nhweaver

I worked on finishing a Christmas paper pieced wall hanging and am ready to put the backing on. Need some advice, do I use a thin batting, or flannel as batting? And what do I do for the hanging parts. It is very small, 13 x 15". I never made a wall hanging before. Any ideas on what you have done? Thanks.

DogHouseMom

How heavy do you plan to quilt it, and how much do you want the quilting to show? Because it's a wall hanging, I wouldn't worry too much about natural vs synthetic fibers for use and wear - so the quilting I think will be your biggest determination of what type of batting to use. Thinner natural fibers (like Warm & Natural) are not very high loft and don't show the "puff's" of the quilting as much as a higher loft polyester or poly blend. I wouldn't waste money on some of the more expensive battings like wool because it's wall hanging (unless you have a piece laying around). I'm not sure which kind of batting will hang better, but I'm guessing poly or poly blend.

As for hanging it, it depends on what you intend to hang it on.

Do you want to insert a rod through it and hang the rod with rod hangers showing? If so - you can make a sleeve that runs the length of the top.

If you don't want the hanger to show, you can make two triangles that are sewn to the two top corners and leave the bottom ends open (use squares and fold them so the bias edge of the square is folded, and the raw edges are sewn under the binding). Then you insert a wooden dowel under the two triangle "sleeves" and position the rod on a hook or nail in the wall.

You can also sew loops or rings to the top of the quilt and run a hanger though these. Again, in this case the hanger will show on the wall so pick a pretty curtain rod with decorative ends ... or a "quilt hanger".

Google search quilt hangers to see lots of different kinds.

dunster

Any type of backing is fine. Batting is also up to you. If you want a fluffier wall hanging, use thicker batting. I usually put a sleeve on the back of anything that will be hung, but I haven't made anything that small (that I remember, anyway). One option is to use self-adhesive velcro. It's easy to apply and easily taken down too.

deemail

if you don't put some real batting inside, it will never lay flat on the wall....i use cotton for this, sometimes combined with poly on top, sometimes not... but the cotton is my definite 'do' for a wallhanging.... only... poly for baby quilts, choices for bedquilts...

ywoodruff5

I do a lot of wallhangings and swear by Warm & Natural - whether you heavily quilt it or not it hangs flat.

Rose Marie

I just finished a small wall hanging for a friend. I use left over 80/20 batting and it works fine.
I made a hanging sleave and was going to get a small wooden dowel but found something better at Hobby Lobby.
It was a package with two small curtain rods that have small holes in each end that I put some decorative twine thru.
These rods are adjustible for small wall hangings and look very nice since the ends have small gold balls on the ends.
They are $3.50 so a bit more expensive than wood but worth it. So with two it really isnt that expensive just $1.75 each.

nhweaver

All these ideas are a big help. I never even thought about top quilting it. The little paper piecing took alot out of me, so I will outline machine quilt each of the six trees, and stitch in the ditch the inside 1" border. I like the self adhesive pull away velcro idea. I am wondering which batting will keep this little hanging straight, as there will not be alot of top quilting.

nativetexan

personally for one that size i like the triangles idea best.
http://www.embtreasures.com/articles...eTriangles.htm

fivepaws

I was taught to make a hanging sleeve for everyquilt. Have to admit, I only do it on baby quilts and wall hangings.
With the sleeve, nothing shows except the hanging rod. A fancy curtain rod is great--Kmart used to carry some. We use bamboo from our garden. I change hangings every season and it works really well.

Earleen

I use the triangles for most of my wall hangings . They hang well.