Quilt help needed, Soft n Crafty
11-01-2019, 10:25 AM
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: northeast Ohio
Posts: 400
Quilt help needed, Soft n Crafty
I am working on a couple of kids quilts. I don’t really want to have to go out today, just want to see! Has anyone used the Soft n Crafty polyfil batting in their quilts. It is high loft. I have two twin size bags of it.
11-01-2019, 10:37 AM
#2
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: northeast Ohio
Posts: 400
Just did a quick search. Found some info on it. Decided to use what W&N that I have. I know there is enough for one so won’t have to stop my sewing for now. Maybe if I dig deep enough later I will find more. Thank goodness for our stash!!!
11-01-2019, 10:43 AM
#3
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,056
The current packaging isn't looking familiar to me but I'm pretty sure I've used this batting.
I typically use high loft battings with less quilting than is currently popular. The quilt I quilted down yesterday has quite the fat batt. I have a modern machine with a large throat and built in walking foot that I used, and I used the serpentine stitch option for the first time. I also used So Fine thread as my bobbin thread, along with white Dual Duty on top. Everything went together just lovely and much easier than I expected. I should have adjusted the curve on my serpentine stitch, it's really too sharp and pointy but I rather like the way the batt puffs around it and I was surprised how easily it went together -- but a lot of that is probably my machine. On my little old vintage machine it would have been a lot harder. I've also used fatt batts with a long arm, you might have to adjust the foot height but it worked too.
This batt was yardage and unfortunately I didn't keep any info with it, sometimes I'll write the weight with a sharpie. All I can say is that it is definitely high loft.
One thing to be aware of with thicker batts is the potential for shrinkage of the back especially. This one I cut pretty close to the one edge and I was worried that I might have to piece back in some of what I took off but I think that walking foot helped there and it turned out ok. Spray baste is still my preferred technique but I will be trying glue in the near future. From back when I used safety pins, it could be a challenge to get in enough pins and still leave room for quilting and quite often I'd get some pretty serious tucks and folds.
I typically use high loft battings with less quilting than is currently popular. The quilt I quilted down yesterday has quite the fat batt. I have a modern machine with a large throat and built in walking foot that I used, and I used the serpentine stitch option for the first time. I also used So Fine thread as my bobbin thread, along with white Dual Duty on top. Everything went together just lovely and much easier than I expected. I should have adjusted the curve on my serpentine stitch, it's really too sharp and pointy but I rather like the way the batt puffs around it and I was surprised how easily it went together -- but a lot of that is probably my machine. On my little old vintage machine it would have been a lot harder. I've also used fatt batts with a long arm, you might have to adjust the foot height but it worked too.
This batt was yardage and unfortunately I didn't keep any info with it, sometimes I'll write the weight with a sharpie. All I can say is that it is definitely high loft.
One thing to be aware of with thicker batts is the potential for shrinkage of the back especially. This one I cut pretty close to the one edge and I was worried that I might have to piece back in some of what I took off but I think that walking foot helped there and it turned out ok. Spray baste is still my preferred technique but I will be trying glue in the near future. From back when I used safety pins, it could be a challenge to get in enough pins and still leave room for quilting and quite often I'd get some pretty serious tucks and folds.
11-01-2019, 04:24 PM
#5
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: northeast Ohio
Posts: 400
Thanks for the info ladies. I will try that batting in the future. I did have enough for the two quilts that I am working on.i didn’t get much done today on them. I managed to get sidetracked. Tomorrow is another day!
11-01-2019, 11:56 PM
#6
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Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Buckinghamshire, England
Posts: 628
I tried high loft batting for the first time recently on a large mat/table runner as an experiment. I loved the puffy feel and effect it gave but I found it a nightmare to work with. I usually spray baste but I found it really didn’t stick very well to the batting and as a result I ended up with quite a few tucks and pleats. Jack and I became good friends on this mat....
I can only imagine what a nightmare it would have been on a full size quilt. Any tips or tricks?
I can only imagine what a nightmare it would have been on a full size quilt. Any tips or tricks?
11-02-2019, 07:07 AM
#7
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,056
I used a fresh can of June Tailor spray baste on this project and was not very happy, I will be trying glue next. I have some old cans of the same brand that have been sitting for years that I felt gave me a better performance. The scent seemed very strong to me and I waited a couple of days for it to dissipate before actually quilting.
I know the temptation is to baste the whole thing at one time, especially with a small project. That has never ever worked for me! I do it in roughly 1 foot sections but I have short arms, some of you may be able to work a bit larger but I've found quarters are too big for me to get good results.
First get your quilt back ready, press if needed. Do a few stretches for your own back! I typically work on my queen sized bed since I have a small house with no large tables, the bending over really gets to my back. When I was working, I had conference room tables available and that was much better! We had a thread recently about places to find such a thing, in our area Fire Stations have meetings rooms, as do libraries, senior centers, schools, etc.
I've been doing it as described below because it gave me the best results when I started, I'm thinking about putting the backing on the same way I do the top, that is on top of the batting first instead of as described below where I put the batting on top of the backing. Think it might save me some bending over.
Once you have the back right side down and secured in some fashion (tape, pins, cans) layout the batting. I air fluff mine in the drier for a couple of minutes to get out creases or fold lines. Loosely position over the batting and fold in half in the middle. I usually work across the short sides of the quilt but I guess that doesn't really matter. Holding the spray baste approximately at my elbow length above the quilt, I spray onto the quilt back roughly 1 foot of surface at the fold, pull down the batting over it, smooth it out, and repeat. I like using a 6x24" ruler to help smooth.
This layer takes the most time and is worth the effort. Once you have sprayed the batting down and smoothed it from the batting side, flip the whole thing over and smooth it from the fabric side. This is your last chance to make it smooth and nice so be fussy. Once you are satisfied it's time to flip it back to the batting on top.
You repeat the 1 foot intervals with the top, spraying the batting layer, smoothing on the top. Do a quick check on the bottom layer to make sure it's still good.
You may still want to slip in a few safety pins until you get some stabilizing quilting in if you have a standard throat space. But it's very few, not the "put your hand down" with pin basting but a few around the outside edges and a couple in the middle.
It took me a long time to get used to the right amount of spray, and a high loft batt does react differently than something like Warm and Natural. I think most people over-spray in the beginning. It should never discolor the fabric or be so much you can feel a stiffness, just an invisible stickiness with all brands, some have more of a sheen to the product which can make it easier to see than some that are more matte. If you are having problems with gummy needles, it is too much spray. You might try waiting a couple of days with the quilt fluffed out and airing. Again, I know I oversprayed in the beginning, and would sometimes have issues when I washed the quilt before giving it that the spray would still be sticky and attract lint. While the spray does dissipate over time, once you've put your top together you have about two weeks of prime time, even after that the layers will still stick together.
And speaking of overspray, yes! be aware that you don't want to sticky your house. Protect your surfaces and be careful where you aim. I have end rolls of brown kraft paper I use to cover my bed. I would get cheap painter plastic drop cloths for when I was working in the office. Vinyl holiday table cloths (especially the type with flannel on the back) are great.
I know the temptation is to baste the whole thing at one time, especially with a small project. That has never ever worked for me! I do it in roughly 1 foot sections but I have short arms, some of you may be able to work a bit larger but I've found quarters are too big for me to get good results.
First get your quilt back ready, press if needed. Do a few stretches for your own back! I typically work on my queen sized bed since I have a small house with no large tables, the bending over really gets to my back. When I was working, I had conference room tables available and that was much better! We had a thread recently about places to find such a thing, in our area Fire Stations have meetings rooms, as do libraries, senior centers, schools, etc.
I've been doing it as described below because it gave me the best results when I started, I'm thinking about putting the backing on the same way I do the top, that is on top of the batting first instead of as described below where I put the batting on top of the backing. Think it might save me some bending over.
Once you have the back right side down and secured in some fashion (tape, pins, cans) layout the batting. I air fluff mine in the drier for a couple of minutes to get out creases or fold lines. Loosely position over the batting and fold in half in the middle. I usually work across the short sides of the quilt but I guess that doesn't really matter. Holding the spray baste approximately at my elbow length above the quilt, I spray onto the quilt back roughly 1 foot of surface at the fold, pull down the batting over it, smooth it out, and repeat. I like using a 6x24" ruler to help smooth.
This layer takes the most time and is worth the effort. Once you have sprayed the batting down and smoothed it from the batting side, flip the whole thing over and smooth it from the fabric side. This is your last chance to make it smooth and nice so be fussy. Once you are satisfied it's time to flip it back to the batting on top.
You repeat the 1 foot intervals with the top, spraying the batting layer, smoothing on the top. Do a quick check on the bottom layer to make sure it's still good.
You may still want to slip in a few safety pins until you get some stabilizing quilting in if you have a standard throat space. But it's very few, not the "put your hand down" with pin basting but a few around the outside edges and a couple in the middle.
It took me a long time to get used to the right amount of spray, and a high loft batt does react differently than something like Warm and Natural. I think most people over-spray in the beginning. It should never discolor the fabric or be so much you can feel a stiffness, just an invisible stickiness with all brands, some have more of a sheen to the product which can make it easier to see than some that are more matte. If you are having problems with gummy needles, it is too much spray. You might try waiting a couple of days with the quilt fluffed out and airing. Again, I know I oversprayed in the beginning, and would sometimes have issues when I washed the quilt before giving it that the spray would still be sticky and attract lint. While the spray does dissipate over time, once you've put your top together you have about two weeks of prime time, even after that the layers will still stick together.
And speaking of overspray, yes! be aware that you don't want to sticky your house. Protect your surfaces and be careful where you aim. I have end rolls of brown kraft paper I use to cover my bed. I would get cheap painter plastic drop cloths for when I was working in the office. Vinyl holiday table cloths (especially the type with flannel on the back) are great.
11-03-2019, 03:38 AM
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,803
I recently used a high loft poly batt simply because it was here and I wanted to use it. I wondered how it would work up for me as it was for a kid's quilt that I'd be doing stitch in the ditch on my Janome 4800. It did quite nicely. I usually use a low loft batt but this worked and it's out of my stash. Yes, I use Soft and Crafty and have no complaint on it.
11-03-2019, 06:17 AM
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Waterford Michigan
Posts: 7,241
I so depends on the quilt I am making as to what bat I use. The other factor is how close I am quilting things together. With closer stitching I like a low bat and when using I high bat I will quilt further apart so that is puffs some with washing. I am a big fan of cotton bat for children's and baby quilts for safety reasons. Then on some quilts I use what ever I have here that will fit the quilt.
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