Embroidery work, use batting behind it or not?

[Pat C]

I'm about to start embroidering the 'Over the River and Through the Woods' quilt and it was suggested by the LQS to use a very thin batting behind the muslin when doing the embroidery.  Wish I hadn't been in such a hurry or I'd have asked 'why?'

 

Now I'm double-thinking it.  Have any of you done this and if so, why? 

 

I'm planning to quilt it with wool batting so the quilting will really stand out.  I'm not sure how this thin layer of batting would work on top of the wool batting.

 

Thanks for any advice!

[susanramey]

A customer brought her Winter Wonderland quilt top to me to quilt and she is very experienced with embroidery.  She said she used a layer of flannel under her fabric.  I have also started my own WW blocks and followed her advice.  It is working so much better than just the fabric alone.  Wish I knew this tip a long time ago....  I don't have to use a hoop and the stitches look so even using this technique.

[delld]

I would think that the very thin layer would prevent traveling threads from showing though the white fabric. Just don't travel with your threads and then you won't have a problem.

 

I thinks Susan has it right! None of the quilt I' ve done had the batting or flannel.

[lindasewsit]

I am working on the "Winter Wonderland".  The instructions tell you to put another layer of fabric behind the block.  I am just using another layer of unbleached muslin.  It is so your traveling threads don't show.  I have used a pellon fleece behind hand embroidery before on other projects.  Just gives it a nice look.  

[CindyT]

Pretty much all the embroidery quilts I've been getting in lately have another layer of "something" behind the embroidery, whether it be muslin, thin batting, flannel or some kind of stablizer. It does hide the tails well when it's quilted.

[Zora]

I  did Snow Days, also by Crabapple Hill. I used a thin muslin behind...be sure to wash and dry it, because the thin stuff shrinks.  You need to use it so the threads don't show through on the front when you travel, as was mentioned.  When the blocks were joined together, it was pretty thick at some of the seams.  I haven't quilted it yet, so I don't know how much of a problem its going to be to quilt.  Over the River is embroidered panels surrounded by piece work, so it won't be as much of a problem either way.  Snow days is a different layout, with some of the embroidered panels connection to other embroidered panels, so you have the 4 layers of fabric.

 

I quilted an Over the River for a friend, and she used a very thin batting instead.  It worked great. If I am ever insane enough to undertake another of these gorgeous embroidered quilts, I will use the thin batting.  It did require a bit heavier quilting because of the extra loft in those areas.  But, the overall project looked wonderful and you could not tell there was extra batting there. It is also  much easier to embroider through, according to my friend who has done a lot of this.  I think there is a batting made especially for this purpose, but you could also use Thermore (Hobbs) which is very thin. 

[Pat C]

Thank you all for your great advice!  Now I feel much better taking on this project with the thin batting.  Since it's already basted I'll proceed, but next time I may try the flannel or another piece of muslin.

 

Such wisdom on this forum!!