Any suggestions for the best way to join batting pieces so that they are wide enough to fit my quilt. The quilt is a 58" square and my batting is only 48" wide.

You can butt them together and use a wide zigzag or there is a fusible tape you can use made just for this purpose. I have used it with cotton batting, not sure if it will work with poly, I'm sure someone else will clarify

i've used the tape too with cotton, i don't think it works with poly

I've used the tape so far with cotton, poly and Dream Green - works great

i've used the tape too with cotton, i don't think it works with poly

I use a basting needle and whip stitch the pieces together.

I make sure the pieces to join have a straight edge by rotary cutting them. Then I use the mending or zigzag wide stitch to connect the two pieces.

I use leftover pieces of lightweight fuisible interfacing.

I use a wide zig zag too. If the batting has a lot of loft I whip stitch it by hand.

here's my method:

I hand whip scraps together.

I use a slip knot for a knot, go down left hand batting, up immediately next to stitch, needle thru the loop, pull tight.

You are up on the left, sewing about 1/2"-3/8" from the edge. stitch down in between the 2 battings, up on the right batting, down in between, up on the left batting. always up through the batting & down in the seam. When you pull it tight, it butts, no lumping, the stitches inbetween keep it from bunching. stiches are about 3 to an inch. goes really fast.

a wide zigzag with the pieces side by side- or the new batting tape works great- and yes it works on poly- and dream green= all kinds of batts==not just cotton

I've read about the tape but haven't looked for it yet. Does Joanns carry it? Expensive? Worth the cost?

Haven't seen the tape in Joanns. I think you could use lightweight fusible interfacing since that is basically what the tape is. If you use it on poly batting I would use a very low heat.

I have used it on poly with my little bity iron on a low heat.Lot cheaper to make your own.

I butt the edges together, use a basting needle and whipstitch the pieces together. If I need to piece the batting I always stitch it; however, I have been told that some longarmers will lay the batting together when they have quilted to the area where the batting would need to be pieced and just quilt over it without stitching it together. But I would be afraid it would shift before I had it quilted securely.

This is what I do. It works great! :thumbup:

ditto!

That's what I do too.

I but them together and use a faggoting stitch.

I use strips of thin fusible interfacing.... on all types of batting and it works great! makes a nice smooth bond

I like the tape - makes a smooth line. When I zigzag I have trouble keeping it even.

This the way I do it too.

Me too, and it worked very well for my purpose. I haven't tried the tape.

Over lap the two pieces and cut a wavey line. The pull apart so they are not overlapping and sew together with a tight zig zag. That way you won't tend to have a straight line in your batting when you go to quilt. Hope that makes sense.

I have been butting the edges of batting together and zig zaging it for years....my friends used to think I was nuts but I was just being frugal. Now with the invention of the new tape my life is "sew" much better. I love this new tape. Works like a charm.....you have to try it!!!

Here's what the tape does:

Heat Press Batting Together
HEAT Press Batting Together is 1 1-2 inch cloth tape that will fuse two edges of batting together. It is soft, its thin, it stretches, its needle easy for hand or machine quilting.
Quilters - We do not have to sew the batting edges together anymore... we can fuse it.

Item no: heatpress_sgl


Item no: heatpress_sgl
Wholesale Price: $6.50 Each

Here's just one place you can get it: jhittlesewing.com

I've used it and like it. Almost everywhere I've seen it, it's the same price.

I found some fusible tape on line that you iron on the batting that is flat edge to edge, it works like a dream and does not leave the quilt stiff. I paid about $6.00 a roll and it is worth every penny. :-D

I was taught to never use a straight line for basting the two pieces of batting together. Overlap the two pieces of batting about three inches and cut the two together in a gentle scallop curve all the way down, remove each small end piece and baste the two remaining big pieces together. I do it by hand. This will prevent showing a seam in the batting. Hope this makes sense.

I do a large zig zag atitch by hand, can't tell when the quilt is quilted by FMQ. I have made whole battings this way. Takes time but uses up scraps.

I have used the tape on Quilter's dream battings (some poly) and it works fine. I use a flour sack towel between the batting and the iron for battings with poly in them.

I have joined pieces several ways......if you do it before you sandwich...you can lay one on the other overlapping a bit and cut with rotary in a wavy line rather straight across, then hand whip together. If you sew by machine, be careful that the seam doesn't leave a "ridge". If it is poly it can be "pulled" on edges and then they can be blended together. Sort of like carding wool....I am eager to try the new bonding tape...hmmm never thought about using fusible interfacing...good idea.....

Joanns has the tape, in with the fusible interfacing and Wonderunder

The tape appears to be tricot lining cut into 1" strips. I zigzag & use the tricot - works great for cotton or warm & natural.

I whip stitch the pieces together by hand

YES !!!! It is fast, easy and works!

Ditto for me on the whipstitch method. I (loosely) do it by hand and handle with TLC, then pin or hand baste more heavily along the seam to be sure nothing shifts. Just make sure your batting is butted together and not overlapping. That way you'll avoid bumps in your finished quilt. This has always worked well for me. God Bless.

I also use lightweight fusible interfacing cut into strips. I'm not sure if this is what the "tape" is made from.

Me, too - use the tape - better and flatter than a zigzag, and more forgiving.

Thanks so much to all of you who responded. I did zigzag the batting and wasn't thrilled with the results. One half ended up longer than the other half. Next time I'll use fusible interfacing.

That's pretty much the way I do it, too. But I sew together by hand, rather than with the machine.