random manner. This web or sheet of fibers is bonded together by one of the methods described above or needle punching.

‘Open’ Wool batting- Open wool refers to the cleaned, combed and carded wool that has not been bonded or needle punched and tends to beard (migrate) excessively.

Olefin (polyolefin/polypropylene) - A manufactured fiber characterized
by its light weight, high strength, and abrasion resistance. Olefin is also good at
transporting moisture, creating a wicking action. Most scrim is made of polypropylene.

Piecing/Splicing Batting- Refers to stitching two smaller pieces of the same batting together to make one larger piece to fit the size of a quilt. To achieve the best result this is best done by hand with a herringbone stitch and a curved seam.

PLA Polylactic Acid-A plastic substitute made from fermented corn.

Plain Batting-Plain or garnetted batting is fibers that have been processed through a garnett or carding equipment and layered with no other processes. It is not bonded together in any manner. It is very easy to quilt (needle), but has the potential for migration, bunching and shifting between the quilted lines. Requires quilting no more than ½” apart to prevent bunching.

Polyester - A manufactured fiber introduced in the early 1950s, it is second only to cotton in worldwide use. Polyester has high strength, excellent resiliency, and is resistant to shrinking and stretching. Polyester drys quickly and is used alone and in blends. Can

Powder Bonded- A carded web of batting is treated with a thermoplastic powder that has a melting point less than that of the fiber in the web. The powder is heated to its melting point through-air and infrared heating to affect bonding.

Pre-Soak- A treatment to pre-shrink a batting. This is usually done by filling a washing machine w/ hot water, submerging the unrolled batting and allowing it to soak (no agitation) and then spinning the water away. That is followed by rolling it in a towel, laying it flat, and allowing it to air dry or to tumble in the dryer. Follow manufactures’ instructions on the package, this is done to prevent any shrinkage of the finished quilt during subsequent washing and dryings. It will result in less of the puckered/antique look provided the fabrics in the top and back of the quilt were also pre washed.

Pulp- The end product of cooking wood chips, cotton, or some source of cellulose with water and appropriate chemicals. Used in the manufacture of cellulosic fibers.

Quilting - A fabric construction in which a layer of batting is placed
between two layers of fabric, and then held in place by stitching through all three layers in a
regular, consistent, all-over pattern.

Relax the batting-Refers to removing the batting from the packaging spreading it out so the distortion from being tightly packed can “relax”. Some quilters tumble their battings in a dryer on a no heat setting.

Resiliency- refers to the batting’s ability to retain its loft; to spring back to its original shape after being twisted, crushed, wrinkled, distorted, creased or folded.

Resin- A general term for solid or semi-solid natural organic substances, usually of vegetable origin which are soluble in alcohol or ether but not in water; or any of a large number of manufactured products made by polymerization or other chemical processes and having the properties of natural resins. These resins are applied to the fibers to give durability, crush resistance, stability, and hand. This resin coating can be sprayed to one or both sides of carded/garneted fibers. It is then dried and/or cured to form a bonded batting, generally referred to as bonding or bonded. This is used on a wide variety of fibers including polyester, cotton, wool, etc. This bonded batting resists bearding better than any other type of batting. There are many different types of fiber and resin combinations to give the desired “look” and “hand”. Combining processes, fibers and resins makes the resin bonded process the most versatile.

Shrinkage-Widthwise and lengthwise contraction of the fibers when exposed to wetting and drying or exposure to elevated temperatures. Generally this will be referred to in percentages on the labels of batting packages.

Scrim- A very thin, sheer layer of polypropylene that is needlepunched to one or both sides of a batting that helps to hold the fibers together and make it more stable. Generally makes it more difficult to hand needle.

Scouring-The use of high temperatures and caustic agents to remove seed wastes, oils. lanolin and debris to prepare fibers for bleaching or dying.

Shadowing-When the color of a batting is visible through the fabrics in the top, this may make whites/light colored fabrics appear darker or dingy. If you have white fabric in your top use a white (bleached) batting.

Siliconized- Treating fibers with silicon to make them softer, slicker and easier to needle.

Silk Fiber-A fine strong continuous filament produced by the larva of a silkworm when constructing its cocoons. Silk is noted for its strength, resiliency, and elasticity. The major sources of silk are Japan and China.

Size- Batting is available pre-packaged, cut in craft, crib or standardized bed sizes or on rolls in several different widths, by the yard.

Spinneret - A metal nozzle-type device with very fine holes used in the spinning
process of manufactured non woven fibers. The spinning solution is forced or extruded through the small holes to form continuous filament fibers. The holes in the spinneret can vary in diameter to produce fibers of various denier.

Splitting a batting-This refers to the peeling apart the layers of a batting into two equal sized batting pieces. The problem with doing this is if the batting is bonded or resin treated once it is “split” only one side is treated and the other size can now beard and migrate. This was a common practice before we had the large selection of lofts available today to achieve the loft the quilter preferred.

Standard pre-packaged sizes: Include- Craft 34X45, Crib 45 X 60, Throw 60 x 60, Twin 72 x 90, Full 81 x 96, Queen 90 x 108, Super Queen 121 x 93, and King 120 x120.

Stitch width/Quilting Distance- The recommended maximum amount of space in inches between quilted lines batting manufacturer recommend you do not exceed when quilting.

Tencel- A natural, manmade fiber. It is the trade name for the generic fiber Lyocell. Tencel is made from cellulose wood pulp, which is harvested from farmed eucalyptus trees grown on land unsuitable for food crops or grazing. This fiber represents milestones in the development of environmentally sustainable textiles. Used in blends it imparts new softness and drape. You will start to see tencel in sheets, exercise wear (as it wicks moisture away), and winter wear insulation, as well as batting. It is used extensively in conveyor belts, specialty papers, medical dressings and diaper wipes.

Thermal Bonding-Typically the batting fiber has a binder mixed/blended in it that melts at a lower temperature than polyester fiber. The blended web then is passed through an oven where the low temp melt binder will flow and bond to the surrounding polyester fibers. Problems with this type of bonding are the surface fibers are not secured and allow for migration. They cannot be dry cleaned and break down with regular washing faster than resin bonded products.

Wicking - The ability of a fiber or a fabric to disperse moisture and allow it to
pass through to the surface of the fabric, so that evaporation can take place.

Wool - Usually associated with fiber or fabric made from the fleece of sheep or
lamb. However, the term "wool" can also apply to all animal hair fibers, including
the hair of the Cashmere or Angora goat or the specialty hair fibers of the camel,
alpaca, llama, or vicuna.

List of the 63 different batting samples

2010-04-21T22:11:00.003-04:00

Hobbs (12) 200 S Commerce Dr Waco TX 76710 1-800-433-3357 sales@HobbsBondedFibers.com

1. Tuscany-Polyester siliconized resin bonded

2. Polydown-Polyester siliconized resin bonded

3. Thermore-Polyester resin bonded ultra thin patented process

4. Tuscany Silk 90%/ 10% polyester lightly needle punched light resin bonded

5. Tucany Wool 100% resin bonded

6. Heirloom Cotton Fusible 80% cotton 20% Polyester resin bonding contains a fusible chemical that fuses to both sides.

7. Heirloom bleached 80% cotton 20% polyester lightly resin bonded

8. Heirloom Black 80% cotton 20% polyester lightly needle punched resin bonded

9.Heirloom Premium 80% cotton 20% polyester un-bleached lightly resin bonded needle punched

10. Heirloom Natural 100% organic cotton needle punched

11. Heirloom Bleached 100%cotton needle punched

12. Heirloom Natural w/ scrim un-bleached needle punched

Quilters Dream (9) 589 Central Dr. Virginia Beach, VA 23454 1-888-268-8664 quiltersdreambatting@juno.com

13. Dream Poly request loft 100% polyester needle punched no resin no scrim

14. Dream Poly select loft 100% polyester needle punched no resin no scrim

15. Dream Orient select loft 100% polyester needle punched no resin no scrim

16. Dream Green select loft 100% recycled plastic bottles needle punched no resin no scrim

17.Dream Cotton request loft 100% cotton needle punched no resin no scrim

18. Dream Blend select loft 70% cotton 30% polyester needle punched ultra light scrim

19. Dream Cotton select loft 100%cotton needle punched no scrim no resin

20. Dream Midnight black request loft 100% polyester needle punched no resin no scrim

21. Dream Angel request loft 100% flame retardant fibers needle punched

Mountain Mist (8) 2551 Crescentville Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45241 1-513-326-3912

22. Blue Ribbon 100% cotton needle punched water soluble resin bonded

23. Cream Rose 100% cotton needle punched no scrim no resin

24. Cotton Blossom 95% cotton 5 % wool resin bonded

25.Cotton Blossom 95% cotton 5 % silk resin bonded

26. Mountain Mist Light 100% polyester resin bonded

27. Mountain Mist Gold 50% cotton 50% polyester needle punched resin bonded

28. Heritage Collection Completely Cotton 100% lightly needle punched resin bonded

29. EcoCraft 50% PLA (corn) 50% cotton carded resin bonded

Fairfield (9) P.O.Box 1130 Danbury CT 06813 1-800-980-8000 consumer@poly-fil.com

30.Poly-fil low loft 100% polyester low melt bonded

31.Poly-fil Traditional Craft Batt 100% poly needle punched

32.Poly-fil Hi Loft 100% poly low melt bonded

33. Poly-fil Extra loft batting 100% poly low melt bonded

34. Fairfield Machine 60/40 60%bleached Cotton/40%Poly needle punched w/ scrim

35. Fairfield Soft Touch 100% bleached cotton needle punched No scrim or seed waste

36.Fairfield Quilters 80/20 Blend unbleached 80%cotton/20% poly needle punched

37.Fairfield Cotton Classic 100% Organic cotton no scrim unbleached water based bonding

38. Fairfield Bamboo Batting 50%organic cotton 50% bamboo needle punched w/ scrim

Fiberco (10) 1300 Eden Drive Ft Worth, TX 76117 1-800-828-3778 fiberco@fiberco.com

39. Simply Cotton 100% cotton bleached needle punched w/ scrim

40. Soy Soft unbleached 50% cotton 50% soy needle punched w/ scrim

41. Bamboo Blend 50%certified organic bamboo 50%Ultra-Clean ® cotton unbleached needle punched w/scrim

42.Simply Cotton 100% unbleached needle punched w/ scrim

43.Earth Blend 50% Flax 50% cotton unbleached needle punched w/scrim

44. Simply Bamboo 100% bamboo unbleached needle punched w/ scrim

45. Simply Soft and Safe 100% Rayon needle punched

46. Poly Perfect 100% polyester needle punched w/ scrim

47. Soft & Elegant 80% cotton 20% poly unbleached needle punched w/scrim

48. Super Soft Cotton 50% bleached cotton 50% slick poly needle punched w/scrim

Back to Back Alpaca (2) 5901 E McKellips Suite 109 Mesa, AZ 85215 1-480-445-9068 sue@backtobackalpaca.com

49. 50/50 Alpaca/ Cotton needle punched unbleached

50. 60/40 Alpaca/Wool needle punched unbleached

Moda (3) 13800 Hutton Dr. Dallas, TX 75234 www.modafabrics.com

51. Luna Kyoto 50%Bamboo 50% Cotton unbleached needle punched w/scrim

52. Luna Loft 80% Cotton 20% poly unbleached needle punched w/ scrim

53. Soy Soft 50% Soy 50% Cotton unbleached needle punched w/ scrim

The Warm Co. (8) 5529 186th Place SW Lynnwood, WA 98037 1-425-248-2424 info@warmcompany.com

54.Soft & Natural 100% cotton unbleached needle punched no scrim

55. Warm Blend 50% cotton 50% poly bleached needle punched w/ scrim

56.Insul-Bright 100% hollow polyester needle punched through metalized insulating poly

57.Warm & Natural 100%cotton unbleached needle punched w/ scrim

58. Warm & Safe 100% Rayon needle punched w/ scrim

59 Soft & Bright 100% hollow Polyester needle punched w/ scrim

60. Warm & White 100% bleached cotton needle punched w/ scrim

Other included in the Warm samples but NOT a Warm product

61. 100% Cotton flannel purchased by the yard at Joann’s

Whisper Color (1) 5709 Ravenswood Lane Carmichael, CA 95608 1-916-531-3163 Laurel@whispercolor.com

62. Whisper Color 100% Bamboo unbleached needle punched thin scrim

Cedarview Farms (1) 1-519-864-4470 3028 Kimball Road Courtright,ON www.cedarviewfarms.org

63. 100% Wool open batt no scrim no resins

Ready for lecture

2010-04-19T14:32:00.000-04:00

Almost ready for my lecture have one more sample to make when it arrives and then print my handouts!

New Batting products

2010-04-06T10:59:00.000-04:00

I just sent out two more request for batting samples to Fairfield for their new FUS-BOO fusible Bamboo and one to Whisper Color for samples of their bamboo, Cotton/poly and soy blend. It seems there are new products coming on the market every day. If any of my followers see a new product advertised in a magazine please bring it to my attention. I am desperately trying to keep up!

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T10:07:00.000-05:00

This is a photo of a Valentine quilt I made for my husband years ago. My kids always called it "The Love Quilt" The fabric around the border says "I Love You" over and over but when you turn out the lights in glow in the dark letters it says things like "You never bring me flowers" , "Your mother's coming when?" "Feed the dog"," Mow the lawn"

Have a wonderful Valentines Day filled with love from those you love.

I know I said I would get back to this after the show but...

2010-02-09T21:59:00.000-05:00

My house is falling down around me, I watch a 1 year old on Mondays (he is teething, got nothing done that day) I have a meeting tomorrow and then my husband is off so it may be a while yet. I have to get caught up around here. Before I can make the time for this.

Up before the sun and off to the show!

2010-02-06T06:58:00.000-05:00

Well its 6:51 AM, I am up, showered, dressed, packed, sufficiently caffeinated and ready to go! Got a basket full of Caddies made that should be enough.

I have been so busy!

2010-01-31T16:34:00.001-05:00

I have been filling my days with dieting (preping food, planning menus), exercising , walking 3 miles a day and car shopping, so sadly I have done nothing toward getting my handouts in order. But I did get a new car!! This weekend I am vending at the Manatee Quilt show w/ my buddy Dani who will be there with me and all her beautiful quilts and patterns. I am just now starting to make the Thread Caddies for this show I have no idea how I let time get away from me I am not usually a last minute Nelly, but here I am in a panic while gearing up for a mass production. I will just get as many as I can made in the next 4 days and thats the best I can do. So for now I have moved the batting to the back burner while I attend to these pressing matters, BUT I will return to this agenda, I promise.
Until then-
Hugs,
Debra

Things to Consider before choosing your batting

2010-01-12T08:42:00.000-05:00

Things you will need to know (or make decisions about) before you can choose a batting to fit your project-

What is the size of your quilt top? Length________X Width________

What kind of quilt is it?

- Wall

-Bed

-Childs/Baby

-Garment

In what climate does the recipient live?

-Warm

-Cool

How will it be laundered?

-Frequent, probably thrown in a washer and dryer

-Seldom-by hand, laid flat to air dry

How will it be quilted?

-Hand

-Machine

-Tied

Distance of quilt space recommended by manufacturer? _______

Will the quilt be shown and/or judged?

What do you want the surface of your quilt to look like?

-Smooth and flat

-Puckered/ antique

Do you want your stitches to be accentuated?

Are you willing to pre-soak (preshrink) a batting product before you use it to get the results you want?

Is it more important to you to get the results you want or to buy the batting on sale or with a coupon?

Starting Mayo Clinic Diet tomorrow

2010-01-10T19:08:00.000-05:00

Well I have purged my kitchen of unhealthy choices, bought a new pedometer, picked up my Mayo Clinic diet journal and my refrigerator is stocked with fresh pre-measured portions of healthy fruits and vegetables. Tommorrow is day one of the "Lose it" phase which is 14 days long. I have read the book and set my goals, taken my measurements. I had a lot of false starts last year, do good for a week or two and then...fall back into late night snacking and other bad habits. Menopause hit me like a ton of bricks a couple of years after the quitting smoking weight gain and wa-la I find myself 50 lbs over weight and I cannot get out of my own way. The increase of weight is starting to give me joint issues so thats enough of that. Anybody out there want to join me, I love to hear from ya!

Here is what I have so Far

2010-01-10T10:52:00.000-05:00

The total for batting samples is at 56. I am going to update the batting I have tested list after I post this. I had a few more request to batting manufactuers out there but have not recieved a response, so at this point I am assuming they don't wish to be included in these trials.

Here is a picture of all the samples...
Doesn't look like as much work as it was just hanging there. Trying to compile a handout for the trunk show but way too much going on this week. I watch a 10 month old little boy every Monday all day, Tuesday dentist appt.,Wednesday is my local TAS chapter meeting, so it looks like it will be Thursday before I can get back to that.

2010-01-10T10:44:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke to ice in the dog's outside water bowl! Look at this photo of the thermometer at 8:30 AM
Brrrrrrr!

2010-01-07T09:07:00.003-05:00

Four more samples to work up and I am done!

2010-01-07T09:07:00.000-05:00

I have to quilt and bind my last 4 samples and I am caught up! Hooray! Then I need to spend some time cleaning up my sewing studio. YIKES! There is about 4 projects that were on going in there along with the "batting explosion", I can't find a thing! Never mind think in this confusion. I am posting photos of this mess to shame myself into getting it straighten up.

A garden chair

2010-01-07T08:36:00.003-05:00

2010-01-07T08:36:00.000-05:00

The freezing cold has found its way to the Sunshine State. All of the shrubs in my yard are frozen. Not a pretty sight. These things usually only last a day or two at the most here, this has been going on for days with worse in the forecast. Yesterday I found a little tree frog near deaths door frozen on my driveway . I took him inside and ran warm water over him, I felt him stir ever so slightly in my hand. We were on our way out so I left him in the laundry room sink in the warm house. I came home to find him completely revieved and he is now happily living in my garden chair (which is inside the house until the freeze passes) behind the welcome sign. Maybe he bring me good favor and I won't have to do much of that frog sewing this year... rip it rip it!

What do you think????

2010-01-05T09:26:00.001-05:00

I received some wonderful comments from Marit in Norway and she has what I thought were some great ideas, she said "I even wonder if it would be fun to do a quilting sample swap: quilt a sandwich, wash it, cut it up and send out to the swappers for inspiration / building a sample "library" (adding an unwashed piece of batting for reference)" and I started thinking I have leftover batting every time I make a quilt as I imagine all of you do too and this would be a great thing to do with those scraps. So I decided to put this out there to see if any of you would be interested in having your own "library" of quilted samples to refer to. I think a lot of you must be like myself and never throw away a scrap of anything even batting and maybe you already have a stash of batting scraps??? The problem will be did you save them in the bag they came in so you know for sure what brand it is?
Anyway I am putting this idea out there to see what kind of response it receives. In Harriet Hardgraves book "From Fiber To Fabric" on page117 she recommends making your own batting samples and on Harriet's website she even sells a set of samples. Maybe we could form some sort of ring around the world of quilters that share samples made by a certain set of guidelines?
Well, let me know what YOU think!

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T09:13:00.000-05:00

I am posting a photo of some roses I picked in the back yard this morning. I know a great many of you are in the grips of winter and I thought you might like to enjoy them with me. Wishing you all a GREAT New Year with much happiness and good health and if you have things to do once in a blue moon tonites your night! The second full moon in a month called a hunters moon or blue moon! Happy New Year! Be Safe as your celebrate!

Interesting- link to a visit to a batting manufacturer

2009-12-30T09:27:00.001-05:00

I was surfing around different blogs sites and came across this blog about a visit to a batting manfacturer
I thought you all might find interesting too. I know I did…
Thanks Karen for posting these great photos of the processes!

Thanks Crispy

2009-12-30T08:30:00.002-05:00

Well I see that Crispy at Crispy Quilts has been testing quilting on the sample piece of Quilters Dream Orient batting I sent her. Sorry the piece was so small Crispy but thats what they sent, pre-cut pieces.
She liked the way it needled after she got it sandwiched between two pieces of fabric she could pass a needle through. :) lol (I have been there, done that, after buying yards of such a fabric for a backing, getting it layered and basted, only to discover the only way to pass a needle through it was if I shot it from a cannon!)
I have to ask her how she hooped it? I had so much trouble trying to figure out how I was going to do the hand stitching on these little samples, the small hoops kept getting in my way- I ended up using a border hoop. Wonder what Crispy used??
Thanks for taking the time to test this little sample Crispy!! Oh I forgot to ask if she laundered it when she was done so she could see how wonderfully it puckers up! You can learn more about Orient here. If I make a quilted garment of any kind this is the batting I would choose for it drapes so nicely.

Working up the samples from MM and Warm

2009-12-21T13:34:00.000-05:00

Well I think I have enough samples ( I have 54 and will have around 60 when I am done) and materials to begin bringing this information to quilt guilds. Good thing because I believe am starting to get a repetitive task injury in my shoulder from all this machine quilting. It hurts when I am quilting and then later in the day on the days I have been quilting, my hand starts to tingle.
I still have to buff and fluff my hand out materials, but that and the completeing of the samples will have to wait for the new year as I want to enjoy every second of my holiday. I don't plan to blog this week so I wanted to take this opportunity wish all my readers a wonderful and joyous holiday! I'll be busy making memories with my family, watching my grandchildren delight in the wonder of Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Hugs
Debra

2009-12-19T06:19:00.003-05:00

Wool - Usually associated with fiber or fabric made from the fleece of sheep or
lamb. However, the term "wool" can also apply to all animal hair fibers, including
the hair of the Cashmere or Angora goat or the specialty hair fibers of the camel,
alpaca, llama, or vicuna.

The Warm Samples Arrived!

2009-12-18T21:52:00.001-05:00

Finally got the samples from the Warm Co. I know what I'll be doing tomorrow

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-18T05:50:00.004-05:00

Wicking - The ability of a fiber or a fabric to disperse moisture and allow it to
pass through to the surface of the fabric, so that evaporation can take place.

Finally!!!!

2009-12-17T06:53:00.000-05:00

The batting samples from Mountain Mist have FINALLY arrived! They are going to be a real challenge to work with because they are only about 5" (so small) I am going to have to piece 4 together to be able to cut the them the same size as all the other samples which is finished 8 1/2" because quilting "takes up" some in the process. They did send samples as handouts for my guild so that will be nice when I do the presentation for my TAS chapter in July. I'm off to start quilting. Maybe the Warm Co. package will arrive this week.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-17T06:33:00.002-05:00

Thermal Bonding-Typically the batting fiber has a binder mixed/blended in it that melts at a lower temperature than polyester fiber. The blended web then is passed through an oven where the low temp melt fibers will flow and bond to the surrounding polyester fibers. Problems with this type of bonding are the surface fibers are not secured and allow for migration. They cannot be dry cleaned and break down with regular washing faster than resin bonded products. This type of bonding is sometimes referred to as Glazine.

Batting Terminology-Word of the day

2009-12-16T21:12:00.000-05:00

Tencel- A natural, manmade fiber. It is the trade name for the generic fiber Lyocell. Tencel is made from cellulose wood pulp, which is harvested from farmed eucalyptus trees grown on land unsuitable for food crops or grazing. This fiber represents milestones in the development of environmentally sustainable textiles. Used in blends it imparts new softness and drape. You will start to see tencel in sheets, exercise wear (as it wicks moisture away), and winter wear insulation, as well as batting.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-15T09:02:00.000-05:00

Splitting a batting-This refers to the peeling apart the layers of a batting into two equal sized batting pieces. The problem with doing this is if the batting is bonded or resin treated once it is “split” only one side is treated and the other size can now beard and migrate.

Thank you SEW much for your comments!!

2009-12-14T23:13:00.000-05:00

Thank you for your posts about what battings you have tried, I really appreciate hearing from you all. Finally got the box from Mountain Mist!! I'm off to quilt~
Debra

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-14T10:00:00.002-05:00

Spinneret - A metal nozzle type device with very fine holes used in the spinning process of manufactured non woven fibers. The spinning solution is forced or extruded through the small holes to form continuous filament fibers. The holes in the spinneret can vary in diameter to produce fibers of various denier.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-13T08:28:00.001-05:00

Giving you a few today to make up for yesterday-
Silk Fiber-A fine strong continuous filament produces by the larva of a silkworm when constructing its cocoons. Silk is noted for its strength, resiliency, and elasticity. The major sources of silk are Japan and China.

Size- Batting is available pre-packaged, cut in standardized bed sizes or on rolls in several different widths, by the yard.

Standard pre-packaged sizes: Include- Craft 34X45, Crib 45 X 60, Throw 60 x 60, Twin 72 x 90, Full 81 x 96, Queen 90 x 108, Super Queen 121 x 93, and King 120 x120.

Under the weather...

2009-12-13T08:22:00.000-05:00

So sorry I did not get the terminology word of the day up yesterday I have been sick and did not have the strength or inclination to do it. I started antibiotics yesterday and got a good night’s sleep so I am feeling just a little improvement over yesterday. This weather doesn't help one day I have the A/C on the next I am burning a fire in the fire place.
I would love to tell you I am working on samples but I still have not received the samples from Warm Co. or Mountain Mist. It has been two weeks since I called. This is so frustrating to me as I have written 3 letters and sent at least 3 e-mails and called and was told they were on the way 2 weeks ago.
I have added a few more words to the terminology so they will be coming at you out of alphabetical order here real soon. Would love to hear from any readers who have had issues with any brands of batting or have tried any of the new battings appearing on the shelves with your opinions.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-11T01:26:00.002-05:00

Siliconized- Treating fibers with silicon to make them softer, slicker and easier to needle.

I need to hear from all of you!

2009-12-11T01:24:00.000-05:00

What brands of batting have you tried? What are your favorites? Do you use the same brand over and over like I did afraid to try somthing new because you were unsure of the results? Have you tried a batting and had a bad experience? What went wrong? Please let me hear from you!

2009-12-10T07:42:00.000-05:00

Scouring-The use of high temperatures and caustic agents to remove seed wastes, oils. lanolins and debris to prepare fibers for bleaching or dying.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-09T07:44:00.002-05:00

Scrim- A very thin, sheer layer of polypropylene that is needle punched to one or both sides of a batting that helps to hold the fibers together and make it more stable. Generally makes it more difficult to hand needle.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-08T07:32:00.003-05:00

Shrinkage- When exposed to water and heat the batting draws up and becomes smaller, this will be referred to in percentages.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-07T07:49:00.000-05:00

Resin- A resin coating sprayed to one or both sides of carded/garnetted fibers, this coating is then dried and cured to form a bonded batting, generally referred to as bonding or bonded. This is used on a wide variety of fibers including polyester, cotton, wool, etc. This bonded batting resists bearding better than any other type of batting. There are many different types of fiber and resin combinations to give the desired “look” and”hand”. Combining processes, fibers and resins makes the resin bonded process the most versatile.

Here is Caprice showing her animals the house she made.

2009-12-06T18:08:00.003-05:00

Hope this finds you all are making holiday memories with your dear ones too!

...and that makes TWO gingerbread houses this weekend!

2009-12-06T18:07:00.001-05:00

Well I baked off another house for my grandaughter to decorate. Boy we are is the Christmas spirit now! Caprice did a very good job on her first Gingerbread house. I am off to put my feet up and reload all my software into my computer. Whew, am I ever tired!

The 2009 Gingerbread House

2009-12-06T12:34:00.003-05:00

Let the decorating begin!

2009-12-06T12:33:00.003-05:00

Holiday Mayhem

2009-12-06T12:31:00.000-05:00

During the month of December we normally have a family get together for the annual orange harvest and OJ squeezin'! Everyone picks the tree in our backyard clean and we all squeeze gallons of fresh orange juice. We celebrate my daughters birthday on the 11th and we build & decorate our Christmas gingerbread house. Somehow we managed to do all those things this weekend. I kept my grandson last night for a sleepover and we made the gingerbread for the house. I made a big holiday breakfast this morning and called my daughter and her husband and said "Breakfast is ready!" They came over and we decorated the gingerbread house, picked oranges, juiced them and because Katrina & her husbands family will all be going away to Disney for her birthday we went ahead and did that too. I thought I would share some of our holiday with all of you. (You'll have to excuse my grandsons haircut he cut his own hair the day before Thankgiving and a buzz cut was the only option, it has actually grown quite a bit)

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-05T21:44:00.002-05:00

Resiliency- refers to the battings ability to retain its loft; to spring back when creased or folded.

Having computer Issues

2009-12-05T07:23:00.000-05:00

I am writting you from my lap top on this rainy, chilly Florida morning as mydesk top computer operating system crashed yesterday when I attempted to load Windows Seven. Hope to be back up and running later today and will post the terminology at that time. Still have not received any new batting samples but I am ready for them when they do finally arrive.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-04T07:46:00.000-05:00

Pre-Soak- Some batting manufactures recommend you pre-soak (shrink) a batting to ensure there will be no shrinkage in the finished quilt. This is usually done by filling a washing machine w/ hot water submerging the batting and allowing it to soak (No agitation) and then spinning the water away. That is followed by laying it flat and allowing it to air dry or tumble in the dryer. Follow manufactures’ instructions on the package.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-03T08:25:00.002-05:00

Plain Batting-Plain or garnetted batting is fibers that have been processed through a garnett or carding equipment and layered with no other processes. It is not bonded together in any manner it is very easy to quilt (needle) but has the potential for migration, bunching and shifting between the quilted lines. Requires quilting no more than ½” apart or less to prevent migration.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-02T06:04:00.000-05:00

Piecing/Splicing Batting- Refers to stitching two smaller pieces of the same batting together to make one larger piece to fit the size of a quilt. This is best done by hand with a herringbone stitch and a curved seam.

2009-12-01T20:04:00.000-05:00

Spoke to Warm Co. and Mountain Mist yesterday should have samples of their products next week.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-12-01T08:22:00.002-05:00

‘Open’ Wool batting- Open wool refers to the cleaned, combed and carded wool that has not been bonded or needle punched and tends to beard (migrate) excessively.

Christmas is coming!

2009-11-30T17:45:00.000-05:00

My mothers Christmas cactus plants are begining to bloom!
I always feel she is with me during the holiday season when I see her cactus bloom.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-30T09:29:00.000-05:00

Migration/ Bearding- The movement of batting fibers through the quilt top or back.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-29T10:08:00.002-05:00

Pre-Soak/Pre-Shrink- The process of pre-shrinking a batting. This is usually done by soaking in water about 95 degrees (no agitation) and spinning the water out, followed by drying in a dryer or rolling in a dry towel and air drying flat, this is done to prevent any shrinkage of the finished quilt the during subsequent washing and dryings.

2009-11-28T13:13:00.002-05:00

What is Tencel?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_oq6I_7Khg

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-28T07:20:00.002-05:00

Neps- Tiny wads of tangles fibers which can make it difficult to needle.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-27T13:03:00.000-05:00

Needling-The act of passing a threaded needle through the top, batting and back of a quilt during the quilting process.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-26T08:42:00.002-05:00

Needle punched- The process of punching hundreds of tiny barbed needles through the fibers which causes the fibers to interlock similar to needle felting. Needle punched wool or poly tends to migrate. But will not bunch or shift like plain carded products. Needle punched products can also be thermal or resin bonded.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-25T09:49:00.002-05:00

Loft- The weight, thickness and resilience of batting.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-24T08:38:00.000-05:00

Glazine Finish-Typically the batting is passed through a mechanical process that applies heat to the surface of the web. The surface is “sealed” or “glazed”. This helps minimize the potential for bearding, bunching and shifting and results in good stability. Not to be confused with Stearns and Foster’s (Mountain Mist) Glazene® finish which is a water soluble starch based product that is applied to the surfaceof their cotton batting and washes away when laundered.

Batting samples total near 50 now

2009-11-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

Well I have nearly 50 samples of different battings made into quilted samples I sure hope this will be something that the quilting world wants to see and I have not just made myself a lifetime supply of potholders. Hoping to get the Warm samples this week Still have not heard from Mountain Mist.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-23T07:24:00.002-05:00

Finish-The method used to treat the fibers in a batting. This can be needle punched, bonded (thermally or with resin) or can have a layers of scrim added.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-22T08:37:00.000-05:00

Drape- The hang or stiffness a finished quilt or quilted clothing will have which is directly affected by the loft of the batting and the density of the quilting.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-21T10:04:00.000-05:00

Denier- A unit of measure of the fineness of a fiber.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-20T10:37:00.001-05:00

Color-Batting generally comes in natural-off white (un-bleached), White (bleached) and black. Although there is a new “green/eco-friendly” batting that is made from recycled bottles and it is green in color as well.

Earliest Batting Company Union Wadding Pawtucket, RI

2009-11-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-19T08:02:00.000-05:00

Alpaca- A member of the camelidae (camels and llamas) family this fur bearing animal who is native to the mountainous regions of South America are now being raised commercially in the US and Australia. Its silky fleece is as soft as cashmere and comes in over 20 natural colors. Alpaca fleece contains no lanolin and requires much less scouring than wool.

Wow Alpaca Blends needle like butter!

2009-11-18T19:15:00.000-05:00

Alpaca Samples are done! Slight bearding on the wool/alpaca blend.

2009-11-18T16:39:00.001-05:00

The Alpaca samples arrived- WooHoo!!

2009-11-18T16:17:00.000-05:00

I have my thimble on my finger & I'm off to stitch!

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-18T08:17:00.002-05:00

Carding/ Carded-The process of combing fibers between two cards to cleanse and untangle them and prepare them for spinning. This process can also be called garnetting.

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-17T06:46:00.000-05:00

Bunching/shifting- When batting fibers bunch up and or shift inside the quilting lines, it will appear as clumps of fibers in the corners of a quilted area.

Watching for delivery

2009-11-16T06:37:00.000-05:00

I am awaiting delivery of more batting to make more samples.I sent another letter and e-mail to one of the manufactuers that I have contacted 3 x's. The Alpaca samples should arrive this week and the ones from Warm. I'll keep you posted!

Batting Terminology-Word of the Day

2009-11-16T06:17:00.001-05:00

Bonding/Bonded- A process that uses sprayed on binders and/or resins or uses heat (thermal bonding) or needle punching, to treat/bond batting fibers to prevent bearding (migrating), and allows the batting to remain in one smooth sheet this helps prevents tearing and stretching as it is unrolled and spread