Batting pieces
 

I am off to Joann's this week end for their big Columbus Day sale. I thought it would be a good idea to clean my sewing room before bringing in another piece of fabric. I found I have a lot of pieces of Warm and Natural batting that could be pieced together. What product should I buy and what works the best for this or should I just zig zag stitch it together?? What have you done?

I will be keeping in touch with this thread. I have tons of batting scraps, especially strips cut when trimming around a quilt before binding.

There is a tape at Joann's that is for piecing batting. I have never used it. I keep my pieces of batting for rag quilts. Also there is bag patter by Aunties Two that calls for strips of batting. I made a small bag and I will be making the big beach tote when I collect more long pieces. From all the bags I made that one gets the most compliments. It is called Baly Island Hobo http://www.auntiestwo.com/pattern.html

I use batting remnants for my QAYG projects. Those long strips are perfect for the borders.

In the past when I have had smaller pieces (such as 6 or 7" squares), I have donated them to my LQS. They like to get them to use in classes for practice of machine quilting.

As far as piecing larger pieces together, I have simply zigzagged them together, but I have friends who use a seam tape.

I've used larger scraps of batting in several quilts. All I do is loosely hand baste them together. Figure the actual quilting will keep everything where it needs to be.

The smaller pieces I save for pillows and stuffed animals.

I have used double sided sticky tape, iron it on and it works great. I then hand quilt and so far after many washings it has not "shifted". I have also used the zig-zag basting of the two parts. Like some others here on the board, I have used the smaller pieces for the craft projects.

I use a lightweight tricot interfacing. I have a large amount of this left over from garment sewing days. I just cut it into strips and fuse the 2 pieces of batting together. It is really cheap at Joann's - probably around $3 or $4 yard. So much cheaper than the batting tape! Or you can just zig zig the pieces together.

There is an iron-on "tape" that is sold in quilt shops for putting pieces of batting together. It is basically tricot interfacing that is already cut to about 2". I've bought the roll since I was in the shop, but interfacing would work.

Like auntpiggylpm I use fusible interfacing, and have for years. It works great and is inexpensive.

I have used this stuff and it works great. The width of the strip is just right for joining. there is a lot on the roll and the price is pretty cheap.

just remember the fusible on the tape doesn't last. you must quilt over that seam well or just go ahead and zig zag it together instead of fusing.

All those products are fine, but I'd rather spend money on fabric. I simply butt the edges of batting scraps together and hand stitch, using a very large whip stitch. The actual quilting holds the pieces in place permanently. I've been doing this for nearly 30 years and never have had any problems with separation.

I Zig Zag them together , just butting the edges together and a large zig zag stitch. It is fast and easy . I figure the last thing I need is another quilting notion, when thread works !

I have pieced pieces of poly batting (all I use) to make a double size batting. Once it is quilted no one is the wiser. I also save thin width pieces for when I need to add to another large piece. I have a great big bag of scraps.

Ditto . . . I use a 3-step zig-zag stitch. Works great, easy, quick! I can barely tell where they are butted together.

I've pieced large pieces together with just a hand running stitch with very little overlap. I bought the actual bonding tape but have yet to try it. I think trying to stitch it on the machine would compact and hang up on the feed dogs or even the sewing foot. I bought the tape to try it on Warm and Natural because you can feel a lump if you overlap it too much when hand sewing.

I zigzag the pieces together and have not had any trouble over the years.

I just butt the edges together and zig zag them. Works great for me.

Thanks every one. I think I am going to try the interfacing since I have some on hand. Thanks again

I hand stitch mine. I tried a zigzag on a polyester batt and it distorted the seam.

I get better results handbasting then using the 3 step zig-zag stitch on my machine.

Me, too. I just use the Accufeed on my Janome 6600 but if I didn't have that I would probably loosen the presser foot pressure so as not to distort the batting.

I do this fall all quilts that are less than 84" because I have 90" batting rolls and try not cut new if I have pieces that I can put together.

I bought the tape for my local quilt shop I found it worked great but to me it was not easy to do with the iron and ironing board. I use my scrap pieces to cut into 8" blocks for rag qults.

http://www.quiltinaday.com/shoponlin...ay.asp?i=30053 This is what I use and just love it. may find it cheaper some place else! works like a charm

I also zigzag mine together, did it about a month ago and had enough for 7 full size quilts and 3 baby quilts...won't let it pile up that much again, but have already quilted 5 tops with those "leftovers" and it has worked just wonderful!!!!

i butt the pieces together & use a wide zigzag to join warm & natural- works great for me- been doing it that way for years- i hear the (batting tape) is a nice product- i just can't justify spending the money on it when i can just sit down & sew the pieces together faster.

I just zig zag it, too. I can actually do that quicker than setting the iron up and heating, etc. My current project got rid of my extras of warm & natural :) :) :) Now i can continue to buy Quilters Dream Cotton.

I zig zag my pieces, using what I call the multi-stitch zig zag, you know a bunch of little stitches going this way and then that way....works great for me.

The light weight tricot interfacing is the best. I've done zigzagging and the feather stitch but they always cause the batting to not lay flat.

I believe that the zig zag will work just fine. As someone else said, the quilting will help hold it together. I have a lot of pieces too. Maybe I can make that a project for tomorrow.

Like others here, I just do a big running whip stitch

I'd drag out some buttonhole twist thread and whip the pieces together. I've done so more than once. Put your needle into the batting at least a half an inch and don't pull up too tight, you don't want the batting overlapping.

I use a blind hem stitch, but I don't butt the 2 pieces together. I stack them, cut a nice straight edge, pin and stitch with the straight part of the stitch to the right and the zigzag part to the left. Then I open it up and rub my finger along the seam to smooth it out. I love how it comes out and you can not tell where the seam is when it's done. I find it easier to handle this way than to butt them together - especially if the pieces are large.

I used to put them side by side with an overlap, cut a wavy line and hand stitch the pieces together. It comes out nice that way, and you would never know it was pieced, but can be awkward to handle. I prefer the blind hem stitch way best. Try a few ways on some scraps and see what you prefer!

Another reason I like slip stitching is because it doesn't cause the batting to be flattened at the new joint.

I just used the fusible strip last night to piece two pieced of batting together and I love it. I ended up with a virtual seamless piece of batting. I ordered mine on-line, can't remember from whom, but I remember it came in varying widths. I bought a roll 1/2 inch wide. You simply place your batting pieced together, lay the tape over the seam and press on a wool setting. Almost instantly I had one large piece of batting. Works wonderfully!

I use the iron-on heat tape as well that comes on a roll but cut it in half to 1 inch strips and it works just as well and the tape goes twice as far.

This is what I do. I have a very lightweight fusible that is 45" wide. I cut it in 2" or 3" strips and then fuse the batting together. Then I use my largest stepped zig zag to go down the center to help reinforce it. Works great, and I have been getting rid of lots of batting scraps.

Just use a triple step zig zag or a joining stitch. Works great.

I hand stitch mine together with a large stitch, butting the edges together. I've found that if I zigzag it, or sew it on the machine in any way, I have a ditch where the seam is. I just don't like the way that looks on my finished quilt.

I have used the tape & it works wonderfully well but most of the time, especially on long, pieces, I just zigzag & it works just as well. Just make sure you butt the pieces right next to each other as close as possible.