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Double Batting for Baby Quilts


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I would not double batt and I would not use wool. I would use Quilter's Dream Puff if you want more puff to the quilt. If the quilt is actually used, it's going to go in the washer and dryer a lot. Poly holds up better to frequent washings.

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I do not use poly batting in a baby quilt.  In the case of a fire, that poly will melt and burn--and stick to the baby who might not be able to throw a quilt off of themselves.  So unless a poly batting says it has been treated to be fire retardant I won't use it in a baby quilt.  (This on recommendation of a fireman friend of mine). 

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There is a quilt batting made by Quilter's Dream for baby quilts.   It is called Dream Angel.  It is fire retardant.  It comes in Select or Request.  I would recommend Select as the Request is thinner.  I suppose if you want it puffier you could use one of each.  I find the Request in all of there battings tends to stretch more on my longarm.  I read that there Request is more for crafting.  Hope this helps.

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Up front, I will say I am skeptical of blanket statements; "use this its the best", and old wives tales.  In many cases the statements are simply not true.  The recommendation of a fireman friend got my brain spinning, so I had to do some research.  Which as always taught me more than I was looking for.

 

I will start out, if we are talking about fire hazards, do all the fabric we use in our baby quilts meet the national fire standards.  I only ask as one of my local fabric stores has signs stating that the fabric in the "children's" section does not meet the safety standards for children sleepwear.  I first visited Hobbs Bonded Fabrics.  Under their FAQ section, I found this.

 

What batting should I use in my baby quilt?

Again, personal preference comes into play here. Some prefer natural fibers and stick with cotton, wool or silk. Others prefer the washability and loft choices provided by Poly-Down® or Thermore®. Many quilters find that Heirloom® 80/20 blend is a great choice because it provides the look and feel of a vintage cotton quilt. The small bit of polyester in the blend provides a little extra loft as well as extra strength for frequent washing. Tuscany silk or wool make lovely baby quilts, but do require a gentle touch when washing.

 

Interesting that Hobbs does not address any fire rating standards, and you would think that they would just for liability issues.  When I called Hobbs, I was told that they did not have any information as to what batting should or should not be used of fire retardant issues concerning batting.  I did find these off topic issues, that might be helpful. 

 

What are “pokies”?

This term usually refers to small bits of batting fibers appearing on the back of the quilt during the quilting process. This is most common with cotton or cotton blend battings and the bits on the back will wash away during laundering. Occasionally seen during the long arm quilting process, it is most often a result of an oversized needle or a needle that has a slight burr that is not visible to the eye. Changing the machine needle will usually correct the issue. Thread choice can also be a factor. Cotton is a dry fiber and occasionally cotton threads will pull at the cotton batting fibers during the quilting process. Changing to a polyester thread can alleviate the problem. Using high quality thread is very important to successful machine quilting.   Lower quality threads generate a great deal of lint and break easily at the high speeds used in machine stitching.

 

How do I wash my quilt?

All quilts, old or new, should be washed with care. It is recommended to wash by hand or in a washer on the gentle cycle using cool water. Be especially cautious with front loading washers as the intense spin cycle on these machines can be very hard on quilts. Drying should be done on the very lowest heat setting or on air dry.   If no shrinkage is desired, laying the quilt out to air dry is recommended. Extreme heat and agitation should be avoided for any quilt, but particularly for quilts with silk and wool battings. Over drying is detrimental to the long term strength and colorfastness of any quilt and should be avoided.

Vintage quilts require a more delicate process of gently soaking in a bathtub of cool water on top of a large sheet. Fill the tub, soak, and drain the water. Repeat until the water runs clear. Allow the final rinse water to drain away and use the sheet to carry the wet quilt to be laid out to air dry on a flat surface. The sheet helps to safeguard the quilt during transport. Without it the weight of the wet quilt can cause thread breakage or tearing of fragile fabrics.

 

Should I prewash my batting?
Hobbs Bonded Fibers does not recommend prewashing the battings. They are designed to be used directly from the package.  If prewashing is desired, the batting should be soaked in the bathtub, not a machine washer as the spin on the new washers have been known to damage batting as well. Be sure to handle gently to prevent tearing while wet.

 

How do I remove any creases or wrinkles caused by packaging?
You can place the batting in the drier for 5 to 10 minutes with a damp washcloth to remove creases or wrinkles.

 

Hobbs also has a Charity Batting program that sound interesting, which I will have to share with my guild.  Some you may find it helpful in your endeavors also;  http://www.hobbsbatting.com/resources/for-quilters/giving-back/

 

Back to the fire retardant statement.  When you research child sleepwear and fire standards, here are some rather easy reads.  http://babyclothes.about.com/od/sleepwear/a/Understanding-The-U-S-Cpsc-Childrens-Sleepwear-Regulations.htm

 

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a18973/flame-retardant-pajamas/    From what I gathered, when it comes down to children sleepwear, if it is lose and baggy it has to meet set standards for fire resistance and self-extinguishing when touched by a small flame such as a candle, lighter or match.  If the clothing is tight or "snug fitting" they do not have to meet the fire resistance standards.  

 

I found this article.  It is not a truly scientific study, but it is interesting and addresses the issue at hand and was in a quilting magazine.  Though it does not address why the batting would be hanging out and not sandwiched between two layers of fabric. so take if for what it is worth;  http://www.imqa.org/media/uploads/2011/11/17/files/BattingArticleFall2011_1.pdf   

 

While we all want our children, grand/great-grand children and any child or person we give a quilt, to be as safe as possible, I believe we can carry things overboard at times concerning what is safe/dangerous or good/bad.  Did we quilt with poly or cotton thread?  Which is more dangerous in a fire?  Will the invisible poly thread I SID wrap around a baby's finger and cause an issue?  NO per Dr. Thread at Superior Threads, and my own pull tests that found it breaks at a lower poundage verses cotton thread and even ones own hair.  It all comes down to not leaving an open flame near a baby/child, and not using or leaving matches or lighters near babies or children.  In a full blown house fire, there are just too many variables and heat sources to say what is truly the safest item.  Are there any other deadly items in the crib or bed with the child?   Stuffed animals, toys, paper, and the list goes on and on.  

 

What do you wear to bed?  Nude - most hubby/man's pick no flame/self igniting hazard there, sexy nylon/polyester nightie - which more than likely leads to the first statement , or safe neck to toe snug fitting cotton or wool footy to hood nightwear?  Choose wisely.

 

In the end, it all comes down to what you believe is best for you and the person you are giving your quilt.  It is amazing that any of us have survived to an age that we quilt before all these government regulations came into effect.  Best of luck, and I wish you the best.  Now back to quilting my daughter's graduation quilt, after checking our fire extinguishers and calling for a price to installing sprinklers in the house.  C

 

Cagey

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  • 1 month later...

my "fireman friend" had recently had the experience of saving a child who had a quilt melted to her skin, so he was a bit obsessive about it.  Would the girl have survived the fire if she had been under a more fire retardant quilt?  Who can say.  Most people in a fire die from smoke inhalation long before the flames reach them.  I'm just saying that I, personally, choose to err on the side of caution.  That being said, the quilts on my bed have polyester blend batting in them, so I guess I flirt with danger when it comes to adult quilts!

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  • 2 months later...

I know this is an old post but caught my eye. I made baby diapers for my kiddo. Thought about selling them and when you get into kid stuff fire safety becomes a big thing! If you are quilting to sell you should look into what they call 'compliance' for kid clothes. Fb has a group called cd compliance because it started with diaper makers but has all sorts of kid apparel and bedding makers in it now.

Fire retardancy for kids stuff has so many levels and things that can affect it. Generally if I remember right the stuff inside isn't as important as the outside but I would personally do natural or dream angel. I'm not a fan of the fire retardant chemicals but they serve a purpose so thats personal preference. Many fabrics commercially available do not do compliance testing for lead or fire retardancy. Sometimes it's unnecessary - natural fiber no nap = fire compliant, but not lead without testing. Most companies don't want to pay for lead testing but you can do it yourself. Things like diaper fabric is generally tested or they wouldn't sell much at this point but cute cotton prints ladies like to use on the outside are not.

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I worked at a job where we went into many types of businesses.  We were told to basically wear 100% cotton or wool for most as if you get a spark on you, the cotton and wool don't combust as easily as polyester.  However, if the risk was greater like going into some spots in a oil refinery, we had to wear specially treated clothing.  So, I would stick to either the Dream Angel or cotton batting....just me...I don't know were the minky or cuddle type fabric fits in....Lin

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