Do You Double Batt?
 

I have been researching batting products lately (mostly QD and Hobbs Tuscany vs Heirloom) and have run across references to double batting a quilt sandwich, often with a wool batt on top and a second batt of cotton or cotton blend, most often used in context of competition quilts. I am not a competition quilter but I am concerned with fold-line creases, loft (I like a medium loft, not the thin, flat look and feel), and drapability. If you double batt, what do you see as the advantages and disadvantages? TIA.

I double batt quite often but I quilt on a longarm. I think it would present a lot of challenges to quilt a double batted quilt on any stationary machine (including extended throats) but even more so on a domestic. You are already dealing with a lot of bulk with single batting. I imagine it would present challenges in making the sandwich as well. Maybe someone who quilts on a sitdown machine can chime in with their views.

On a stand up longarm I have never had any issues. Combinations I have used are wool over 80/20 or W&N, Hobbs Polydown over 80/20 and this quilt was double batted poly. https://www.quiltingboard.com/pictur...e-t274066.html. And this quilt had trapunto treatment and double wool so under the applique of the goddess is 3 layers of wool batting. https://www.quiltingboard.com/pictur...t-t297585.html. And this quilt I did a layer of Hobbs Polydown over an old wool army blanket. https://www.quiltingboard.com/pictur...t-t221823.html

Double batting does effect the quilt's drape. It also makes for a very warm quilt and depending on what combination of battings you use can also be very heavy. The batik one with poly over the wool army blanket is super heavy and I can only use it as a bed quilt in the very dead of winter, like those -30 nights. For use on a bed, I feel the lack of "scrunchability" (lack of drape) does not have any impact. The quilt still hangs nicely over the side of the bed but if you want a quilt to cocoon into and scrunch up all around you, I would not double batt.
Double batting really emphasizes quilting motifs, provided you quilt closely enough in the background. It often gives a trapunto look and that is why many show quilters do it, myself included.

I prefer a thicker acrylic batt most of the time and I have double batted before, now I'm better about knowing what I want and what I buy so haven't done it for awhile. Then again, I've been out of Alaska for a few decades as well and am not making quilts for houses with no central heating any more either! There are times when I want the look and feel (and weight) of warm & natural type batts, but mostly I really prefer those fluffy acrylic batts.

In my opinion with the thicker/double batts you don't really get good results with a lot of quilting. You want more of a comforter level of quilting, 3-4" maybe down to 1" channels but nothing really smaller than that or you get basically a stiff mattress pad. Tying down or using buttons can be very effective with a super thick batt.

I have put in extra batting before more recently, basically stuffing large applique pieces within my blocks and then quilting down the whole thing (typically not quilting in the stuffed pieces) with a single batt. That's worked just fine in both working with the fabric, washing, and the use of the quilts.

In one of my recent thrift store finds, the original piecer had put together the top with a double thickness of rather thick batting. It was, in my opinion, way too thick and would not have made a good baby blanket, single thickness would have been fine. They gave up on the project because the flannel they used for the back was really too narrow and unfortunately an inch or so short... but I got enough batting for two crib sized quilts and the top (I made a different back and will long arm it down), and one of the ladies in my small group took the flannel backing. So that's a lot of projects out of a $1.99 purchase.

I have never heard of acrylic batting. Are you sure you don't mean polyester? I just did a google search for acrylic batting, as I am always curious about a batting I haven't previously been aware of, and found nothing.

One other thing I wanted to mention is that both polyester and wool batting will quilt down very flat with heavy quilting. That is why they give such excellent relief in the unquilted areas, even with double batting. I have also found that the added weight of a denser batting like cotton, 80/20 or bamboo will make a double batted wallhanging hang nicer. If you double batt with the denser batting on the top, you negate the effect. I learned that the hard way with this quilt: https://www.quiltingboard.com/pictur...l-t270708.html

Yes, should have said poly :)

I add a second layer of batting for EMB quilts. There is one layer added in each block when stitching the EMB design. Then I have the quilter add a second layer when quilting. It gives a nice puff to the quilt.

I love double batts with low loft poly..ooh and flannel backing. It drapes nicely and shows off any quilting. My DH said that he would like a Hobbs 80/20 double batt on his new quilt, so I'll be giving it a try there too. I envision that it will have a nice loft like the Hobbs typically does, but a tad "squishier" ;-).

A few times when poly batting was very thin in some places I have double batted. It is a bit harder to quilt on my DSM. So I buy project fleece batting for my donation quilts. It is a lot like W&N.

Hobbs 80/20 is just too thin for me when I've got a cotton top and backing. So I double batt for cotton backings. I doubled my batting with a minky backing, and it was very heavy. But it will sure keep someone warm. I feel like the Winline Simply Soft 80/20 is more consistent than the Hobbs 80/20. I'm OK with a single layer of Winline 80/20.

My favorite quilt is a double-batt of thick poly, flannel top and back, tied rather than quilted. I look forward to pulling it out soon.