Trapunto/Poly Batt Question
 

I have played a little with trapunto before but am working on my first small whole cloth project. I want to puff the living daylights outta the designs on this thing! LOL* I bought some cheapie poly high loft batting in a bag from Wal-mart for experimenting. Can you guys who do this a lot tell me, do you use poly for the whole quilt too? I was thinking, do the trapunto work on the areas I want super puffy, cut away, then layer the whole lot on top of another high loft poly hunk and quilt densly around the puffy areas to make it stand out more. Does that make sense? Is this how you do it? This is my first whole cloth/trapunto project so I would love to hear thoughts and suggestions! :)

Sorry cant help you much as to advise you what to you or do but I love trapunto and it is in my bucket list (looks like a warehouse now) and I just bought a book last week written by a QB member (Geta Grama) and it is wonderful and the instruction sounds so easy but haven't tried any yet. The book is called Shadow Trapunto Quilts

Good luck

The trapunto part will stand out more if the areas around it are flatter. When I did it, I used a poly for the trapunto area and W&N cotton for the whole quilt. You can also use a poly for the whole quilt and just quilt more densely on the areas surrounding the trapunto to get it flatter.

Experiment with both on small scraps and see what you like best.

Thank you for this! That is all the confirmation I need. ;) I think I'm going to try poly/poly. When I first began quilting nearly ten years ago I really turned my nose up at poly batting. You know how you're just taught one thing and that kind of sticks with you as the thing you're "supposed" to do? But the trapunto quilts that have been cropping up all over lately have been amazing!!! In addition I've been noticing how the poly really highlights the quilting in a way that cotton doesn't. Poly is BACK in quilt rotation for me!!!!! LOL*

I meant to say thank you to this as well, but hit the "post" button too soon!!! Yes, I have been to Geta's blog and seen her book - I LOVE her shadow trapunto!!! I don't know if it's something I'll try soon, but it's on my bucket list too! ;)

It would be helpful to see the trapunto pattrn/design you are using there is a techniue where you cut ut the trapunto shape and then with a spot of glue to place it under the trapunto area then ad the second batting and quilt around the trapunto shapes. This will give the trapunto shape without stuffing the area. I have never been able to get the trapunto area stuffed evenly.

Yes, it sounds like you've got the right idea for sure. I've done a bit of trapunto and love the way it looks. I've used poly for both the trapunto and the overall layer of batting. The poly "packs" down nicely when you quilt it fairly densely. You might want to try a small experimental piece using the fabrics and battings you have picked out just to make sure you like the affect you get. Can't wait to see what you do with your trapunto!

When I took classes in this, the recommendation was to use thin cotton for the overall quilting and puffy poly for the trapunto'd parts. At that time, we used water-dissolving thread to sew around the designs, then cut away the poly from the back -- kind of tedious, as you have to be very careful not to accidentally cut the top fabric!

Since then I have seen a different approach. Basically what you do is cut the trapunto design out of the poly, spray the design on one side with basting spray, and then position on the wrong side of the top fabric. Eliminates the problem of accidentally cutting the top and saves a lot of time. Probably the best way to cut out the trapunto design from poly is to delicately iron freezer paper (with the design traced on it) to the poly batting, cut the design out, then remove the freezer paper. You have to be *really* careful about iron temperature because poly batting melts if the iron is too hot.

Thank you! That is a good idea, I'm definitely going to experiment first and see what happens. I am making just a small candle mat sort of thing that will be a Christmas gift to practice. I have already sewn the initial design, cut away, going to make dinner then begin doing the surrounding quilting.

I will post some pictures when I finish! :)

I have seen this method! Thank you for sharing! I think that would be a great way to do the shadow trapunto. I will have to try it!

Thank you for this!!! I'm going to try the poly/poly for this first small experiment and then do the poly/cotton as you learned and see what I like better. This is good to know though that you learned to do it with poly/cotton.

OH - now, I didn't think of this before. I stitched the whole design with white thread...but I will have to go back over it when I add the backing - NOW I understand why people use the water soluble thread!!! AH-HA!!!!! Thank you for this!!! I didn't realize what an accumulation of thread I'm going to have now. Oh well - thus the reason for EXPERIMENTING! :) Yes I see your point, tedius but much better result.

Any recommendations on water soluble threads and where to get them?

Superior Threads has two weights of water soluble threads. When I used the lighter weight (which is widely available elsewhere, not just at Superior), I had to sew carefully so as not to break the thread, which is quite delicate. I used regular thread in the bobbin (just match color to color of top; won't show through later). The heavier weight from Superior might be better for this application.

I'm going to look into those threads then - thank you so much for your help!!!

Just an update, here's how it's coming along! Thanks all for your help and suggestions!

Oh, that's beautiful! Did you decide to go ahead with regular thread?

Thank you!! Yes for my little test run I just went ahead with regular thread. I am going to pick up some of that water soluble thread too though and experiment and see what I like best. I also saw on another site how a lady would just quilt the outline of the design to sort of, stick on the batting lol* Then after doing that to all her trapunto designs, she'd layer the quilt, then go back and do the outlining and filler work. I think that would have been MUCH easier - wish I had thought of that. I'm thinking the water soluble thread would be perfect for that...then there wouldn't be as much back tracking and it'd be nice single rows of stitching for the most part.

Beautiful...well done! Inspiration to have a go some day soon.

Thank you! It is so much fun - this is my new THING!!! LOL* I love it! I hope you'll share pictures!