Hello everyone, I will be away for 10 days or so from 6th June.There will not be any phone, tv or internet coverage where I am going, so I wont be posting any updates during that time.I will certainly be going through "internet" withdrawals over that whole time. Isn't it amazing how much we take the internet for granted. My biggest problem is that I always have research I have to do for my Uni course and no coverage means some VERY late nights when I get home, catching up. Oh well, I will try to enjoy the time away with some hand sewing with a glass of wine, under a tree near the river.( With my winter thermals on, as it will be freezing there in mid W Queensland)...lol....
I would like today to talk about waddings, also known as battings. This is the internal layer of a quilt.
I mostly use Mini Jumbuck Nu-Wool, this is an Australian 60%wool, 40% polyester wadding made in Narracoote South Australia, by the South Australian Woollen Mills.Sometimes I will use 100% cotton wadding, but very rarely.Mostly, I use the cotton only for cot quilts.
I find the Nu-wool, which is pre-shrunk,mothproof,sanitised and washes very well in a machine, is the best wadding to use for most quilts and wall hangings. The thickness of the wadding does vary between batches. I buy a 30metre roll and sometimes it can be quite thick and other times is see-through. I suppose it depends on the sheep...This wadding does not hang as softly if used on a bed cover, but the advantages really outweigh that problem. With the quilting, a good quality wool wadding will show the quilt stitching as soft mounds of pattern. With a cotton wadding for example, you will see the lines of sewing but there will be little or no "Loft".These little mountains of loft really make any quilt look magical, without detracting from the actual quilt. I prefer my quilts to have these lovely shapes.Some people prefer a very flat quilt and that is their choice. I encourage everyone to use the product that they are happiest with.
Some battings/waddings come with a "scrim" which is like a layer of mesh over the wadding. This scrim is there for a reason. One of my customers in the past washed her wadding( you dont need to) and the scrim came off in patches. She insisted I used it, but in hindsight I should have refused, as the wadding was very lumpy in patches.I am sure that quilt would have looked terrible after a few washes.Dont go to a lot of trouble to make a beautiful quilt and then spoil it with a cheap and nasty filling.
So, use what you like, but be guided by what your professional longarm quilter recommends. They, male or female, do a lot of quilts and therefore have a lot of experience with waddings etc,
Bye for now, I will write another update when I am back from Gayndah.
Join my email list (see below)and you will get automatic emails of all my postings. If you should need to ask me about any problem you have with quilting, sewing or machine embroidery, please do not hesitate to contact me. Click on the "My Embroideries" link and go through to my website and click on the "Contact Us" button to send me a message. I will try to answer as soon as possible, although if I am "out bush" it might be a while. Best regards,
Jennine
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