Mimsiroo

I've just made a quilt out of old cotton button down shirts / cotton backing and I used the Warm Co's Warm and White needle punched polyester batting. It appears that tiny polyester fibers are poking through the backing of the quilt, ALL over the place! They don't seem to be poking through the quilt top, but maybe that is because there are more seams on that side.

Has anyone else ever had this problem? Will these poking fibers magically go away when i wash it? Is there any hope? It's sort of annoying!

dunster

Warm and White is a cotton batting. Warm and Bright is poly, so perhaps that's what you're using? Both are made by the Warm Company. I've used both with no problems. The main cause of bearding is using a fabric with a low thread count. Quilting with a dull needle can also contribute. The fibers won't magically disappear, but they should eventually break off and hopefully quit shedding. Don't use a lint roller or try to pick them out; that will just cause more fibers to come through.

irishrose

The most likely cause is a tiny burr on the SM needle. I doubt if they will go away, but may be less noticeable as the quilt puffs a little.

DogHouseMom

If it was needle punched you may have loaded it with the wrong side facing the backing. Other causes: dull needle, wrong type/size needle, fabric with a low thread count.

Mimsiroo

Yes indeed. It was not warm and white...it was Soft and Bright. OOPS!!

Mimsiroo

Thanks very much everyone! I'm learning a lot! I hope you are willing to give me a couple clarifications though.

(1) So is "bearding" when the batting fibers poke through the outer layers of the quilt? I've never encountered this before, and just recently heard the term.

(2) RE Needles: How can you tell if the needle is dull? Is there any way to SEE that? Or, do you just avoid a dull needly by routinely changing to a new needle after a certain time? Also, I've been using a Schmetz maching quilting 90/10 needle. Is this type/size appropriate?

THANKS!!

JustAbitCrazy

Mimsiroo, that is exactly what bearding is. Regarding the dull needle: I can usually tell my needle is dull when it makes a popping sound going through the quilt. I use a longarm, and am uncertain if the needle would make that sound on a DSM (not sure what you're using). But that sound usually never happens because I routinely change needles after each bed quilt, or the equivalent in smaller quilts.

irishrose

I only use size 12 needles, but that's a personal preference. 14 is okay, too. Your 10 is for delicate fabrics like sheers and silks. Is it a universal or a sharp? A universal has a slightly rounded tip for sliding between the fibers on knits. Schmetz makes a quilting needle, but I didn't find any difference when I tried one rather than my inexpensive ones. I change my needle for every project. Take the needle out and gently poke a finger, then do the same with a new one. If you feel the difference, change the needle. You can try poking it through some closely woven fabric, too. If there's any resistance, change the needle. A dull needle pushes the batting around rather than piercing through the fibers.

margee

A question from another Grundy Co Illinois person. With needle punched batting, how do you know which side faces the front or back?
margee

Neesie

The dull-needle popping noise also happens on a DSM. On my old Kenmore, it a dull needle would also have a different "feel" as it pierced the fabric . . . a sort of micro-second hesitation.