dray965

I was in Bed, Baths, & Beyond today (I think that's the name of that store...LOL..) and I saw a coverlet that I really liked. It was sooooooo soft and cuddly. It was white and a whole-cloth design. Sooo soft. I would really like to find out what that batting is. It is not thick and poofy like a comforter would be...thin like a vintage quilt, but..., again, very soft.

If someone knows what I could use to replicate that thin look, but staying soft, I would appreciate the heads-up.

Thanks in advance,
Dray

Prism99

I like to use Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon 100% cotton batting because it is thin, soft, and gets softer with every washing. This is an old type of batting that I'm sure was used in many vintage quilts, but it requires quilting lines no more than 2" apart. (I use a fine thread for the quilting, as this also helps keep the quilt soft when there is a lot of quilting.)

dray965

Prism99 - what is the name of the thread your using with this? Needle size? Thanks for the tip aobut the Mountain Mist. The coverlet I saw was straightline stitched and was about the width of two-finger lengths. So that sounds about like the requirements of the batting you suggested. It was in long columns down the lengthe of the quilts (about 15 of them I think) and then each column was stitched horizontally in the two-finger lengths rectangles. It was all white and very beautiful. But the softness of it all was what intrigued me. My quilts thus far have the thinness that I like, but they are rather stiff and heavy feeling.

I want them to be thin, soft, and light. My Queen that I just finished is so heavy that I can hardly fold it nor carry it. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when I wash it to get out all my marks. I'm 5'2" and 66 yrs old...I may have to get my husband to help me put that wet thing in the dryer. LOL

Holice

next time you are there look on the label. it should tell what is inside

Buckeye Rose

If you remember what the quilt looks like, you can go to their website. Each quilt description tells you what kind of batting is inside.

dray965

after a thorough search of their website, i found that it is not on there. Also, while they gave an accounting for what the surface and back were made of (100% cotton) none give the batting info. I looked on the one at the store and it didn't give the batting info either.

Just hoping some of you are putting out some very soft quilts and can tell me what batting your using to get that soft light feel to your quilts.

Prism99

On my domestic machine, I use Aurifil 50wt 2-ply cotton for both piecing and quilting. It is a fine, smooth thread that does not stiffen the quilt.

On my midarm frame setup, I use Glide 60wt polyester thread (my midarm doesn't do well with the Aurifil; not quite strong enough). Compared to the Aurifil, Glide has a slight sheen.

Both of these threads can be used for quilting 2" apart and not stiffen the quilt at all.

I hear you about the weight. That is another reason why I like the MM Blue Ribbon; I can actually carry the quilt without risking my back!

Just be aware that the MM BR is not needlepunched, so it does not have the stability of Quilter's Dream cotton (which is needlepunched and therefore can be quilted farther apart without risk of the batting coming apart) or Warm and Natural (which is needlepunched through scrim; scrim makes a batting even more stable, but also adds stiffness). MM BR simply has a bonding agent applied to the cotton to help keep it together while you are working with it. Handle gently, because it can pull apart. Some quilters complain about it being uneven, but any uneveness has not affected any of my quilts, and too thin -- but that's why antique quilts are so soft.

I had an opportunity to examine a baby quilt about 20 years after I had made it with MM BR. It had been through the washer/dryer many times and held up beautifully. What was extraordinary about it was the softness of the quilt. It looked and felt like a much-loved vintage quilt.

dray965

THank you Prism99 for sharing your experience. I am still in the experimental stage of quilting and am trying out different things (batting, thread, etc.) that have been suggested to me, so that I can find out what I like. LOL

For my next quilt, I'm going to try your thread and batting suggestions. If I'm understanding your correctly, the MM Blue Ribbon needs to be quilted 2 inches apart. Correct?

Do you have a source for the batting?

Thanks,
Dray

Prism99

Two inches apart is correct. MM Blue Ribbon cotton batting is getting harder to find. I stocked up from JoAnn's online awhile back, but have not seen it there recently. Also, I believe it is only manufactured in crib and queen sizes now. I have seen it recently on overstock.com and eBay, and also Amazon. Ben Franklin online used to sell it at a fabulous price, but bankruptcy took them offline several months ago.

Here's a link to the queen size on overstock:
http://www.overstock.com/search?keyw...rchType=Header