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Caution with pieced batting


ffq-lar

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Here is a heads-up if you are brought a large pieced batting--just to show a customer what can happen if you forget to measure first, pin, and then sew together.

I just finished a 110"X110" giant where the customer provided a batting (W&W) that was pieced to size. She added 36" to one side with a medium zig-zag stitch on her DSM. I measured through both middles and got measurements of 120" both ways. When I loaded the batting, I brought the pieced end up to match the top edge to see if I needed to adjust it to position in the middle. The bottom end of the batting measured 110"--the exact width of the top. Yikes! When she had pieced the batting, she must have had the larger piece on the bottom and she then eased that 120" length and then just cut the added piece off at the edge without measuring it. The photo shows the loaded batting with the bottom edge brought up to match the top edge. That rippled seam shows the eased material. Below the seam is the 120" width, and above is the 110" width. It all worked out with careful nudging. I took the photos to show her if I had needed to patch in an extra piece of batting at the end.

Just thought I would share. And just when you thought you had all eventualities covered!

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I have one of those battings from a customer that will be going on the machine by the weekend. I noticed it when she dropped off 5 other quilts and I told her that she most likely will have bunches of batting between the quilt layers because of he piecing of the batt..she decided to go ahead with the batting as is and said it was only going to a niece that was going to be taking it to college so she didn't care if there was bunches of batting....I told her ok, it was her $ and that se was warned (I had her sign to the affect, ;) ).

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I've always questioned how to piece batting. If my customer pieced it with a DSM zigzag like yours, I would use it as is. However, if it was my quilt, I wouldn't want that lump to show or be able to feel it. I've used a hemming stitch to very gently piece batting, but I'm always afraid that after quilting it may separate with wear and pulling etc. I've tried placing the pieced seam along a natural seam in the quilt, but that's not always possible.

So, here is the question: What is the best way to piece batting?

That's a beautiful red/white quilt. I just did one for my daughter. When I get it back I'll post a picture.

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Bonnie,

When I piece batting I do it by hand and use a large herringbone stitch. I just did it on my son's wedding quilt. it really doesn't take long and you don't get the bulk that you would get if you did it on the machine. I laid out the two pieces and butted them together on my milli table. It worked out very well and it went quickly.

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Bonnie....Heidi is so correct, you don't get that nasty showing bulge....if you do a loose whip stitch or the Herringbone stitch.

I have to admit for my own if I do this I use a vey loose zig zag and its not as bad, but for customer quilts I would do it the other way....and yes I charged them by the hour to do this.

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  • 6 months later...

I've pieced batting before for smaller projects, but I don't think I'd want to take a chance with such a large one.. Too much area for something to go wrong and shift around. When I do piece one, I make sure I have the edges trimmed straight and butt them together, then use a long machine zigzag.

That red and white quilt looks smashing! I am glad it worked out and thanks for sharing he heads up. I am soaking up all this great info before my machine arrives ;-)

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Originally posted by SheriB

May I ask, are those wall paper trays on the bottom??????????

Yes, exactly. They keep the quilt off the carpet when I photograph, and I use them under the table to hold a long top--I float all my tops. Three bucks a piece at Lowes--cut one end off two, and both ends off two, and you can line them up to span the table. (I am the queen of cheap--er--make that re-purposing. The batting that hangs down rests in two boxes that rolls of batting come in--cut off one end and one long side--nest the ends of the two together and there ya go. Den calls it the batting trough!)

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Originally posted by Luvstoquilt

I use that flimsy interfacing to iron the seams. I just lay the sides next to each other---put a 2 inch piece of interfacing on top and then press. There is never any bulge. I do it in about 18 inch sections at a time or whatever size the interfacing is.

THAT is a fantastic idea!

Well, as to what I do, I know this won't surprise anyone who knows me (I'm a bit of a rebel w/out a clue) I "piece" my batts all the time by just layering them as I'm quilting. I just overlap the batt a bit (about 1/2 - 1 inch) as it comes to that part of the quilt and quilt over it all.

This quilt here is 80x60 and I used about 4 different pieces of QD Wool batts layered/pieced vertically and horizontally. I can never tell visually where the overlap is, and I just went and ran my hands over the whole quilt and can't feel them either.

Don't know why, but it works great for me all the time. :P

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