Polyester batting, is it ok to use?
 

Hi,

I will be making some quilts for charity and was wondering if using polyester batting would be ok? It is so much less expensive than wool.

How does it hold up? Does it wash up well? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

It washes easily and well and doesn't pose the possible allergen problem that wool can. Don't get me wrong--I love wool, but you don't know about the recipient when you donate a quilt.

Polyester batting as Tartan says is harder to quilt because it is constantly shifting. If you are able to shop during JAF sales, you can get an number of cotton battings for the normal price of polyester batting. I have always preferred cotton batting and that is what I put in my charity quilts.

Poly is warmer than a cotton batting. When I use poly I do spray baste and sometimes have to use a few pins to stabilize. Do I think its OK to use for charity quilts?... yes!.. but if you are sending to some formal charities they can be very fussy about what they except .. size and fiber contents.

I use poly batting in most of my charity quilts as it holds up nicely, can be machine quilted or tied and makes for a little bit puffier quilt, which seems to make everyone happy. JMHO

I meant to say can I use poly instead of wool or COTTON. Sheesh...brain malfunction! LOL.

It is important to follow the spacing directions for quiltingor tying.

I have two quilts made with the "fluffy" polyester batting. They wash up fine. I did pin baste closely. One is hand quilted, the other one is macine quilted.

I'm getting ready to try fleece as a batting. The sales and coupons brought the price down to $1.99 per yard, and I'm thinking that since it is a fabric, it may shift less than regular poly batting. We'll see. :)

i quilt some charity quilts and we use it all...had someone donate a whole roll of fleece works great don't have to quilt so close .....but we use what we have ....flannel,/fleece/ cotton/ poly /wool

I'm really curious to see how this goes! Please post about it when you're done! I was fingering some fleece the other day and thinking it would be a nice batting. How closely do you think it would need to be quilted? I like to quilt as sparsely as possible but no idea how forgiving fleece might be for that. I suppose it wouldn't be prone to bunching as much as batting would be... You've got me thinking again, lol.

I have started using Fairfield 80/20 batting for most of my utility quilts. I buy it at Walmart. It is inexpensive and is very good batting.

I use this batting almost all the time.
I like the way it hand quilts.
I like the way it puffs.

I like the price.

I have hand NO complaints from recipients.

I guess I just like everything about it.

Of course it's ok. I use the polyester batting most of the time because I like the higher loft. And I like less quilting, which the polyester batting allows. There are just a few cases where the cotton batting is really needed- the hospital wants all cotton for premie quilts.

[QUOTE=charsuewilson;6469073]Of course it's ok. I use the polyester batting most of the time because I like the higher loft. And I like less quilting, which the polyester batting allows. There are just a few cases where the cotton batting is really needed- the hospital wants all cotton for premie quilts.[/QUOTE

Then do what they want.

I use Hobbs Polydown for all of my Community quilts and my baby, kid and college quilts. All of these usually have hard use and frequent washes and the Polydown quilts easily and washes and wears well. It dries more quickly and is much less expensive than 80/20 or other cotton batting. Many people like the lightness and the warmth provided. For me it is a great batting choice and I buy it by the 30 yard roll.

How closely did you quilt the fleece?

A friend of mine just backed a quilt with fleece. She is not a happy camper. It stretched when being quilted and is still stretching as she uses it.

OOPS I thought you said backing. Sorry. I do wonder how it would be for batting.

boy, I hope so, since I've been using polyester & poly blend batts for 40 years. polyester battings hold up well and are a good choice for 'utility quilts' (quilts that will be dragged around, laundered often- used, used, used) so a good choice for many charities.

If it is going to kids, they like the puffiness that you get with poly batting. If it is going to the elderly, the lighter weight works for them. If it is going to a hospital, I would check, they may want cotton that will wash better in hot water.

I especially like polyester batting for quilts that are going to "see a lot of action", particularly washing, or if I don't know who will get the quilt. It's a little harder to machine quilt -- I did a lot more pinning than I do with cotton -- but it washes up great and is very warm. I like my charity quilts to be warm and sturdy.

I use either the polyester batting or fleece for all my quilts. So far no complaints. I have discovered that for most things the fleece is my preference as it doesn't shift like the fluffy stuff may. I've also used the "snow cover" (designed for decorating with the village houses) as batting for table runners or placemats. Got a bunch of it on clearance a few years ago.

A lot depends on the specific charity.

Charities that give quilts to children in the hospital typically request cotton batting (or 80/20) because it holds up to the harsh hot water washing and drying of the hospital laundry, especially since the quilts of some children need to be washed every single day.

Charities that send quilts overseas often request polyester batting because it dries much faster than cotton or wool -- helpful for countries where families and hospitals do not have dryers.

LOve the little bit of puff. I use cotton, poly...whatever I guess I am not a purist.

Cotton batting needs to be quilted pretty close together or it will shred and pill in wads after lots of use and washing. I don't like it at all! If you buy good quality fleece I think that would be fine to use as batting, but some of the thin cheap stuff is really stretchy, however some people use minky and I think that would be horrid as it stretches if you look at it.

Poly is a LOT less expensive and it holds up wash after wash just fine. It's warm, it's comfy, and it's a little fluffier. Sometimes I like it better than cotton. If you have problems with shifting (I never have), just use a lot more pins or spray basting if you prefer. I think that if it didn't work well, there wouldn't be so many types available on the shelves and manufacturers wouldn't keep making it.

I have not used it but have wondered the same thing. I love cotton or 80/20

It depends upon the type/brand of cotton batting. Warm & Natural has a scrim, which holds the cotton together. It starts out a bit stiff but softens with each wash. It's also one of the easiest to machine quilt, IMO.

Poluester batting?
 

I have used poly batting for many years, hand and long arm quilting for family and QOV (Over 150) with no problems of shifting, wrinkles or any other problems. I will not use any other batting unless doing a quilt for a friend who furnishes other batting. My quilts are washed a lot--for babies up thru weddings.
Phyllis in Oregon
72 yrs quilting

I usually use poly batting because I can find it, or can afford it. That said, I have used fleece in small quilts, and I have even used polyester felt, for the batting in a table cloth I embroidered, so that it would be extra flat so glasses would not wobble on it. Still using it twelve years later.

Have any of you used the Warm Company's Soft & Bright?
Also, are there bearding problems with any of the polyester battings?

Polyester batting is good, especially for charity quilts, as it can be less expensive.

Fleece makes a great batting. I've used it in many quilts, charity and not charity. I have both spray basted/not spray basted before putting the quilt sandwich on the frame to machine quilt. It turns out fine. I've only had a wrinkle on the back of a quilt once. I think it happened because the tension of the quilt on the frame was off.

I can give you no advice on which batting is best for hand quilting because I've never hand quilted. If you plan to quilt on your dsm, I recommend that you pin baste heavily - otherwise the fleece does shift all over the place.

It's nice to have the fleece for a number of reasons: It comes in 60" widths. Most of the quilts I make are more than 40" but less than 60", so I can use it on most of the quilts I make. It drapes really well, and the quilt feels softer than when cotton or polycotton is used. It comes in at least 2 weights and the lighter weight is extremely lightweight for use in baby or toddler quilts. The lighter weight makes it easier for a little one to drag around and love to tatters!

For larger quilts I use cotton or poly/cotton blend. That works fine, too.

I don't make charity quilts, but, I do use high loft poly batting for almost all of my quilts. Warth without the weight and absolutely no shrinkage. It will outlast the fabrics.

I love it and mostly use only that.

I find mattress pads work well, and you can purchase them at Goodwill stores for under 3 dollars. (just wash them before using them)

I use poly a lot and don't have problems quilting it. Maybe it is because I over pin to begin with.

I use polyester batting in charity quilts all the time. It quilts well if you pin baste closely enough (every 4 inches or so), washes well, is warm, handles well. I sometimes use the high loft and, if so, tie those quilts.

For non-heirloom type quilts I have used polyester batting, fleece, old mattress protectors, sheets, really ugly fabric....if it sits around for a while and is big enough...it's fair game for this quilter. No dramas so far and haven't had much difficulty quilting (by machine that is). I will even use this kind of batting for placemats and table-runners....anything that is used and washed a lot.