Here is a topic I am not familiar with. If I want a quilt to show the quilt is "fluffy" when it is quilted what type of quilt design pattern works best. I would like the quilt to puff up and not be flat. I thought of just meandering but on a large scale or is it you use small scale to show the fluffyness?

anxious to hear what the experts have to say on this topic. I am thinking high loft batting rather than the actual quilting.

I think I would stick to stitch in the ditch if I wanted fluffy.

I have been told by an instructor that if you use polyester high loft batting you will get the puffiness. However, you might also get wavy along the edges. Hope this helps. :shock:

How fluffy? You could use a layer of cotton batting topped with a layer of poly batting, that should give you the loft you want.

I agree with using two battings to make it puff. The design I would use would depend on the the quilt top.

If you pin your batting, backing and top as one and then iron, it will compact the batting and allow you a little more freedom in choosing a quilting pattern. In some cases, the scrim on the batting will sort of seal the layers together. To release the batting to then "poof", either spritz heavily with water or drop in the washing machine and dry. If you stitch in the ditch, be sure to use your walking foot.

Obviously, try a sampling first before an entire quilt.
Suz

It's not the quilting design, it's the batting that makes a difference in how the quilting looks. If you want really poofy then use a high loft poly. If you just want some definition to the quilting try Hobbs Heirloom.

If I wanted it fluffy, I would use at least 5 oz weight polyester batting and tie it.

Good question, Bev, I've enjoyed reading the answers!
Merry Christmas!

IN my experience poly batting gives the most puff. As a handquilter I find that pulling the stitches fairly tight also increases the "puff".

I just finished quilting a quilt for my DD and SIL and used poly batting. It's fluffy. It looks almost like a comforter.

Close quilting will make the quilt flat, no matter what type of batting you use. For a poofy quilt, use a high loft batting and don't quilt closely. SID or meander or pattern - doesn't matter as long as the quilting is not close together.

Use a high loft batting and don't quilt densely (is there such a word?).

I'm with Fran --- higher loft batting and quilting in a LARGE meandering design -- or whatever design. I just did a quilt that had a tight design and it was FLAT.......I had experimented on high loft batting and it was okay -- big difference!!!

I agree, but baste, probably a basting spray would be best. I find with the high loft batting, you get alot of wrinkles if you quilt to closely and wavy borders. Please post a picture when finished!!!

Good question. Use hi loft and an open quilting design. A close design always flattens the batting. Be sure and send a pic

To make a quilt puffier, don't do the quilting close together. In a kit I bought that needed quilting, the suggestion was made not to use a hoop, the areas between the quilting would be puffier and they are. Some areas are only a half inch apart and they are puffier, I did not use the extra loft batting. Try it

Carol J.

If your going to tie the quilt I would use a high loft poly and keep the ties the distance recommended on the package.

I have used a larger meander stitch and had puffy quilts. Do not quilt tooo close together, that makes them flat and not fluffy

My Gosh, thank you thank you, thank you for all the input - I have learned alot. Using two battings one high loft and a regular sounds great. I want to thank all who responded to help me with this dilema. What a wonderul network for quilting friends to help other quilters out.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
Bevster, Austin, TX

I've made a puff/ quillo quilt, it's like all little pillows, you can see it in my avitar

THOSE PUFF PILLOWS ARE REALLY NICE AND I AM SURE IT LOOKS GREAT ON THE BED.

The quilt I made for my husband for our anniversary was quilted by a long arm quilter and we had him use high loft batting and a wide pattern. Turned out great!

You would use small stippling to make certain areas stand out by densely quilting around the area(but not on)you want to stand out. If you want the whole quilt to stand out you don't want to do a lot of quilting, like do stitch in the ditch. It also matters what batting you use. You can use a high loft poly (I, myself do not use poly), or two layers of warm and natural. This works great. If the spaces are too great in-between the stitching you can always do crosses, or even little tacks every so many inches. What ever you do have fun.

Perhaps you mean a Trapunto style pattern by the word 'fluffy"? If you want something to puff up more than the background, you do very dense stippling in the background. If you want it to puff up more, you put two layers of batting (or more) under the bit you want to puff out. You sew an outline stitch around the shape and then cut away the excess batting on the back of the quilt. Then you sandwich the quilt in the normal way, with a full piece of batting inside the quilt top and backing.You then stipple around the shape and the double - layered areas will puff out distinctly.You also need to use a batting that will not flatten out, but keep its "puff" and be resilient.

I recently quilted a quilt for a customer who wanted a "puffy" quilt. I used 2 poly battings - Quilter's Dream Puff (really nice and thick) and Hobbs Poly Down (don't like, thin, won't use again). I did a larger design then I usually would, and it really puffed up nicely. Here is a picture of the leaf feathers on the border.

Beautiful quilting Farm quilter. Great example.

I really appreciate your question and all the answers. It's been helpful because I liki a quilt to have definition and be puffy. Thanks, Linda Rae

Thank you! That was a large top border - probably 16" wide - so the "feathers" were huge compared to my normal feathers! It was fun to quilt this quilt, but definitely not like I normally quilt when I do custom - that's usually much smaller!

I agree that the batting makes a difference! I always use wool batting. I preshrink the fabric but not the batting, then when it's finished I wash it in hot water to shrink the wool. This helps to make it fluffy. One time I doubled the wool & that nearly gave me a comforter. (It was harder to get my hand stitches as small as I wanted!)

Definitely use high loft batting for a puffier look. I have even doubled my high loft batting at times for a very puffy baby quilt. Also leave more space between quilting lines - check the batting package - if it says quilt 2-4 inches apart stick to 4. Good luck!!

For show quilts, I use a layer of cotton batt, with a layer of Hobbs Wool batting (lighter than air) on the top. It really defines my quilting, and the more open the quilting motif, the more fluffy you'll get. Many professional quilters use this method. I also get a great result with Hobbs Polydown, and use it mostly for quilts that are warm snuggly huggy quilts. It has a 3/8" loft and is the softest poly I've found.

I also would think less quilting makes it fluff more.

Wonderful Info - thank you. Do they sell that particular batting at JoAnns or do I need to order it on-line?

use a high-loft batting and quilt as close as the batt says it has to be quilted. the batting dictates the amount of quilting a quilt has to have...you can do more, but need at least as much as it says. batts come in various lofts...from very thin (1/8th") and all lofts inbetween. i just finished a customer quilt that the lady brought a batt that was 3/4" thick! that is some lofty batting! it was not difficult to quilt, but it did really take up the backing...her back wound up being too short...even though it started out about 5" longer than the top. so take that into consideration when you choose yoru batting/backing. the back needs to be larger (and trimmed after quilting) because as you quilt the fabric is 'drawn-up' much like appliquing.

Exactly! <wave>

what a brilliant idea.

Is the Hobbs Polydown warm, or just cozy, but not very warm?

Poly is very warm...does not breathe like cotton and wool, just holds the heat in.