My sisters walmart in Eastland, TX still has their fabric dept.
We stopped by to get her some batting and found that they were clearing out some. One of them is a really soft Bamboo batting. I bought an entire bolt of the 48" wide one to use in some kids charity quilts. has anyone used this before?

Do you need to wash it first? It feels sort of limp already! Squishy!

But I was not sure if it would shrink!

I have never used it. Please let us know.

Sorry, personally, I don't know anything about the bamboo batting. However, I have heard some longarmers really love it.

Saw the same batting on the clearance table, have the same questions, help?

I've used the bamboo in a couple quilts now. it quilts up nicely. I didn't wash it before I quilted it however I don't normally wash batting with any of my quilts. It's in a quilt that i did for a friends daughter and it seems to wash well. I didn't notice any real shrinkage, but I think she air dries everything and doesn't use the heat settings.

The bamboo batting that I carry, Winline, seemed to shrink about the same as cotton. I have decided that *I* don't really like it in quilts, it seems to have no shape to it. I would, however, recommend it for quilted clothing since it is so drapey. It also seems to be thinner than the other battings that I carry, and is harder to find that sweet spot when adjusting tension so that the loop in the threads (where the top and bottom threads meet) lands somewhere between the top and bottom, so that I don't have loopies on the top or bottom of the quilt.

Thanks for the info!

Thank you...I did not think it would shrink being bamboo and not cotton or wool, but was not quite sure, as I have NOT used any bamboo yet.

I do not know how this particular batt would work on a longarm, as it seems sort of flimsy..not very tightly woven. I think it would stretch too much myself...but I think for the little kids quilts we do completely on DSM's it will be fine!

thank you for the info...this is apparently like yours...it has NO body..very soft, but alas very limp/drapey!

maybe I will keep it for my new jackets instead of using for charity quilts...might be good in a rag quilt though...they have NO shape either!

Did you do a search here using the search feature above? There have been a lot of threads about bamboo batting.

IMO doesn't work well for dense quilting. I've used it on a wall quilt. Quilts well, some issues with getting adjusted because it was quite thin. Not my favorite, but not bad. If you think it is too thin you could always use two layers I guess.

i have used bamboo batting, but not bulk from walmart, so i really don't know the answeres you have...the bamboo batting i used was Dream bamboo and was not limp-thin-or anything like that...it was as stable as warm & natural, very soft and fluffy, quilted like a dream. no pulling apart/separating of fibers; no bearding...no shrinkage...washes up beautifully, has a wonderful (fullness-warm coziness)to it. the quilts i have used it in have been tossed into washers, and into dryers with no ill effects at all....but again...it did not come from wally world and does not sound like what you bought. since you bought a whole bolt of it i would make a table runner or placemat and check out the finished product before and after washing it...before using it in a quilt

I have used bamboo batting in a queen size quilt that was machine stitched and it draped beautifully and I was told the quilter loved sewing with it. I would go with it again but it is the more expensive than Warm and White.

The bamboo & rayon battings that our Wally World has on the clearance table is made by Pellon - their Legacy line. The bamboo is a 50/50 blend of bamboo & cotton with a 1/16" loft. My wholesaler for the prison sent me a sample board of all their Legacy line. It says that this will shrink 2-3% & can be quilted as far apart as 8-10". It does have scrim support.

What really grabbed my attention was the really BLACK batting! It's a 70% cotton/30% poly blend with a 3/16" loft. Has the same shrinkage & spacing as the bamboo.

Great info as I can wholesale the legacy line. I got samples and it found it all to be too thin, stretchy, and wimpy! I was not happy with any of it. It is cheaper than most battings, so I guess you get what you pay for!

I'm curious about how this batting holds up in the test of time. I don't think it's been on the market very long. I do what to give it a try though.

A customer had me use some on her quilt...LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It doesn't need to be pre-washed. It has such a wonderful hand and drapes beautifully. It felt so soft! In the quilt shops it is very expensive...I'd have a hard time giving it away!!! What brand is the bamboo batting?

I've used it in a few baby quilts that I stitched in the ditch. The fabric seems to cling to the bamboo, and requires very little pinning. It drapes beautifully is is sooooo soft. I might try to do a lap quilt with it instead of sending them all out, which gets very expensive.

I've used it a few times, especially for baby quilts. Ideal for warm climates, washes well and f.m.q.s beautifully. Mine didn't shrink much at all. Just love it. Not sure of the brand name though, but I get mine at quiltopia design. They are on e-bay.

I have a friend who used it on a hand quilted quilt, she hated it, little balls of it came through to the top during quilting.

It was a good buy, but I only purchased a yard to two to use on small projects.

I just bought my first bamboo batting at Joann. I did not wash it first. I love the way it quilts!! Also, the fabric seems to stick to it so there's less shifting when it's being quilted.

Also, it was not cheap. It was twice as expensive as the Warm and White I usually buy but I had a 50% off coupon. It was also thicker than the Warm and White. I loved it and I will buy it again.

I hand quilt everything and I found that the bamboo does beard with hand quilting.

[quote=Aurora]I have a friend who used it on a hand quilted quilt, she hated it, little balls of it came through to the top during quilting.


I found the same problem with it when I used it. I used some purchased in Joanns. I thought it was really linty too and it got everywhere while I was basting. Guess I will try again with a different brand?

Sandwich a small piece - quilt it - then wash it to see if it shrinks.

Have used the Dream bamboo on my longarm and it needles very nice and drapes beautiful. Have not used the bamboo from Walmart as it does not seem to have much body.

I used bamboo batting on some kids quilts just because it is so light. I figured it was less for them to tote around. I thought it quilted up very nice. I don't think I would use it on a big quilt that I was using for warmth.

I love Bamboo as a fiber for just about everything. I use Bamboo batting and love to quilt with it, both machine and hand. I also am hooked on Bamboo socks. Warmer and softer than cotton. I buy mine from Dharma Trading because I also like to dye. My kids get them in their Christmas boxes, to match their Tie-Dyed Tees, they are hooked on them. I am looking forward to more Bamboo fiber products in the future. When cotton is getting more and more expensive and needs such intensive farm practices, Bamboo is a good future alternative clothing fiber as it is easy to grow, and has excellent wicking properties.

I too love Bamboo. Our Walmart will get it when pigs fly from the depths of a place that recently froze over.

Anyway, I've machine and hand quilted it. I find it's low scrim is perfect when I feel it as I go. The first time I used it, I told dh I wasn't sure why they made a batting that felt so nice you could just wrap yourself up in it. I was drawn to it because I saw it advertised that it will reflect your own warmth in the winter and repel it in the summer therefore heating or cooling the user of the quilt. At first, I thought it was malarky, but it's similar advertising used to vend bamboo wood flooring.

I have now inherited the quilt I made for my Gramma back. It's 54 inches square and I used it to cover up with at work because it was so cold. I couldn't believe how warm I felt! I don't prewash my batting either, but it seemed to shrink less than other batts I've used. I love it and buy it every chance I get.

I have used Bamboo batting in both small quilts and for handbags and totes, and I love it. I get the Fusi-Boo Brand that Hancock Fabrics sells, and just a light pressing with a wool setting on your iron fuses it just enough so that nothing shifts when you are quilting. Haven't had any problems at all with it, but it is more expensive than other brands. According to the directions, you are not supposed to prewash it.

I just finished my second quilt using bamboo batting. I love the feel - lush and had no problems with the actual quilting, but it sheds like crazy. The one I just finished is a black, white and red string quilt. I had to take a toothbrush and brush each couple of feet or so of fabric before stitching, so I wouldn't sew the fluff into it. Washed it and machine dried it and gave it a good going over with a lint roller and it was just fine. Gave it to my friend on Monday and she is delighted with it. It is a lap quilt and I didn't really want much weight to it. But I won't use it again.

I just finished my second quilt using bamboo batting. I love the feel - lush and had no problems with the actual quilting, but it sheds like crazy. The one I just finished is a black, white and red string quilt. I had to take a toothbrush and brush each couple of feet or so of fabric before stitching, so I wouldn't sew the fluff into it. Washed it and machine dried it and gave it a good going over with a lint roller and it was just fine. Gave it to my friend on Monday and she is delighted with it. It is a lap quilt and I didn't really want much weight to it. But I won't use it again.

I wish I could help - they just got rid of all the fabric in the Walmart nearest me - there is a big open aisle where the cutting table and pattern cabinet were - they put stoage contains on the fabric shelves - very depressing

I think everything Bamboo is great stuff. Wears good and grows so darn fast you can't over use it. With that said I don't know a darn thing about if it is good for batting.

If I was a gambler I would bet on it doing well.

Thanks for your comments, everyone. I've been wondering about bamboo batting. I appreciate your comments.

Since I first tried the bamboo batting, its all I use now for quilting. I buy it by the roll locally. It is nice and soft, washes great in quilts and probably will keep on using it.

all very good information....thanks everyone for sharing!!!

But, having read this entire thread, there appears to be no consensus on the traits of bamboo; I must therefore assume the jury is still out!

BTW, growing bamboo is extremely water intensive. The crop would not be cost effective in Texas. Maybe parts of La, Ms, Al.

I wouldn't think it would need pre-washing any more than any of the other batting out there, and as for shrinkage, I would not expect bamboo to shrink.

Keep us advised.
found these sites...hope it helps.

http://feelingsimplyquilty.blogspot....ng-review.html

http://isewblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/oh-bamboo.html

I am a longarm quilter, and bamboo is a dream to quilt! It drapes nicely. I have not used Walmart's brand, so I can't really speak to their product.