Light Weight Batting Suggestions
 

A lady friend of mine who lives in San Antonio, TX has asked me to make her an Irish Chain quilt. OK, so that is the easy part. But she wants a very light weight batting because of the weather in TX. I've always used Warn and Natural in my quilts. Is there anything else that can be used? Suggestions please. Thank you!!

Quilter's Dream Request.

Wool. Lightweight. Breaths, so cool in summer, warm in winter. Downside, expensive.

I agree with feline fanatic that the best choice would be wool.

I second Quilters dream for thinness. But I use W&N in my quilts in Florida and it's fine.

Quilters Dream...Dream Orient It is silk, bamboo, eucalyptus, and cotton. Used it in a quilt for my daughter in California. She says it's cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It drapes beautifully and was great to quilt with.

Wool for sure would be the best choice. 2nd choice would be QD Request but that will show little to no definition in your quilting. Or cotton flannel. Whatever you choose, make sure it doesn't include synthetic fibers like polyester, rayon or "bamboo" (the stuff marketed as "bamboo" is actually a type of rayon) as those fibers don't breathe & trap in sweat and body heat. Wool is fantastic -- warm in the winter, cool in the summer. It wicks away moisture so you are comfortable regardless of heat or humidity.

Also, you could pick cotton fabrics that are less dense (like 1930's & civil war repros and some others). Less dense fabrics breathe more & keep you cooler. Definitely wouldn't use bed sheets for the back if her goal is to keep cool. It also helps not to "overquilt" (tiny, dense fillers) and to use 100% cotton thread if you plan to quilt less than 2" apart.

I have made numerous quilts with silk batting. It is lightweight and wonderful. Cool in summer, warm in winter, and naturally hypoallergenic. Dust mites can't live in silk. It is just a bit more expensive than 100% cotton. It's machine washable too.

I am not associated with the company but Quilters Dream .... Dream Orient DOES NOT use a synthetic product in place of organic bamboo fiber. It is the only batting company our business deals with because if they are selling a synthetic like their Dream Poly they tell you so. In light of the above comment it might be wise to avoid other companies selling a "bamboo" batting. Anything synthetic would definitely be hotter.

Consider silk. I made a quilt with silk batting for my son and DIL and they use it all year around without discomfort. It was very easy to work with.

We live in the Houston area and I agree about using silk. It is cooler than wool or cotton. I use the Hobbs brand.

Thank you all. Very good topic, and glad to hear your input.

I would recommend a low loft poly batting. I use high loft poly batting, warmth without the weight.

Thinsulate is wonderful for year round use. I did one several years ago and the quilting shows nicely.
It is difficult to find. I found mine at a Hancocks. Check online, and at JoAnns, too

So many choices and can be overwhelming. My quilts will be going to the northern part of Indiana and Michigan. Just want them to be warm.

I don't personally have any first-hand knowledge about Dream Orient, but there are a number of reputable sites that advertise is at "rayon from bamboo" (for example: https://www.fabric.com/buy/qbr-022/q...108-x-93-queen), because while it starts out as 100% bamboo, the chemical process bamboo goes through to give it that silky-smooth texture involves chemically re-engineering its cellulose fibers. I found out that bamboo-rayon is technically considered "semi-synthetic". It is very absorbent (like cotton) and can be woven as densely as silk, at which point it has the potential to cause overheating. It really just depends on the density of the fibers -- which is true for cotton as well, but cotton is a thicker fiber and does not get as dense as some rayons. I'm sure Dream Orient is lighter & cooler than W&N, but I still would recommend wool as a first choice. :)

I openly admit that I haven't spent much time studying "bamboo" batting firsthand because I have a contact allergy to bamboo-rayon (and several other types of rayon) and get rashes all over my hands just from helping my mom out by folding her 100% Tencel (bamboo-rayon) sheets. That said, because of my allergy, I have done quite a bit of reading on the product. Here are a couple of sites you may find interesting:

FTC Warning about "Bamboo" fabrics: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/article...bamboo-fabrics
Manufacturing process of bamboo-rayon: http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_...-facts-be.html
Site about rayon's properties: http://textileapex.blogspot.com/2015...roperties.html

summer quilt for TX heat
 

Hello happy quilter,

I've made many quilts without using batting of any kind. I choose fabric for backing that will compliment the weight of the top. I've not had a problem of anyone, even those living in the north USA climate accepting and using the quilts. Fabric used? Sometimes flannel, t-shirt fabric (cut from old t-shirts that are without blemish or stains), cotton/polyester blend bed sheets (all one piece and easy to work with - they are soft when washed). Hope this has helped. From a quilter-gal in north TX.

How 'bout muslin as batting?