Originally Posted by Iamquilter

I was asked to make these bowls for someone for Christmas, but did not make any for myself because of all the concerns about fires, what ever happened to using pot holders to remove the bowls or plates from the microwave? That's what I use.

Originally Posted by ManiacQuilter2

I always knew that Warm and Natural really wasn't 100% cotton since it had a scrim in it. I know my best friend made me one of them using her W&N scraps. I have yet to use the bowl but I do have a low watt microwave, has a turntable and I don't microwave soup or chili longer than 3 minutes. The reason I want to use it instead of potholders is I have very poor motor coordination. I totally understand why some may not understand why this is such a helpful item because you can't even imagine what can happen to someone until it eventually will happen to you in old age or unfortunately before then.

Originally Posted by QuiltnNan

this has been the topic of conversation around town here for several months. the strange thing is... my elderly aunt has used for years a microwave warmed rice bag every night for her feet. she nukes it for several minutes. the outside fabric is polyester fleece!!!! never a fire

Originally Posted by Girlfriend

I suspect the problem of fire arises when they are left in the microwave too long. I would never cook food, only reheat, which is only no more than 3 minutes, even if it's soup.

I've used mine for 5 years - to reheat only - and never had a problem.

Originally Posted by QuiltnNan

this has been the topic of conversation around town here for several months. the strange thing is... my elderly aunt has used for years a microwave warmed rice bag every night for her feet. she nukes it for several minutes. the outside fabric is polyester fleece!!!! never a fire

Originally Posted by ArchaicArcane

I'm planning to make some Microwave fabric bowls for some friends. I know that one of the requirements is "cotton batting".

Regular 100% cotton batting isn't just cotton. (Arctic White or Warm and Natural both) It's about 13% Polypropylene, the "scrim". Is this batting still "OK" for the project? One friend, who knows a lot more about this than I do says no, don't use it.

I know that the Warm Company made Warm Tater which is microwave safe. I also know that they've just discontinued it. http://www.warmcompany.com/wnwhitepage.html - the first comment after the write up. The replacement is Warm and Plush, which on their website says: "Limited Time". Hmm.. that's not good. http://www.warmcompany.com/warm-and-plush.html I know also that Pellon and Quilter's Dream and probably others have a similar product.

Some of the tutorials I've seen show a very white looking batting, so I know that it's not Warm Tater and this one says that they used Warm And Natural: http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...s-t144848.html, and someone in the thread several pages in says they used 80/20!

Warm Tater is a relatively expensive batting, since it sells in 22" wide bolts. I have a line on some on "sale" (probably clearance) but it's still $6/m(39") for that 22" wide meter. Should I be going to get (more of) that? (The packrat in me wants it - it's discontinued, etc etc. The frugal side of me says what do you need all of that for? I suspect that the frugal side is going to lose... again.) Or will one of the "100% cotton" battings that are 87.5% cotton be OK? (of which I currently seem to have no shortage of scraps)

I guess at the end of the day, my main question is:
What is a "cotton batting"? One that's all cotton, except for the chemical framework the cotton is punched through to make it stable, or the one that's all cotton and nothing but. I see both referred to as cotton batting, but....?

Originally Posted by feline fanatic

I have read WAAAY to many accounts of these "microwave save" quilting products catching fire in a microwave.
https://www.google.com/#q=microwave+...ags+catch+fire

Here is an account right here on the QB
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...-t77011-3.html


Personally I would not risk ever making any microwave safe fabric bowl, potato bag or anything fabric that is going to be "nuked" for more than just a few seconds to a minute. Any longer is just asking for trouble. If you are dead set on making these microwave fabric bowls, I would use a 100% cotton with NO SCRIM (such as Mountain Mist products) and include a note to not microwave bowl for more than one or two minutes. But really, how would you feel if your bowls that you gifted to your friends, caught fire in the microwave? Why take the risk?

Originally Posted by Girlfriend

I suspect the problem of fire arises when they are left in the microwave too long. I would never cook food, only reheat, which is only no more than 3 minutes, even if it's soup.

I've used mine for 5 years - to reheat only - and never had a problem.