HELP!!! Batting

[Suzie W.]

I am not a happy quilter right now. I just loaded the first of 3 customer quilts on my frame. Customer brought me a large bat(role) of poly batting. I am not familiar with bats and as to this point have always bought pkg. batting and of a cotton blend myself. When she came in with it--I just assumed it was wrapped folded and would be plenty wide. I was mistaken. The batting measures out to about 62 inches and her quilt is 86" wide. I can stretch it--but it has a lot of weak spots.

Her other quilts are much larger--so I am puzzled. Am I missing something--do they have wider roles--what am I supposed to do? I will be doing pantos on them. Any help would be appreciated!

[newmillie2010]

personally i would call my client and explain that the batting she provided is not large or wide enough for her quilt(s). Would she like to provide you with different batting? Or would she like you to provide the batting at a charge? If she suggests that you piece the batting she provided in order to get it wide enough, i would immediately tell her that there is a charge for that service. Since I have batting that would fit (a nice 80/20 blend) I personally would gently urge her to let me provide the batting. I know that my batting will fit and will quilt up nicely. If she wants to provide batting, the quilt goes on hold until she provides you with batting that will fit the bill. Don't let her leave until you make sure that the new batting is large enough. Good time to give a batting mini-lesson to client ...

[Neher-in-law5]

Yes, call her and tell her that it doesn't fit.

But as a poly batting person, I wouldn't want to be "gently urged" until I chose to have a cotton blend instead. The ones that I have made when I followed someone's suggestion that this "cotton blend" would be wonderful, lightweight, and breathe are the very quilts that are just too heavy and stiff for our likes. So encourage her to get a batting that will fit and she has selected, or let her do the piecing. I wouldn't try to stretch the present batting at all.

[RoseCity Quilter]

Don't strech it! Definately phone the client and tell her the problem. She probably did not realize herself that it was too small.

[KathG]

Suzie

Just a thought, I have a roll of Hobbs Poly down which is 120" wide, but on he roll it is folded in half and needs opening out.

[Quilting Heidi]

sometimes battings do come this narrow. I would probably just cut several pieces that are the width I need and then overlap then slightly when I need to add the next section and keep on quilting. They do have a new fiber bond for this purpose that you can get from Kingsmen but you can also use a little spray baste to keep the batting in place.

[LadyLake]

I require that my customers buy the batting from me for several reasons: I have control over always having batting intended for longarms; I'm the one who cuts the batting to size; the batting is nicely rolled or packed, so I don't have to keep track of who's batting is who's or where to store it all; and the sale is part of my profit margin (not the quilt store's).

[nora123]

sound like the roll of batting was to be pieced down the middle. I would call her and ask her what you should and if you have to seam it do it by hand and charge her an hourly rate to do it. IMHO.

Nora

[newmillie2010]

thank you, joan/ladylake! I don't 'require' that my customers buy my batting, but when I let them know that i carry an excellent batting and i'm willing to sell and cut it (for a fee), most of them go for it. and no one has ever been disappointed.

i have only had to piece one batting (for my own quilt, thank goodness) and I don't overlap because of bulking - serpentine cut and then gently whip-stitch it in place. even seam, no bulk.

i have the new product that bonds the seams together and i'll be giving that a try with table runners to see how it works.

[GrandmaLKB]

Are you sure that batting isn't folded? If opened out, it would be around 120" wide. I don't think I've ever seen a rolled batting that measured 62". Maybe there is !

When I do have to piece, I don't whip it together, but gently pull the "joining" edges to thin them out and then overlap those two edges and quilt away. If you are doing al all over design, that batting isn't going to move.

So far, the people I have quilted for ask ME if I have batting or if they need to get some. I tell them that I have a nice batting and prefer to use mine. They are usually relieved that they don't have to go buy a batting.

[Sandra Darlington]

Most of my customers want to buy batting at JoAnn's with their coupon, although I do tell them I sell batting from Quilter's Dream. I have a sample pack that they can see and feel. Most of them like it, but still "cheap out" and want to shop for whatever JoAnn's has at 40% or 50% off when they go there.

I do insist on using my own threads, but even though I now own about 350 cones, I just had to order one cone of Rainbows for a customer who could not find anything here that was perfect for her quilt, so I spent $8.95 on shipping for 1 cone! I need to figure a way around this from happening again. I think this is still "new quilter" syndrome of trying to please all my customer's whims. I'll soon get over it.

[Suzie W.]

Thanks for all your input. I did call and leave her a message but have not heard back yet. I am hoping she will agree to just let me buy it and VERY SOON!

I was shocked when I unrolled the batting and it was a single thickness only. I even had my daughter come and examined it to be sure I was seeing correctly!

Next time I'll check backing for squareness and threads hanging off all over.

Next time I will get measurements of the tops with customer there--unfortunately I didn't this time and there is a lot of fullness in parts of them.

Next time I will check whatever batting might be brought in.

I will always use my own threads.

So several lessons learned. Thanks for listening and your support!

[Bekah]

ah Suzie sounds like you hang out in my shop. it has taken me a while to learn to measure the tops WHILE the customer is in my presence so I can explain the right way to put on borders and why there might be a pleat or tuck in theirs this time around. and all the rest of your "next times". I know from my own experience it is still wanting to please everyone who comes through my door so I have customers.

I have 4 rolls of Legacy batting in my shop for QOV quilts that are 60 or 62 " wide that QOV quilters ordered and then backed out of. Have not quilted with any of it but wonder if this is the batting she brought you. it is a poly.

[Suzie W.]

Ah Bekah, you are so sweet. Thanks.

All I know is the mother is a hand quilter (she did piece these by machine) that will not be able to finish these quilt tops herself due to health reasons. Her daughter brought it all by and knows nothing herself about the sewing/quilting world. You may be right on the batting--maybe I'll end of finding out when she calls.