question about baby quilts
 

Hey all,
I am needing to make a baby quilt for a shower that is going to be held sometime in January or February. Having never made a baby quilt before I'm hoping to get some guidance.

What sort of batting is suitable for baby quilts? I usually use Warm and Natural cotton or a fusible fleece for my art quilts, but the W and N gets stiff if quilted close together, and the fusible fleece doesn't drape very well.

The other battings I've used are the green one that's made from recycled plastic bottles--it's very nice, soft, lofty etc. and I really liked using it in the quilt that I made for my oldest granddaughter who is in college. I've also got some Hobbs washable wool, but was thinking that wool might be a no no for a baby quilt.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Rob

I have been making a lot of baby quilts lately. lol ........ my daughters' friends are at that stage in their lives. I use 100% cotton batting usually Hobbs or their 80/20. Since I have never used a washable wool (allergic to wool) I really can't say if it would be a good batt to use or not.

I like the Dream Green recycled batting. It drapes nicely and can be quilted up to 10" (I think) so it wouldn't be stiff like a densely quilted one.

I have used Hobbs 80/20 and the dream cotton. I have used the 100% polyester and it wears like crazy - my great niece has been dragging hers with her almost everywhere for 4 years now ---- makes me smile when I see her with it :)

Thanks for the responses. It sounds like either the dream green or the Hobbs 80/20 would work well. Now for another question:

Should I plan on quilting it fairly densely since I'm assuming it will be washed a lot? Or is it okay to do less quilting (say 3 to 4 inches apart)?

Also, I usually use either Isacord (good strong polyester thread) or Aurifil (cotton, not quite as strong) for quilting quilts that are to be used. My question is whether the Aurifil will be strong enough to handle lots of washing.

And also, someone mentioned in a post recently about not using a certain kind of thread because of some danger to babies getting their fingers wrapped in it????

Rob

I use either 80/20 or washable wool--have used a poly on one for a little girl that needed something she could drag to daily therapy sessions (developmentally delayed)and would never "wash out", but don't like the poly cause it's more flammable.
On thread I usually use either SoFine or a cotton. Think your quilting 3-4"apart will work fine. My kids (30's)have some crib quilts that were quilted much further apart than that and they survived! Part about thread getting tangled on baby fingers/toes was just be sure to get any thread ends clipped.

I think it was the monofilament type thread (think very fine fishing line) that I would avoid using on a baby blanket/quilt.

Before I started buying my batting by the roll I used the Mountain Mist sold by the bag. Some of those quilts are still going strong today, and a couple I know for a fact are 30 years old.

Look at the Quilters Dream website for some ideas. They are the makers of the green which I haven't used myself but others seem to like it. They also make one called Angel that is fire retardant, if that is a concern for you. I use Quilters Dream batting for most all of my quilts and I prefer to use the all cotton bats. The majority of the quilts I've made have been for my grandkids and kids and so far no problems that I know of. I use Aurifil thread for piecing and quilting. I think the problem thread that you are thinking of is the invisible thread that some say can come lose and wrap around a tiny toe or finger and is hard to find. Personally, I would not use it on anything but a wall-hanging.
Have fun with your baby quilts! They are a favorite of mine!

I used Warm and Plush in my last two baby quilts and really liked it.

I have gifted quite a few baby quilts. I always call them "tummy time" quilts. So new parents know it's okay to throw on the ground to let the baby practice rolling over ect. I tell them to use it up so I can make more. Since experts don't recommend placing blankets in the cribs anymore, it suggests to the new parents a way to use it. I remember one nephew with his new baby being horrified to think of the baby on the floor. It was his first. That quilt is now worn thin and well loved.

When i can get it, I use the thinnest fleece that Walmart sells. It's so lightweight that a toddler can easily tote the quilt around. And it drapes extremely well. If you haven't used it before, though, it can be difficult to use. If you decide to use it, position it WOF as that is usually far less stretchy than length of fabric.

Otherwise, I use an 80/20 cotton/poly batting. Although I haven't tried it, a pre-washed/dried white/natural flannel would probably work well, too.

I've made tons of one yarder quick turn baby blankets with flannel and soft & bright batting and some of those are ten years old and a tad faded but otherwise fine :) I generally quilt about 3-4 inches apart on those but that's mostly due to the small size of the blanket. I tell the parents to let the baby poop, pee, drag around and use the blankets, then wash and dry. I've never understood the flame retardant argument since smoke inhalation, CO, and lethal fumes from burning building materials tend to kill you long before the flames get to you. The soft and bright batting also dries very quickly in the dryer which I really like.

I used warm and natural on a flannel quilt. The flannel I pre-washed but the batting I didn't. DD washed the quilt in hot water and dried it in a hot dryer (big accident on the quilt) and the batting shrank. DGS carried the quilt around until it fell apart, but I started pre-shrinking the warm and natural for the baby quilts after that.

I think it is the invisible threads and the metallic threads that are not recommended for use with small children. However, that could happen with any thread if a baby gets fingers caught in it, but seems to be more likely with those two types of thread. Whatever thread you use, make sure your thread tension is correct, so little fingers can't get caught.

Quilting density: 3" to 4" apart is fine.

Thread - a good polyester thread should wear well, as would cotton or cottonpolyester. If you are worried about the thread wearing out, use the thread you feel is stronger.

I use Warm & Plush. It has no scrim & is 50% loftier than W&N. It quilts up beautifully & is still quite soft even when quilted at an average of 3/4" spacing (I prefer closer quilting because my clients are interested in heirloom quilts for their grandchildren). I would recommend at least quilting it every 2" so it will hold up for more than a couple years in the wash.

Wool can go either way. Some babies do better with wool; others are allergic/sensitive to it. The same thing is true with rayon (also marketed as "bamboo" or "bamboo rayon"). I personally don't use poly or poly blends for two reasons: (1) some of the little ones (3 and under) can have a hard time regulating body temperature with synthetic bedding, and (2) certain parents get panicky about anything other than natural/semi-synthetic fibers because if there is ever a fire, they will melt to the baby's skin. Of course, that's highly unlikely to happen ... but who am I to judge? So I now make 100% cotton quilts for the little ones: cotton fabric, cotton thread & 100% cotton batting with no scrim. But I made my first baby quilt with W&N, with that recycled plastic felt, and with synthetic rickrack. My nephew survived just fine. But I quilted it unevenly varying from 2" to 8" apart -- in the ditches -- because I didn't know any better, and after 2 years it needed some minor repair work to the stitching. I made one for my niece about the same time with W&N batting and quilted every 1" with a curvy meander & it's held up well, but I didn't like how stiff it ended up between the quilting & the fusible web applique. Since then, I do needle turn applique & use W&P, and I've yet to have any issues with stiffness. I quilt some areas as close together as 1/4" and some as far apart as 1.25", but with the W&P batt, it stays nice & cuddly soft and maintains a beautiful drape.

I've made several baby quilts. I always like Warm and Natural. The more you wash it, the softer and better draping it will be.

No -no to invisible thread, and make your stitches very close so that tiny --or toenails!!-- can't get caught in them. I don't typically quilt densely because I like them fluffy. So about 1.5-2 " is my general guideline, not my rule.

i stay away from fleece since it doesn't breathe. I love flannel for a city, warm batting, and there are some adorable flannels out there. I like what Thousands of Bolts offers.

I have a pkg of Warm & Plush that someone gave me, I'd like to use it but it gets so hot here...

I would not choose to quilt a baby quilt too densely. Babies need cuddle and drape... not stiffness. Just my choice.

You can hardly go wrong with a baby quilt!

Like you, I find myself making a baby quilt every month of two. I used Hobbs 80/20 batting when my quilt backings were 100% cotton. Now that I'm using Minky as the backing fabric, I don't use any batting at all. (My quit tops are still 100% cotton.) So far, the young moms seem to prefer the Minky.

As you may know, current advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics is that NOTHING be in the crib other than the baby and a crib sheet. As a result, I don't worry about the baby becoming overheated - cuz s/he is never under the quilt. The Minky is also lightweight, so when the day comes that the baby might want to drag the quilt along with him/her, it's easy.

My newest concern is that the Minky is so strong that my pieced cotton side will wear out too soon! (My pieced side is an I-Spy with 80 different squares.)

That was my post, I believe, and it was about thread ends and strings left long enough for wrapping a baby's fingers or toes, not a specific thread.

Jan in VA

Well, I went back and checked my post on 7-2-2016 and indeed it was about 'invisible' thread. But the thought certainly applies to all threads.

I've been on a baby quilt binge for the last couple of years, alas. I use W&N because that is what I have a roll of. That said, I am for any natural fiber..cotton; wool; silk; vs any poly or other synthetic fibers. I come from a fire background on several levels. Stick with natural fibers as they burn vs synthetic fibers of any sort as they melt to the skin. Natural is my go to for purchased or made bedding.

Thanks so much for all the thoughtful answers to my questions. Ya'll are the best!:)

I use Hobbs 80/20 most often and quilt 2-2 1/2 inches apart.

So use the warm and natural and don't quilt it closely. It can be quilted up to 10 inches apart. I wouldn't use wool because there may be an allergy problem. When I made quilts for my expected grandchildren, I used a high loft polyester.

I'd consider bamboo batting; its soft, has a nice drape, and feels like you're quilting through butter when working with it. I love it!
As for thread, keep it natural with 100% good quality cotton thread. Good luck! I'm sure your gift will be appreciated!

I prefer to use a cotton batting for baby quilts. I also do a self-binding for these quilts. I know it is not the 'correct' way, but this makes sure that the baby will not chew it loose. My girls still have their baby quilts (they took them with them to college!) and they have not had to be rebound.

My suggestion for fleece is 100% wrong. Position it length of fabric (least stretch) to quilt when using it as backing and not using batting. For the record, i almost always use a batting even with fleece.

Sorry about that.

Thank you, Jan, for posting it in July. I was ignorant of that very important possibility until you did post it. It It seems that our education never ends!

Rob, my very first baby quilt was hand quilted and not done with dense quilting, 32 years later & a lot of wear it is still hanging in there. Most of my baby quilts are hand quilted with a few of the recently made ones machine quilted. I don't do a dense quilting pattern on them. I have used Aurifil quilting thread on some baby quilts and the oldest one of those is going on 5 years now ......... it is still being dragged around and going strong.

i use the hobbs 80/20 it hand quilst great!!!( use it in all my premie quilts also

I have used W&N and polyester batting.