Thread: Joining quilt batting

How can I join my leftover pieces of quilt batting to use in a quilt?

I just butt the edges together and use a zig-zag stitch to secure them. Try not to overlap them or it will make a bump in your quilt.

I do it all the time. I make use of most of my batting. You can zigzag them or do a ladder stitch by hand. Just butt them together. If the edges are not straight lines, use your rotary cutter on the edges to make them match.

Make your edges straight, and if you have an edge joining/SID foot, now is the perfect time to use it :D Place the batting on either side of the blade and zig zag the pieces together :D:D:D

I second MamaBear61, but there is new product (yes ANOTHER new product) out now that is a fabric tape that you can use to hold 2 pieces together.

Check out this...I saw it in my new Connecting Threads catalog....for joining batting....sounds wonderful!!!!

http://www.connectingthreads.com/Too...r__D21128.HTML

I butt the edges and sew together with a serpentine stitch on my Bernina rather than a zigzag. Doing it with ease on many, many of these quilts for soldiers in Afghanistan.

Jan in VA

Originally Posted by amma

Make your edges straight, and if you have an edge joining/SID foot, now is the perfect time to use it :D Place the batting on either side of the blade and zig zag the pieces together :D:D:D

Great idea! Now I have a good reason to get a SID foot. I don't do a whole lot of SID, so it didn't seem worth it until now. Thanks for the tip! :)

Originally Posted by Lockeb

Check out this...I saw it in my new Connecting Threads catalog....for joining batting....sounds wonderful!!!!

http://www.connectingthreads.com/Too...r__D21128.HTML

This is an excellent idea, I usually hand sew the edges together but this beats the hand work.

Even easier and cheaper: Get some lightweight iron-on interfacing. Cut it into 2-3" strips. Put the edges of the batting together, and iron it together. Sooo much easier than trying to keep things straight under the sewing machine.

The thinner battings are sooo much easier to piece. Warm and natural is easy just but the edges to gether and zig zag. Fat bat ... the really high loft is a bit harder. I typically just hand baste them by butting the edges. On the fat bats the presser foot always seems to find its way into the batting. I have tried the paper over the top to prevent the foot from digging into the batting , but was not happy with the results. The stitch compressed the batting too much. Hand basting the Fat battings did not take too long since you can use large sloppy stitches since no one will ever see them.

I've used this tape it is Wonderful! but I think expensive.(my opinion)
It is called "HEAT PRESS batting together" and includes 10 yards of fusible 1 1/2" wide cloth tape. Their email is : www.heatpressbattingtogether.com or they also have number on their bag. The one I bought was from a LQS and paid $8.99 for it.

Originally Posted by AnnaK

I second MamaBear61, but there is new product (yes ANOTHER new product) out now that is a fabric tape that you can use to hold 2 pieces together.

I must be in the minority. I overlap my Warm and Natural battings approx 1/4" and do a serpentine stitch. Yes it makes a slight bump in my quilts but not enough to fret over. No one's ever mentioned feeling it while sleeping under the quilts. I don't make quilts to submit for judging,. But if I did, I admit I would just butt the edges up like everyone else. My way is just easier for me and, admittedly, a habit.

wow - thanks for the tip! I also use every bit of batting possible....and have had to join several pieces together....This product will save me lots of hand sewing the pieces together....!

I hand sew the batting edges together and I find it is really fast and I have never had a problem. With the cost of batting here it sure saves money to use every piece of it.

to get edges that fit together exactly, overlap the two pieces a little and rotary cut down the double thickness - get rid of the two "leftover" scrappy pieces, butt the big pieces together and zig zag them together. Trying to butt together edges that are not cut this way can lead to a distorted seam that might be noticable. The cut you make thru the double thickness doesn't have to be straight as long as you cut both pieces the same they'll fit together.

Originally Posted by Lockeb

Check out this...I saw it in my new Connecting Threads catalog....for joining batting....sounds wonderful!!!!

http://www.connectingthreads.com/Too...r__D21128.HTML

I used this tape for the first time this week. I like it. It holds good. It did get my iron a little sticky. A used laundry softener sheet cleaned it right up, though.

Love this idea. Just ordered some.

Originally Posted by Lockeb

Check out this...I saw it in my new Connecting Threads catalog....for joining batting....sounds wonderful!!!!

http://www.connectingthreads.com/Too...r__D21128.HTML

I have some tape, it works great but it is expensive and you have to be careful to not have your iron too hot especially if you use the less expensive batting. I used a pressing cloth so I didn't melt the polyester.
you can get it on ebay

I use heat press batting tape. As an added secure measure, and since I don't trust that it will stay ironed onto the batting, I turn over the batting and ladder stitch the seams by hand. I won't put the batting under the needle without fabric on each side. When ironing (press, don't actually move your iron back and forth) you are butting the seams up. When the batting is turned over, the seams are perfectly set against each other, no layering, no bunching. Done this to many many quilts and after washing-no problems what so ever. I buy the large rolls of batting, so when I make the quilts and they are larger than the width of the roll of batting, I place the straight edge of the batting one third of the way in from one edge, and then butt up the other piece. You want to trim the raw edges around the quilt anyway, so why use up the good straight edge you already have. I never have a seam going down the center.

I just did that, and it was a nightmare. First I used my zig zag stitch--my machine stretched one side and it didn't lay flat. Ripped that out and started to hand stitch the pieces. Taking too long--rip that out. Then I decided to cut light weight interfacing to join the pieces. The directions for fusing said to use low heat and a damp press cloth and press for 10 seconds. 10 seconds get longer and longer as you go along. It ended up needing 4 seams to make it the right size. It needed to be 68 x 93. I was using Warm & Natural and the interfacing was Pellon. I had to do both sides of the join and it ended up taking me 3 days to get it done. I should have bought the tape, but I am too cheap. The quilt is for my DGD, and I'm thinking that I will never get it quilted. Right now, I don't even want to look at it. So much for my summer goal--finish all my UFO's. Hope the next on goes better!!!
Sue

Thanks, everyone. Serpentine stitch is what I was looking for.

I piece mine also, use every bit I can to save money. I just butt them together and stitch them.