i have not used the bamboo batting, but i don't see where it is any more eco friendly than cotton. however, i have heard that quilters dream has a new batting that is made 100% from recycled 2 liter bottles. a friend of mine was at the show in portland last week and said she was really impressed with it. she also said it was very affordable. now, i just have to find some to try!

Another way to be eco friendly is to stop using plastic bags. The amount of plastic bags going into landfills, as well as just blowing in the wind, daily is phenomenal. Stop leaving the store with 1 or 2 items in a plastic bag when you could just as easily carry it without a bag. Just keep your receipt handy when you leave the store. All of the grocery stores in my area sell inexpensive reusable bags and they hold a lot. The store I shop at even has insulated bags that zip closed. These bags are very affordable. You can also make your own out of fabric from your stash. I take mine back out to the car as soon as I empty them. If you're not convinced, please read the numbers:

http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php?id=4

Once the earth is used up, where will our children go? :cry:

http://www.quiltersdreambatting.com/dream-green.htm

Well, I have to say, the pandas need to eat the bamboo. Save the bamboo for the pandas.

But, quilting and hobbies are my escape from the insanity of environmentalism and other activism. So I'm not really thinking "renewable" batting and fabric.

My quilts aren't in the landfills.

Now, I'm all for activism when it comes to all that excessive packaging on the products we buy that we have to cut off and bulk up our trash cans with. And I'll drink out of glass bottles. But, that's as far as I go when it comes to "environmental friendliness."

hmm.... my poly batt quilts are much warmer than my cotton batt quilts. So that means I can turn down the thermostat at night, right?

Bamboo is an interesting yarn - like hemp, it continues to grow softer and more absorbant with each washing. I wouldn't mind trying it for a wall quilt or table runner, but I don't think I want to risk using such a new product in a larger quilt in which I have invested a lot of time and money.

I just bought 2 metres of Bamboo batting for a quilt I am working on now. I did prewash it and it did shrink like they said it would. I dried it in the dryer on the lowest setting and it took a long time to dry, but that took out most of the fluff so I am good to go. So far I have quilted 2 of the 4 panels of this quilt and I have a Janome Jem gold and it is handling it nicely. I don't hand quilt, so I can't help you there, but I did hand baste the panels and that went smoothly also.

I got it on sale for about $10.00 a metre and that is a lot better than the Warm and Natural that I pay $18.99 a metre for, so you be the judge. I only buy batting when it is on sale at 50% off, so I paid about 1 dollar more for the bamboo.

:) since I am quite new to all this, I didn't know much when I saw bamboo batting packaged at JoAnn one day, looking lonely in a big box by itself in the middle of the floor. That was a few months ago. Since then, I have used it with my Asian fabrics to make a Zen quilt for DH - see photo in the photos section. I didn't wash it before and didn't read the directions so this may be another oops on my part. I like the texture, it is much like cotton. It does give off some lint,maybe that is the scrim? Don't know for sure what scrim is. I used a lint remover roller. I machine quilted with no problems. Now that I have read all these posts, I am afraid to wash it! Also note that it was on a special sale so I got a deal, as I usually do!
judee

Be sure you wash it is cold water and either hang over a railing to dry or dry it on very low in your dryer. Good luck

Before quilting with mine, I soaked my bamboo batting in the washer and then ran the spin cycle. Dried it in the dryer and it turned out beautifully. Good luck.

You can buy Bamboo Batting directly from a company in Texas

FiberCo inc.


www.fiberco.com