katsbmr

Okay, have been a member for a while, but don't post much. Need answers to something that is puzzling me. Why are my quilts turning out too stiff? This has happened whether I use high loft or low loft batting. I want my quilts to be cuddly and not so stiff. I quilt them on my tin lizzie 18. I was told when it was set up, to not leave any space unquilted larger than the palm of my hand. Have used that as my guideline on how close to quilt. I know I'm not the only one who has experienced this.

Tartan

The more quilting, the stiffer they get. Some like Hobbs poly down for a fluffier quilt. I have also heard that the new wool batts make a softer quilt.

PaperPrincess

A couple things could be happening. If your quilt is heavily pieced, there are lots of seams which could contribute to a bit of stiffness. You also mention hi & lo loft batting. Are you using polyester or a natural fiber such as cotton, wool, bamboo or silk? I've only tried poly on a couple of quilts and thought that they were much stiffer than the natural fibers, but it may have been the brand I used. And finally, regarding the distance left unquilted. This is totally dependent on the batting you use. Read the label. Some batts require quilting closer together, like 3 or 4 inches, some batts you can quilt as far as 10" apart.

QuiltE

The quilting spacing is determined by the batting ... some give as large of a space as ten inches.
Meanwhile there are some batts that require 3" spacings.

So what size is your hand? ... most adults would be larger than three, but definitely smaller than ten!

When quilting ... are you doing just one line of stitching? or multiple stitchings which would create more stiffness to your quilt.

Another factor would be the piecing ... the smaller the pieces, the more seams which generally is going to create more bulk and may create more stiffness once quilted.

ckcowl

you should follow the recommendations on the batting packaging for the distance-- some battings need to be quilted every 2" some allow up to 10" between quilting lines- and everything in between. are your quilts stiff after they are laundered? or is this straight off the quilt frame? what kind of fabrics are you using? what batting are you using? I've had some quilts with really dense, intricate quilting on them still be wonderfully soft & fluffy when they come out of the dryer. there are a lot of variables that determine how a quilt will drape, fluffiness/loft, warmth;

ManiacQuilter2

I have never heard of this problem before so I just will list of items popping into my mind. What type of batting are you using?? When you stated high loft, I had always been taught decades ago that those types of quilts should be tied. If you said heavy, I would assume that you have used Warm & Natural. I use Hobbs 80/20 and have always used the palm as a rule for quilting. I do all my machine quilting on my Bernina. What type of thread are you using?? I use silk wrapped Mettler. I don't know if you use a lot of starch. Have you try to gently wash the quilt and in very low heat tumble dry?? These are the only suggestions I could think of. I have been quilting for over 25 years and I have never had a stiff quilt. I do HOPE that you are able to resolve this situation. Best Wishes and Hugs !!

suern3

I wonder if you are using poly batting? I've used poly batting on only one quilt and I also quilted it quite densely and it is the stiffest one I've made. I used the poly batting for a particular reason, not related to quilting in general. It is a star block of the month from my guild and I had lots of ideas for the FMQ that I did. I use it on my bed and even though it is warm, it is not "snuggly" and I'm OK with that for this quilt. For the other quilts I make, I use Quilters Dream cotton batting which has a much nicer drape and snuggle factor even with some heavier quilting.

meyert

I do believe that cotton batting is "cuddlier"... but from what I have seen the more quilting the less "cuddly" a quilt is. Many show quilts are often not the most "cuddly" but they are gorgeous because of the quilting Read the batting and quilt as far apart as you can???

Bobbielinks

Having read the above posts I did not hear from anyone that it might be the backing fabric. So I will toss that suggestion in. As a professional longarm quilter I quilt many quilts in a year's time and only occasionally run into one that seems stiff after quilting. I use Hobbs batting, either poly or 80/20 and sometimes do dense quilting on a top. Even the dense quilted ones are soft and cuddly unless a stiff fabric has been used, usually as the backing. I have ran in to some wide backings that even after being washed they are still stiff.

wishfulthinking

I agree it could be the backing. I'm hand quilting one now with a wide backing that was still stiff even after pre-washing. I was afraid it would be hard to needle, but it hasn't been. I don't know if the backing will ever soften.