Which batting for a quilt backed with fleece
 

I'm taking my quilt to the long armer tomorrow. The quilt will be backed with fleece. The quilter prefers batting with it. My choices are cotton or polyester batting. I don't have any poly cotton blend. I'm wondering about shrinkage since the fleece probably won't shrink. The cotton quilt top obviously will shrink. So which batting would be best?

i'd toss the batting in the dryer with a couple very wet bath towels and let the batting shrink -- that should take care of your concerns

If I went to a long-armer, I'd use what they recommend. If it is from what you have I'd use whatever is thinnest. If you use a bonded cotton I'd do what jacqueck recommends. I did my first fleece backed project about a year ago and did not use any batting, would have liked at least a thin poly batt. Squish factor is nice and although it was not an issue in my project, the fleece was very dark and could have shown through a different top.

I don't get as many quilts finished as I do pieced tops because I do my own quilting and it is not my favorite part of the process. I typically use a rather puffy poly batt and I always fluff it in the dryer before laying it out.

Warm and Natural is sort of the default right now for modern quilting. It's very heavy to me, and partly from design and partly from ability I don't do a lot of dense quilting which is perfect for it.

I agree to get the batting damp and run thru the dryer for a short time. This will give the batting a little shrinkage.

Would you possibly want the batting to shrink with the quilt top ? I'm just trying to picture how that is going to turn out, since the fleece wouldn't shrink and polyester batting probably won't shrink, but the quilt top will shrink. Would it be better to have cotton batting so it would shrink with it?

I'm a big believer in prewashing so don't allow for shrinkage. When I refer to having 2-4" extra all around the quilt for the back, that's for the "shrinkage" that occurs from having tucks in the fabric, not from the effect of washing.

Other people want/use the shrinkage to achieve a look.

We each have a desired result. My quilts are typically puffier and less quilted than currently popular and I'm ok with that :)

I just finished quilting a quilt with fleece backing. I was not going to use batting but when I layered the top and fleece together I felt that it was too "flimsy"'to be termed a quilt. So I added a light weight batting and I think it turned out well. However, it is a gift so I probably will never know if my friend is happy with it or not.

Towels will likely shred the batting. Ask the long armer which she likes best, cotton or poly? Personally, I like a white fleece for batting when using a fleece backing on a pieced quilt. But that only works for less than 55" wide.

I use warm and natural batting. When I remember it, I wet the batting in warm water (you have to do some squishing to get it to take in the water (maybe partially unfold and put in bath tub; however, I only have a shower, so do it in the kitchen sink) and squeeze out the excess (don't twist it), then put it in the dryer. I've never had a problem with it, as I don't care for the crinkled look.

bkay

Added: You might wet your top and dry it to preshrink as well. I would dry it in a lingerie bag to keep it from too much motion. Then, you'll have to iron it. I haven't tried it, but will in the future.