Sew Freak

I was wondering, is the batting in question cotton batting or poly batting and if this would make a difference. I have made a couple of quilts using poly batting and never had a problem with it and the stitching was done approx.8-10" apart ( a square block). I have made about 3 quilts with cotton batting and so far have not finished doing more quilting closer together so I have not dared to wash them but when I do I will take them to the laundromat to tumble in those big machines rather than twist in a reg.machine. It seems to me that the cotton batting would need to be stitched closer than 10" to hold well. Can you tell me which batting was used in your projects? TIA.

annievee

On one of the 'Sewing with Nancy' shows that was recently aired( do not remember the show number ) , she used the 'fist' method for quilting.

selm

Feline Fanatic you said the placemats were quilted sparsely. Perhaps they were quilted less densely than the batting company recommended?
The distance between quilting is to keep the batting from lumping and shifting. Quilting itself is to hold the three layers of a quilt together and keep the batting from lumping. I don't understand saying any of this affects the lasting quality of the quilt overall. If seams come apart that's due to poor stitching or fabric quality(fraying). If fabric wears out too soon that's due to poor quality fabric.
Of course, you don't have to quilt 10" across just because the batting says you can. The quilting design will decide what looks good on the quilt.
I agree with bkay that the OP comes across as The Quilt Police(tongue in cheek or not) when statements are made disparaging what batting manufacturers put on their packaging as advise as to how to use their product. Re-reading the OP I'm thinking Ellen 1 meant well in her advise. The beginning sounds like she is bashing the manufacturing for giving out bad advise when I think she meant to say quilters should look at the different aspects of the quilting process to decide how to finish their quilt.
I am one of the ones that likes quilting more sparsely. But I look first at what works the best for the design of quilt I'm working on. Sometimes quilting 2-4" apart is problematical to work into the design of the quilt. I find that frustrating but do my best to work with the batting as my biggest concern is the lumping issue.
Just my two cents to say there are others out here that feel(at least in the initial reading of OP) as bkay does.

"Rules" are guidelines to head you in the right direction. There is nothing to say you can't adapt the "rules" to fit your situation.

It really comes down to "it's your quilt, do as you want". You will find in time if what you do works or not.

selm

Quilters Dream batting states it can be quilted up to 10" apart.

selm

All the poly batting I have worked with states to quilt 2-4" apart. Just researched, Warm and Natural and it states up to 10" apart. Quilters Dream batting also states quilting up to 10" apart.

feline fanatic

To my knowledge, Warm and Natural recommends minimum of 10". W&N is a cotton batting needle punched to a scrim.

Many Quilters Dream products recommend minimum distance of 8", Quilters Dream poly says up to 12". Unfortunately, quilters dream doesn't list the minimum requirements on their webpage for all their products.

All of Hobbs products are minimum distance of 4". This leads me to believe that Hobbs is offering a realistic minimum distance to maintain both the batting integrity and the integrity of the quilt. But this is JMHO. I am partial to Hobbs batting but I have used QD and W&N both and have been extremely satisfied with both manufacturers. I believe all of Hobbs battings are resin bonded.

If you ever come across an all cotton batting that is not needle punched or bonded the minimum distance given on those is usually 2".

feline fanatic

I quilted the batting recommendations, by machine (walking foot straight line). When I started quilting I followed the directions on packaging for everything because I didn't know any better and by nature I follow manufacturer recommendations. I was completely unaware until I saw them years later. My mom told me they looked like that after she washed them the first time. They got crammed in a closet and never saw the light of day again and quite honestly I can't blame her. I told her to toss them and I would make new ones.

To address the lasting quality of the quilt, here is a great article. Scroll to the bottom of the page, the section titled "How will the quilt be used". The author explains how less dense quilting puts strain on stitches under normal use, both quilting and piecing stitches. https://www.generations-quilt-patter...h-density.html

Here is another article, discussing both sparse and dense quilting, scroll to the section titled "durability"
http://quiltingdigest.com/wp-content...-Should-Be.pdf

Finally I point to antique quilts pictured in the book "The Essential Quilter" by Barbara Chaney. This book focuses on hand quilting and she shows pictures of antique quilts where the author points out the only reason these quilts survived was due to the dense hand quilting stitches. To emphasize this point she had a picture of an antique quilt from the 1800's where much of the fabric had disintegrated except where it was quilted.

1Nanoo

I almost always find good, sound advice on this column. If I see something that I do not agree with, I just assume that quilter's experience has been different from mine. I find this column a wealth of information. Just like with any information--books, computers, newpapers, etc.--sift through it. Take the good and leave the questionable for another day.

selm

Feline, thanks for the links. Interesting articles.
Regarding antique quilts, they had to be quilted densely as batting back in the old days was simply cotton matted together into a "batt" or mat for quilts so the quilt lines really did hold the batting in place. Newer processes added glue which stablized it somewhat and then, in modern times, they have the scrim.

Jingle

Common sense comes into play at some point. Mine tells me to quilt closer, and don't worry about the package.

There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this board. They are very free with their help.

I appreciate all they contribute to help anyone that wants the help.