Thread: batting for a tied quilt

I plan to tie a quilt for the first time. Does anyone have suggestions for the type of batting to use. I have been using Hobbs 20/80 for my non-tied quilts, and I wonder if it will bunch up in a tied quilt when it is washed.

Poly batt works good for tying. It does not need quilting as close as a cotton would. I have used cotton blend before but you need to put more ties in it

A lot depends on how far apart your ties will be. They need to be closer together than whatever the batting specifies as quilting distance. For example, if Warm and Naturals specifies quilting lines need to be 10" apart, I would place ties so that no tie is more than 5" away from another tie. The reason ties need to be closer is because they are single points of contact for all three layers; with quilting, the stitches are creating many more points of contact.

I would probably prefer poly batting for a tied quilt simply because it is puffier, plus its lighter weight means there is less stress placed on each tie point. However, if you don't place ties sufficiently close together, any batting will ball up inside the quilt eventually -- mostly from being machine washed and dried.

You can use the same batting for tieing as you do for a non-tied quilt. Just follow the batting directions for how close the batting needs to be quilted. I tie most of my quilts now and tie 3-4 inches apart.

Usually there's quilting directions on the batting package.

I've used both, organic and non-organic cotton batting for several of my tied quilts and it seems to be holding up fine. I wash these quilts frequently too and so far, I don't see any bunching, or thinning.

~ Cindy

I've also used the high loft poly batting for tied quilts.

Thanks for your help. I think that I will try the high loft polly.

You might also consider using fleece as your batting. Then you only need to tie where you want to tie. I've done several quilts with fleece and my family love them.