One sewing machine guy told me that you should change the needle after 8 hours of sewing.

(1) So is "bearding" when the batting fibers poke through the outer layers of the quilt? I've never encountered this before, and just recently heard the term. Bearding is more noticeable (1) when the fabric is darker than the batting you are using and (2) the thinner the fabric is. So if you are using darker fabric, use black batting. It may not solve the problem, but it will be less noticeable. It can happen on both the bottom and top of the quilt sandwich.

(2) RE Needles: How can you tell if the needle is dull? Is there any way to SEE that? Or, do you just avoid a dull needly by routinely changing to a new needle after a certain time? Also, I've been using a Schmetz maching quilting 90/10 needle. Is this type/size appropriate? I usually use an 80/12 for piecing/paper piecing and a 90/14 for quilting. I have never seen a 90/10. I use Schmetz needles (because they are easily available) and always use sharps. I never use universal needles. I have heard good things about Organ needles, but haven't bought any yet. I have heard recommendations to change the needle every 8 hours or at the beginning of every project. I agree with others that there is a different sound and feel when the needle needs changing.

THANKS!![/QUOTE]

Oh, I want to know this too! I had not idea that there was a difference!

Dina

[QUOTE=margee;6290868]A question from another Grundy Co Illinois person. With needle punched batting, how do you know which side faces the front or back?
margee QUOTE) If there is a rough and smooth side to the batting, the rough side goes up against the quilt top, and the smooth side goes down, against the backing. Sometimes there are also brown flecks on one side, and that is the side which goes up against the quilt top. If there is a scrim layer, it goes down against the backing. The purpose of that layer is to prevent bearding through to the back.

I use the the rhyme "bump is up" to remind me. The obviously more bumpy side with little flecks of cotton plant should face up when making the sandwich. It would be the side that rests against your quilt tops wrong side.

Attempting to upload a photo pulled from a longarm forum
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Polyester battings are more prone to bearding than cotton, although I have heard a few reports of Quilter's Dream cotton and Warm and Natural cotton bearding. Soft and Bright is needle-punched polyester:
http://www.warmcompany.com/sbpage.html

Here is an article that explains right and wrong sides of battings that are needlepunched through scrim:
http://www.apqs.com/blog/2013/01/22/...n-up-and-down/

Not all battings that are needlepunched are needlepunched through scrim. I believe the Quilter's Dream cotton battings are that way -- needlepunched cotton, but not needlepunched through scrim. Scrim adds a little stiffness to a batting, so the QD battings tend to be softer than those needlepunched through scrim.

I'm not sure if needlepunched battings that do not have scrim also have a right side and wrong side. I'm thinking not, as I assume the needlepunching is done from both sides. I see from the website that Soft and Bright polyester is needlepunched, but they do not say if it is needlepunched through scrim. Perhaps it is, since their needlepunched cotton batting (Warm and Natural) is needlepunched through scrim.

Why is it manufacturers of batting do not label their products better? You'd think they would want us to use their products in a way that does not disappoint (as in when a quilt beards because the batting was layered incorrectly).

Thanks again everyone. This is really informative!!
Still need to learn some abbreviations.
SM = sewing machine???
DSM = ?

DSM = domestic sewing machine (regular sewing machine). This differentiates from a midarm or longarm frame quilting sewing machine.

Isn't a size 10 needle a little small for quilting?

You are using either a 70/10 needle ( which is very small for quilting but fine for piecing) or a 90/14, there is no 90/10. The numbers are for 2 different needle systems but the sizes remain the same. The larger the number the larger the needle.