newmillie2010 Posted July 21, 2010 Report Share Posted July 21, 2010 What are the regulations regarding batting in baby quilts? 100% cotton? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted July 21, 2010 Report Share Posted July 21, 2010 I don't know if we are under the obligations for baby quilts but QD has a Angel that is wonderful. It stitches up beautifully and is flame retardent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckeindl Posted July 21, 2010 Report Share Posted July 21, 2010 Yeah - there aren't any "Batting Police" just kidding. But for me, if a baby quilt will be washed alot and I want it to stay slightly puffy/soft then a poly batting (thin or thick, whichever you like). But if I want that "antique" look and it may not be washed alot 100% cotton works for me. Of course sometimes I sit on the fence and use a 50/50 or 80/20. Let us know how it goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newmillie2010 Posted July 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2010 i'm pretty sure that i've heard that there is a federal regulation of some sort that states that 'baby' blankets/clothing/etc. are suppose to be 100% cotton or flame retardant or something like that. I do not want to put a baby in jeopardy by using the wrong type of batting. then again, i've had chemo so a lot of info falls through those chemo holes (that's my story anyway...)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie Rouse Posted July 21, 2010 Report Share Posted July 21, 2010 I agree with Heidi. We tested battings a few years ago and the Angel batting really is flame retardant-it just goes out. Poly is scary and cotton definitely burns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Porch Quilting Posted July 21, 2010 Report Share Posted July 21, 2010 Just an FYI that I picked up a few years back (can't remember where, SIL is a firefighter) the fabric (and I am sure that this would apply to batting) is flame retardant because of a chemical that they spray or soak an item in and if you read the labels it will tell you (sometimes if you can find a label) that the first time the item is washed in a detergent the flame retardant is washed out. Thus the item is no longer flame retardant. I know they should make this more public so everyone knows. But they don't. The other thing that you do want to consider is that poly will melt and cotton will burn. That is why they recommend aprons in kitchens of public places are made of cotton so that the poly does not melt and stick to the skin. Neither of the options sound fun to me. Good luck with your choice but if you are making them to sell I would put a warning on them about the detergent taking out the flame retardant. Just a thought. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjtinkle Posted July 21, 2010 Report Share Posted July 21, 2010 The regulation hasn't gone into effect yet... I'm fairly certain anyway. But when it has, everything will have to be tested, just the batting being flame retardent won't suffice, your fabric and threads will have to uphold the same standards. In the meantime, my favorite batting for baby quilts is QD poly. It's soft, wears like crazy, and looks great quilted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted September 18, 2010 Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 Great topic!!! 95 percent of my job in the Navy was firefighting, teaching firefighting and testing firefighting methods to include materials to be used on ships. Yep, I was a "lab rat", just try fighting a fire with an internal thermometer (you know where). I can tell you that poly is a very, very ugly thing when it comes in contact with flames, as Front Porch stated it melts and sticks. As it melts it sticks to skin and sizzles deep into your skin layers as it burns in along with the fibers. Poly also gives off toxic fumes when it burns. Debrising a burn (wound) with poly is very painful and difficult. Nylon is even worse (I know it's not in quilts but think of your fine sleepware). Front Porch is also correct about "flame- retardant", each time you wash an article the retardant is less effective. Most flame retardent childrens' sleepware is cotton which has the flame retardent added. Cotton will burn fast, but it turns to ash instead of melting. If you've been around the military, you'll see their blankets were and some still are 100 percent wool. Wool is the most resistent to burning, try it. Anything I make for a child is 100 percent cotton (with cotton or wool thread) fabric. I use either QD Angel batting or wool. In fact, any quilt I make knowing it's going to be used for bedding I use wool batting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted September 18, 2010 Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 Interesting topic and frightening, too. I think these issues would apply to the elderly, especially in nursing homes, as well as the babies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted September 18, 2010 Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 Quilters Dream Angel is wonderful stuff. It is not treated with a chemical retardant -- there is just something inherently flame retardant about the fibers (they don't specify what they are). I just used it in a little baby quilt and it is the smoothest, softest stuff! Quilts up beautifully and I just loved it. Glad I've got 4 more crib-sized batts, as my niece is having a baby in November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-Jane Posted September 18, 2010 Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 Connie, my friend had his self propelled 155 howitzer hit by an R.P.G. (rocket propelled grenade-nasty thing), the hydraulic fluid burns very fast and hot and those vehicles carry gallons in pressurized lines along with 250 gallons of diesel fuel,in trying to get the crew out they used the army wool blankets soaked with water, worked very good. If they dried at the edge or something they just smoldered. Anything of a plastic nature turns hot and runny sticking to everything and burning all the while, thanx for doing what you did as we all benefited by better materials to keep us less exposed to danger---Dave B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgene Posted September 18, 2010 Report Share Posted September 18, 2010 I never put poly batting in children's quilts. I almost never put it in anything except trapunto. If a customer asks for it for a child's quilt, I tell them about how it can melt INTO the skin, and is not easy to remove. This usually convinces them. It doesn't have to be a house fire to damage a child, it could be in contact with a lit candle or a stove or a portable heater, or a maybe even extended contact with a light bulb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted September 20, 2010 Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 - Georgene, very true!!! Great point to bring up. Sandra, another great point, concerning the elderly. Linda, true statement about QD Angel, great stuff, I love it. - Dave, thanks for the story, I hope your friend is ok. When the USS STARK was hit with a missle, one of the officers was wearing nylon undies, they melted into his skin and had to have several surgerys to get the wound clean because of the nylon got way down in his skin layers. That's why our uniform requirements were cotton underwear only. Not trying to be funny but stories like this make the misery I endured during firefighting method/material testing worth it!! While in the Navy I was one of the first female firefighters on ships plus I was a lot smaller so I got to test a lot of stuff. I have several "Navy wool blankets" in my upstairs closet to use as a cover in case we have a fire and have to go through the flames. Their just to scratchy to sleep under, LOL. - I recommend if you're worried about batting burning/melting test a piece in the sink, hold a flame to it and see what happens. Dave you are correct, the 100 percent wool just smolters. - I'm not versed in the law but I would think that the "flame retardent" requirments would apply if we "sold"our childrens quilts. Just like charging sales tax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted September 20, 2010 Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 Nylon will actually hold in the heat a lot longer too and it doesn't have to be from fire! I spilled a cup of coffee down my chest to my belly button. I had 2nd and 3rd degree burns and the 3rd degree burns were from my bra that was nylon. Thankfully the nylon didn't melt into my skin but I'm here to tell you that burns are no fun! Good topic and now I'm happy that my favorite choice, wool, is the best to use too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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