jpthequilter

Different polyesters have different formulas...and pellon seems to have a long life, say fifty years already...
Actually the longevity of a quilt depends on what happens to it...
If it hangs on the wall, and is washed infrequently, like once or twice a year, it will last a long time, many years,
and the worst that can happen to it is fading from exposure to occasional sunlight.
If the same quilt is used on a bed, it is subject to stresses,
that vary, that can break threads, or fibers in the fabric.
Also it is washed more often, and all that will reduce the length of its usefull life..
If the quilt is loved and dragged around by a lively child or teenager, it might not last very many years.
Most of the old beautiful quilts that we have inherited today, spent long periods of time, even years, in a drawer
or box untouched.
Does this help?
Jeannie

jpthequilter

See my answer down at the pages end...and here is more...
Actually, cotton batting will last longer than wool batting.
Wool is a protine fiber. ( think a kind of chemical meat like our hair) Cotton is a celulose fiber with a similar chemical formula as wood has. It will last a long time.
If you line your whole quilt with cotton batting, perhaps it will be easier too?
Jeannie

jpthequilter

One single bed size cut exactly in half (across the narrowest dimension) wii make TWO crib or baby quilt
linings. ....and that is the cheapest too!
Jeannie

jpthequilter

One single bed size cut exactly in half (across the narrowest dimension) wii make TWO crib or baby quilt
linings. ....and that is the cheapest too!
Jeannie

bearspaws

Thanks Jeannie, I decided to take apart what I've sewn already and cut away most of the pellon. I have managed to touch a bit with the iron before and of course it melted, so no matter how much more work it is I think I will feel better if most of it is gone. You don't notice it missing from the front side either LOL.
How much longer does cotton last than wool? I wanted wool for the warmth factor, it gets pretty cold here, around -30 Celcius sometimes. I want this quilt to last but it is also to be used. My daughter is 11 and knows not to drag her bed quilts around etc, so she's pretty careful with them LOL

SueSew

Rose, I'm in construction/historic preservation and I know that most plastics will wear poorly with time and sunlight - like vinyl clad windows and siding - compared to wood. Same with some sealants and adhesives. Even the 6-mil poly covering my overwintered veggies is going to be degraded after a season in the sun and snow. But fabrics, I have no experience except draperies and they were silk and wool, predate plastics, and they became extremely fragile.

I've spent a good 20 years giving historic buildings another century of useful life but I doubt I've given a thought to the photographic paper I used, or the wool in my hooked rug, or my own drapes.....Something to consider
Gives one pause, thanks again and happy quilting

1screech

You can always do a "sorta" quilt in the ditch. Use a wavy stitch and it will hide all imperfections as it crosses the seams.

CircleSquare

I've been thinking about the new batting made by Hobbs which is made from recycled plastic bottles. That is a good example of something that would break down over time, at least if it were exposed to sunlight. PVC also breaks down in sunlight. But polyester is more durable, isn't it?
As for invisible thread, the old stuff was made of nylon, but there is new invisible thread made of polyester and is supposed to withstand the heat of the iron.
As for the batting rubbing on the cotton fabric, I think all cotton fabric wears out over time. I've seen old quilts with cotton batting that were worn out just as bad. But I'm not making heirloom quilts, so I don't care if they don't last 20 or 30 years. :roll:
And if any of you have seen a quilt top made of polyester double knit, they seem very durable. I suspect they will be around when all the cotton quilts are long gone!
Just my opinion. I'm no expert.

mayday

if you are hand quilting I definately would NOT use anything but polydown ,the cotton battings are harder to quilt and resist the needle, in addition the polydown gives far more loft and comfort.
sew diagonally on the squares both ways along one lot of squares at a time is relaxing ,easy and looks good.