Quilting close together or far apart
 

I'm on an information gathering mission for my next quilt? Still working on my first (almost done). What difference does it make how close one quilts? I know some of the batting says you can quilt as far apart as 10 inches. I did a practice square a couple months back, stitching about an inch apart and the thing was so stiff. Is that what happens if you do a large quilt with stitching so close together? But, on the other hand, I have been told that if the stitching is too far apart you get bunching inbetween the stitching when it has been washed/dried.

I think you first have to decide on a look you like and then buy batting that allows you to quilt that far apart. Quilts do tend to get a bit stiffer when quilted closer together, but different types of batting effect that, too.

I'm new to quilting too and recently asked the same. The helpful quilters here told me it really depends on the batting you choose and how many inches apart it will allow you to go and yes the farther apart the softer the result. Just make sure you read the batting package before buying. What else helped me was UTube and watching the tutorials about the different battings. Polyester is cheaper and will have a different result than cotton. I recommend watching these.

Ditto that!!!!

I always do a large stipple and I like that. I would not quilt any further than 3-4". Just me.

The battings that allow you to quilt that far apart are generally needle punched thru a scrim. That makes them stiff when quilted much closer than the 10 inches. There are battings that are needle punched but not thru a scrim and they need to be quilted closer but they're softer when done. There are also battings that are bonded and not needle punched and their quilting recommendations will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Read the labels and experiment.