Advice needed - batting to use for big & soft & fluffy comforter.
 

I use store bought comforters instead of top sheets on my beds. I have made lots of quilts but they are never soft or fluffy like a store bought comforter. I've tried Warm& Natural, High Loft Mountain Magic, Quilter's Dream and bamboo bats. Nothing compares. Any ideas?

There's Soft Soft High Loft by the Warm Company. I've never used it personally since it never gets that cold here but all the reviews I've seen are good. I use their regular poly batting and I like it. Quilters Dream might have a similar product but I can't afford them lol

Well, a comforter is NOT the same thing as a quilt. If you are expecting quilts to be fluffy like comforters, I think you will be disappointed. The closest you might be able to get is to use a high-loft poly and tie it. The very action of quilting a quilt renders it not as fluffy as a comforter.

Having said that, I find wool batting to be wonderful for quilts. It's warm, lightweight, and on the fluffier side of the quilting spectrum. :thumbup:

Peckish - But comforters are quilted too. Maybe not as close together but they do have stitching all the way through.

I have to agree with Peckish. Quilts are just as it says. They aren't fluff. Try a Rag Quilt. If you put high loft in that you might get fluffy.

There was a thread recently about the Warm & Plush batting but I don't think that will still get you to where you want to be. 'Quilts' typically are just not as high loft as 'comforters'. They are processed similarly, no doubt, but very different. If you want the 'high loft' of a comforter, use that term in your search for battings. You may not still get to a level that purchased comforters are but it may be closer for you.

I'm not sure what your point is? Comforters and quilts are different, which is why we have different names for them.

As I said before, if you want fluffy like a comforter, then use a fluffy poly batting and tie the quilt. :)

I agree. A quilt is not a comforter. If you want something fluffly like a comforter, make a pieced cover for your comforter.

I always make my duvet covers and several years ago I decided to make a pieced cover. I quilted it to flannel and used that for the top of the duvet cover. It's a bit heavier than my other duvet covers but it works really well and I love the look of a quilt on the bed.

The closest you will get is with a high loft 100% polyester batting like Cloud Loft (http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/SHOP...-Quilt-Batting). It is 5/8" thick & can be quilted up to 6" apart. To maintain the puffiness, I would use a polyester thread & would quilt at 6".

You could create a test sandwich with 2 layers of CL batting held together with basting spray to see if you can fit that under your machine needle (or else, check with your LA to see if she can do it -- sorry, I know nothing about LA machines). If you have a high shank machine, you might be able to get away with putting a medium foot on it (I've seen Patsy Thompson do that on YouTube with a ruler foot) to be able to give yourself enough space. The 2 layers of CL would be roughly the equivalent of most commercial comforter/quilts, but the challenge is that they have special machines to quilt those. Even my old Singer 353 which sews though pretty much everything would struggle with 1.25" of batting, plus 2 layers of fabric. If you don't mind hand quilting, you could always work with a long quilting needle (like the kind ThimbleLady sells at her online store) and quilt it with Big Stitch quilting at 6" apart.

I would not recommend quilting that far apart for anything you hope to keep long-term. It will last fine for 5-6 years, but beyond that, the stitching will very likely start to pull & snap. Then, the poly batting will start to shift & bunch. For a quick little project that is primarily designed to serve as a utility quilt, 7+ years is a nice life. If you put a lot of work into the quilt top, I would probably pair that with a different batting & would quilt closer together.

Good luck! Please post pictures when you've finished!

What a great idea to use a quilt top for a duvet. I am new to quilting so I read these threads for ideas. For over 40 years a knitted and crocheted afghans for tv viewing and cuddling up with a book. Now I am putting together my first quilt from squares I learned to make at a quilt class.