Help please!
 

What's it mean when I can see tiny white dots of batting poking through on the backing as I am quilting? Never had this happen before. I have just started quilting this top and the backing is red(it's a Christmas quilt) and white speckles are showing!

sounds like "bearding". some poly batts are known to do this. i used a batt recently for simple project that was supposedly punched or something so that it wouldn't do this. it did. i don't have too much trouble w natural fiber but the poly always beards like this. i use a lot of black fabric. hobbs has a nice black batt. it is dark, shouldn't see the bearding but you do. fine shiney "hairs". will follow this discussion and see if someone has found something that doesn' beard, at least so noticeably.

The batting is warm and white. Will this go away after washing? (I hope!)!!!

You might also try putting in a fresh needle. If your needle has even a small burr on it then this increases the problem.

I agree with mom-6, I had this problem and after I changed the needle, the problem went away.

Lee

Unfortunately, it means you put the batting upside down. Warm and white and warm and natural DO have a right side up. Oh there will be plenty here who post "I never paid any attention and never had that happen" but it does happen.

Chances are it won't wash out. You can try switching to a new, sharper needle like a top stitch or quilting needle but it may not solve your problem. You don't say if you are quilting on home machine or LA. If LA, I would recommend cutting the batting and flipping it over. But if you are quilting on a basted quilt it hardly seems worth the effort.

Google right side up on warm and natural batting and you find blogs that tell you which side is up with photos.

Bearding usually does not go away. Did you prewash the backing fabric? I don't normally prewash but, in this case, I would -- especially since the backing is red. It would take care of not only the possibility of dye bleeds, but probably would "tighten up" the weave of the backing fabric so bearding would be less likely. I also agree that the batting may have been sandwiched wrong-side up (although bearding can happen even when batting is sandwiched correctly) and that it is a good idea to use a new needle.

Using the warm and natural batting, the SMOOTH side of the batting goes on top of the wrong side of the backing: then the "BUMPY" side goes to the wrong side of the top: ie, for your quilt sandwich, lay out the backing, wrong side up; place the smooth side of the batting on top of the wrong side of the backing and add your quilt top, right side up. I have done mine this way for years and don't have those problems...Good luck!

I learned the hard way that there is a correct way to place warm and natural. I put the batting on wrong on an oversized king which I quilted on my DSM. Believe me, after that frustrating experience with those little dots of batting poking through, I am now very, very careful when making my quilt sandwich. Maybe I don't read the packaging well; but I have never seen on the warm and natural batting that there is a "right" and a "wrong" side. I learned the correct way of laying out warm and natural here. Thanks to people like momto5 who told me how to do it.

Wow I am always learning here. Gotta love this place and the people here. 0;-)

As others have already said, you may also need a new needle. If the point is dull, it is too large and will push the batting through to the outside, instead of piercing through the batting.

It might mean your needle is too big. I've had this happen, but washing shrunk the batting and it didn't show after being washed and dried. Maybe you will be that lucky, too.

I didn't know W&N had a right and wrong side, either. We learn something new every day.

That was what I was going to suggest

Good luck - lots of good suggestions here - just learned recently about the right and wrong side of batting!

A big 'YES' to posts about right/wrong sides of batting and the new needle suggestions. Now, after the fact, when the quilting/binding is complete, wash the quilt, and before drying, lay it on a hard, flat surface, and shave it. Yes, use a disposable razor like you'd use to shave your legs, spread small areas with your hand so the fabric is rather taunt, and gently shave off the damp tufts of batting.

Likewise! I never knew batting has sides.......

Yes, the backing was prewashed and I put in a new needle. That did help. It is not as bad as it was at first. Thanks for your help.

I'm confused now about what needle size to use. I have a long arm and was using a size 16 until someone at my local quilt shop said I should be using a 18.....So, I am using an 18 on this quilt that has the white poking through. I guess I'll go back to a 16 to see if that also helps. Thanks.

I made a quilt for my husband with dark borders and found 'bearding after washing. I used my sweater shaver on it and it worked just fine. Only had to do this one time. I think that buying a sweater shaver is a very good inexpensive investment. I have found many uses for it over the years. Good Luck 'debearding' your quilt.

Thanks for that tip! I never knew that W&N had a smooth and a rough side!

This visual might help those of us who are going "Whattttt????"

http://www.freckledwhimsy.com/2010/1...uesday-31.html

I agree with FF that it means you put the batting upside down. Warm and white and warm and natural DO have a right side up.
Ask me how I know. haa. Called warm and natural .. so bump up smooth down

Is there a right and wrong side to the older polyester battings? Those sort of fluffy ones -

Does anyone even use them any more?

My cousin does my quilting and she says she uses a new needle with each quilt. That way if she has a problem she can narrow it down at least to the needle.

I am learning something super important here, thanks to all the nice friends here on the Quilting board, I am so glad I learned this before I made this mistake. Marilyn, I hope you can cute out the batting and turn it over without too much trouble.

Your needle size is COMPLETELY dependent on your thread. Your thread is what determines what size needle you should be using. Here is a helpful guide from Superior threads for their threads.

http://www.superiorthreads.com/reference-guides/

Click the link that says "Longarm machines thread reference guide" For our domestic machine members, use this same link only click "Home Machines thread reference guide"

You can somewhat figure out for other brands based on fiber content, ply and weight. But not always. Some thread manufacturers will tell you what size needle. Others you sometimes have to experiment. For example, Superior's Magnifico is a 40wt trilobal poly. Same as Glide thread. Superior recommends running a size 18 needle for Magnifico, I usually run a size 14 for glide. So sometimes you have to experiment. I try to use the smallest needle size the thread will allow. If your thread starts shredding and breaking a lot, you know you have to go to a bigger needle.

Thanks for this information. I had not heard of a wrong side of batting. I just purchaced my first warm and natural batting and I am so glad I read this before I got a chance to mess it up. I love how this board shares so much.

Wonderful information in this post! Thanks so much for posting! I have quite a bit of experience as a seamstress, but I keep learning more and more than quilting is different!

I've never had that problem, but I just got back the first quilt I sent out to have quilted, and it came back bearded. Luckily, I have a mottled back, and it doesn't show very much.
I might suggest, (if there isn't too much bearding), you might consider using a magic marker to help camouflauge the white dots.

I've been quilting for a bazillion years and never knew this....thank you all!!!!!

I did not know this either about Warm & Natural and that is what I always use. Thank you so much for this info.

Wow did I just learn something new! Thank you friends!

Try a microtex needle ... they're my fav's ... they are very sharp, so when it goes through your quilt it should go through easily, and won't catch any fibers. Good luck!!

I didn't know there was a wrong and right side to batting either. Thank you for another great tip!!!

Wow! I didn't know about the warm and natural. Most of what I do are wall hangings but I will pay attention to the right and wrong side of the batting from now on. Thanks!

I would think the needle might be a bit dull. A new one should help stop that.

It may be a dull needle.