lots2do

Thanks! I did mean Quilter's Dream.

CanoePam

I like Warm and Natural for baby quilts. Easy to use and takes a huge amount of abuse. It is a bit stiff when new, but it softens with every wash. I started using it in Quilts for Kids quilts, a charity the provides quilts for hospitalized children. The quilts are frequently washed daily in hospital commercial washers, and the W&N can take it. Moms of babies don't need anything that requires special care, and they can throw my quilts in with the rest of the wash.

Pam

DOTTYMO

I'm always worried about the fabric running. Do you wash before giving quilt to baby so no special instructions are required? It can be a shock after the first wash when it goes puffy.

Bree123

For newborns, you really want to just do a receiving blanket with no batting (or if you want to risk it, a layer of felted wool -- though I've heard about 25% of newborns are irritated by wool). For children 6 months of age and up, I like Warm & Plush. Warm & Plush has no scrim (meaning it is 100% natural, unlike "Warm & Natural") and it is 50% fluffier than W&N or W&W. It gives great definition to quilting, is warm & cuddly but breathes, lasts for decades & is not difficult to launder. W&P makes a great tummy time quilt & is also nice and cuddly. I quilt all my quilts no farther than 2" apart. It's the quilting that makes them weather well in the washer/dryer.

W&P needs quilting no less than every 6" -- but again, closer quilting will hold up better. Also, if you are not willing to either pin or thread baste, W&P isn't a good option for you because any shifting/repositioning will cause the glue/basing spray to pull apart the batting. For spray/glue basting, I'd suggest Warm & Natural.

WASH INSTRUCTIONS: Cold Water, Gentle Cycle w/dye-free detergent; Tumble Dry Low; No bleach or
fabric softener

My sister has a 2 & 3 year old and absolutely HATES doing laundry. She washes all her laundry on cold with Tide Free for Coldwater so she doesn't have to sort anything. If she's washing the quilt with something else, she puts everything in the wash on Cold Water, Gentle Cycle with just the Tide Free for Coldwater. Then, everything goes into the dryer on Low for maybe 45 minutes. After removing the quilt, she'll toss in a dryer sheet & up the heat to Medium or Med-High for 10-15 minutes to finish the drying & get rid of any wrinkles. So far quilts have held up fine for past 2 years in spite of being "well loved" & washed weekly.

suern3

I give quilts for the new babies because I believe the parents are well schooled in what the little ones should be wrapped up in and leave that to them. One of the quilts that I gave I saw draped over the side of the crib as decoration, then as the baby was ready for tummy time it's used as a floor quilt which I believe the OP mentioned. Hopefully, as the child grows, it will be dragged around and loved! BTW, I also like to give flannel receiving blankets. So easy, just sew a quick hem and done. So much cute flannel now. Mothers really like these, too.

Warm and Plush is also a Quilters Dream product, isn't it?

lots2do

I'll look up Warm and Plush. I've never heard of it! This baby is almost a year old so that's why I was thinking of a quilt. I've had the fabric since before she was born but life got in the way. You know how that goes.

CanoePam

Yes, I always wash and dry the quilt (warm perma press cycle) before I gift it. I want no surprises! I use a Color Catcher to see if there is any bleed, but I haven't had any problems. I do use high quality fabrics, and they have less of a tendency to bleed.

I also agree with Bree123 about the amount of quilting in a baby quilt. W&N says it handles quilting every 8", but that isn't close enough to hold up for a frequently washed baby quilt. I make sure the quilting is no more than 2" apart. It makes the quilt much sturdier.

Pam

Bree123

Forgot to mention that it is available in some JAF, but sometimes can be a bit harder to find in stores than W&N. I usually buy mine by the roll from Walmart.com -- but if you check store availability, you might find a JAF that has 1-2 Crib or Queen sized packages in stock.
I really do love it! I like to quilt about 1-1.25" apart for durability. With W&N, that makes the quilt pretty flat -- almost like a mat, but with W&P, the quilt still has nice drape-ability & puffs up around the stitching lines. My favorite thing is laying the quilt on top of me while burying all the knots at the end. So cozy!

I do pre-wash all my fabrics -- mainly due to me having a contact allergy to chemical fabric finishes. I do nothing to W&P before I quilting. After quilting, I wash/dry twice so parents don't panic that they "ruined" their child's quilt when it gets crinkly.
Note: I have found that Size 2 pins with this batting seem to work best. Size 1 are pretty small for working with such thick batting.

lots2do

Thank you, Bree, for your thoughts. I will look for this.