katkat1946

I enjoyed reading through this thread! I'm a pretty new long arm quilter so can't respond with a lot of experience behind me. I do think there are going to be times when I'd like to use a batting with a higher loft - not necessarily as much as I guess the high lofts currently available would give however. That being said, I've seen lots of high end, really proficient quilters mentioning using two layers of batting to get the look they want.

quiltsRfun

Just out of curiosity, how does this compare with the process for producing other types of batting. I've never given it much thought but now I'm beginning to wonder.

Maggiemay

Yes, I would use the type of batt you describe to get some more loft providing it has minimal shrinkage. I've always like loftier batting in my quilts.

Hinterland

I would love a batting with more loft, but I'm not interested in bamboo for the same reasons others have. However, as a hand quilter I LOVED Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon Cotton with the glazene finish. The batting they call Blue Ribbon now is not the same.

Right now I use either the Hobbs Polydown or the Hobbs wool.

suzanprincess

Curious about bamboo fiber production, I Googled that for info. Here are a couple of excerpts from just one site: "Bamboo cultivation requires zero pesticides or chemical fertilizers to achieve its amazing growth rate and renewability. Hence, it is inherently organic. In addition, bamboo requires much less land and water (as a ratio to usable fiber produced per acre), than cotton, organic cotton, and other alternative fibers." "Chemicals are used to get cellulose (viscose) from bamboo, but by far the principle chemical used is sodium hydroxide (i.e., lye). Sodium hydroxide is one of the most widely used chemicals in the world and has no negative effect on the environment or the health of humans. Sodium hydroxide is routinely used in the processing of cotton into fiber, including transitional and organic cottons, and is approved for use on textiles by the Global Organic Textile Standards (www.global-standard.org) and the Soil Association (www.soilassociation.org). Sodium hydroxide does not remain as a residue on clothing as it easily washes away." http://www.ecouterre.com/how-eco-fri...fabric-really/

Prism99

Bamboo batting is a form of rayon. The topic is complex because there are different methods of producing rayon.

Cuprammonium rayon is no longer permitted to be produced in the U.S. because of the very toxic chemicals used in the production process; however, this method of production is still allowed and used in developing countries including China. I was unable to determine online whether this production method is actually used to produce bamboo batting. If it is the cheapest method to produce the batting and the batting is produced in a third world country, then the probability rises that this method is being used.

Even if the cuprammonium process is not used in the production of batting made from bamboo, the process for producing rayon from bamboo involves the use of not only lye (sodium hydroxide), but also bleach, carbon disulfide, and sulfuric acid. Exposure to even small amounts of carbon disulfide can be hazardous to workers and cause neurological damage. Amounts of chemicals used are not the only important factor; toxicity of the chemicals used is also extremely important to take into consideration.

For those who are interested, the following websites offer additional information:
http://www.seamstobeyouandme.com/2010/01/18/bamboo-batting/
http://awakenedaesthetic.com/2010/01/how-green-is-your-bamboo/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayon#Production_method

It is the soft fibers produced from bamboo that require the most toxic processing -- e.g., fabric and batting. Bamboo flooring is hard and does not require the toxic processing. Of course, the soft fibers can also be produced by mechanical means; however, manufacturers must find this method of production much more expensive since it is much less common than chemical processing.

roselady

I'm assuming that people who say bamboo requires toxic manufacturing process, are right. I don't know that for a fact. That is a concern for me if it is true. Unfortunately, cotton may not require nasty chemicals during processing but it definitely requires nasty chemicals in growing it. The defoliants they spray when getting ready to harvest it are not something most of us want to be around. If it is organic, I assume that is not true, they must have another way to harvest it. Polyester is a petroleum product and its processing can not be all that "clean" either. I would think wool is probably the least offensive to our eco-system. It is easy to get on the bandwagon about the earth-unfriendliness of bamboo, but the other choices aren't all that earth friendly either. Because bamboo grows like a weed, it probably doesn't require the toxic fertilizer's that cotton does. Because of all these things, and because I love the feel of it, wool would be my choice, but it is expensive and I can't afford to use it all the time. We should let the batting company's know that we want them to find "kinder" ways to produce our battings. Cindy Needham, a well known quilting teacher, suggests using a layer of thin cotton (like Quilters Dream request) and top it with a half layer of wool. She says wool will naturally pull apart into two thin layers. She calls it "gourmet batting" As far as the original question goes, I would answer "it depends". I wouldn't want it to be much heavier, just slightly loftier. I would think a wool, cotton blend or wool, bamboo blend would be great.

sandraphippard

I ordered Hobbs poly down and was very disAppointed in it. It seemed thin and the loft was uneven . I has seen a lot of quilters on his board saying that. Was what they used, so I thought it was going to be really good , and unless they just carried a poor quality, I ordered it from connecting threads, I assumed all Hobbs were the same. Can anyone clarify this for me?

Knitette

Although I generally prefer a cotton batting, I've used Dream Puff in both a baby quilt which I quilted on my DSM and for trapunto.
Just last week I used it in a quilt for DMIL who is in a care home with good result. I picked it for it's lightness and I quilted it on a Gammill I hired at my LQS.
If you're looking for a polyester with a high loft, then I thoroughly recommend this

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Prism99

So much depends on an individual quilter's expectations!

I have used Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon cotton batting for years and, compared to MM, Hobbs PolyDown is not thin (MM is much thinner) and is not uneven in loft (MM gets a lot more complaints about uneveness). MM is a very traditional batting of the type used for decades in what we now call vintage quilts, so it is relatively flat. I like it because it is thin and gets softer with every washing. When I want a puffier quilt that still remains light in weight and soft, I turn to Hobbs PolyDown.

People who are accustomed to the puffiness of commercial comforters often expect a quilt batting to be similar in loft and are disappointed in what are considered mid-loft quilt battings. I am thinking that perhaps you fall into this category. Many quilters shy away from high-loft battings because they tend to be difficult to quilt on a domestic sewing machine.

Hobbs PolyDown has a loft of 1/4", is resin bonded, and requires quilting lines 6" apart. Quilter's Dream Puff has a loft of 1/3", is thermal bonded, and can be quilted up to 10" apart. Since you were disappointed with Hobbs, you might want to try QD.

I don't think it's a question of poor quality, as Hobbs has an excellent reputation. I have not noticed any uneveness in the PolyDown battings I have used, but then I am used to a batting that is notorious for uneveness. One question I have is this: Was there noticeable uneveness in the finished quilt? I have not been able to discern any uneveness in quilts I have made with MM even when I thought there were thin spots in the batting.