Quilting distance
 

I am using Fairfield Soft N Crafty 80/20 and can't get an answer from the company. On the package quilting distance is 2" to 4". I have rectangles along my border measuring 2" x 6". Do I have to quilt more than in the ditch around these rectangles? I've asked Fairfield if the distance is from any given point or if the distance given is for one direction only but haven't gotten any response. I believe it might be called channel quilting when one distance might be very long (as in a plain border that is 2" wide x length of quilt). Has anyone gotten a definitive answer from a reliable source about this? I see a lot of opinions on forums, but I'm after an answer someone has gotten from the horse's mouth so to speak. OR if you've made a quilt using this batting and left lengths of fabric such as I described unquilted, and the quilt is holding up well after multiple washings, I'd like to know that. I realize this batting isn't a favorite of seasoned quilters, but I've used it and now I'm quilting it and need to know if I can leave lengths of fabric unquilted as long as they are quilted with lines no more than 4" apart in one direction. Hope I've explained this adequately. Thanks everybody.

When a batting manufacturer gives recommended quilting distance on the packaging they mean in all directions. So your border quilting plan will not satisfy the minimum quilting requirements. You can, of course, ignore that and go with your plan to only ditch your 2 x 6 rectangles and take your chances. You may be just fine and won't get migration or lumpy spots within that 2 x 6 space. There is really no way to know for sure as there are so many variables, not all washing machines agitate the same, front load or top load, machine dry or line dry.

I have ignored the minimum requirement on long narrow channels. Like say an inner border that only measures 1" I have simply ditched the border and not put any quilting in it and have not had any problems. Chances are you won't either. But if you are truly concerned, then you need to devise a quilting plan that goes into your 2 x 6 bricks that leaves no space measuring bigger than 4" in all directions, top to bottom, side to side.

Maybe you could stitch a line through the center of each rectangle. Then you would have 2" X3" quilting which would meet requirements. The distance is in all directions, when you leave areas larger than recommended you risk separation when the quilt is used/ laundered. Then you have bare- no batting sections with a lump of balled up batting somewhere in the area.

Thank you both, I suspected as much but hoped I could go without. I don't dare because it's for my son-in-law, and I know they have a pretty aggressive washing machine. I had to use it when I was at their house for a while. I'll put an X in each rectangle or make a smaller rectangle inside each one. Better safe than sorry with something you work so hard on!

You could do a zig zag diagonal in each rectangle so you could continuous line quilt after you SID...

Quilt as planned and don't worry about it. Tell your SIL to use the gentle cycle. The quilt shouldn't be washed much at all unless it is a utility quilt.

If more quilting is necessaray on the border sections and you've stitched in the ditch, what about putting in some echoing in those areas to add a little more? Just one or two echos should do it.

I hard to give any suggestion without a photo. Good Luck!