Fleece for batting?
10-21-2015, 01:53 PM
#1
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Location: Finger Lakes, NY
Posts: 1,873
Fleece for batting?
My granddaughters want warm quilts with fleece backing. I made one using polyester batting and fleece backing and it is heavy and nice but I read on another site that someone uses fleece for batting in her quilts, not necessarily with fleece backing.
These are warm quilts to be used and washed a lot, nothing fancy but would you use fleece for batting and backing?
What about a cotton top and back--would you use fleece for batting then?
Just wondering if you have tried it before.
Thanks for any info
These are warm quilts to be used and washed a lot, nothing fancy but would you use fleece for batting and backing?
What about a cotton top and back--would you use fleece for batting then?
Just wondering if you have tried it before.
Thanks for any info
10-21-2015, 02:03 PM
#2
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Monroe, IN
Posts: 2,283
I have used fleece for quilt backings, but after heavy use and many washings, the fleece starts to pill. I am in process of making a memory style quilt from military uniforms...I will be using fleece as the batting and regular cotton for the backing. It will be warm, heavy duty and I won't have to do close quilting (for a man and I just don't see flowers and feathers as his style). You can get wide fleece for backings/battings, but I don't think it is much more than 90".
10-21-2015, 07:18 PM
#5
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
I haven't used fleece for batting or backing, so this is my conjecture only.
If using fleece as a backing, I probably would not bother with batting unless the batting is extremely thin. Fleece provides some loft. Adding a batting will stiffen the drape of the quilt considerably and add a lot of weight with probably little gain in warmth since fleece is polyester and doesn't "breathe" well anyway. The quilt won't "breathe" any better with a middle layer of batting. Fleece adds a nice softness of feel to the user plus a fleece backing will stop a quilt from slipping and sliding around on a bed so I can see value in using fleece as a backing, especially if batting is omitted.
I see no real advantage to using fleece as batting between a cotton top and cotton backing. Cotton "breathes" whereas fleece does not, so you would be adding a non-breathable layer between two breathing layers. Fleece would not add more warmth than a good cotton or wool batting, but fleece is much stretchier in at least one direction much more so than regular battings of any kind. This stretchiness in the middle likely makes it more difficult to quilt all of the layers without puckers and tucks. Unless cost is a big factor, I just don't see how substituting fleece for batting would be a value-added choice.
If using fleece as a backing, I probably would not bother with batting unless the batting is extremely thin. Fleece provides some loft. Adding a batting will stiffen the drape of the quilt considerably and add a lot of weight with probably little gain in warmth since fleece is polyester and doesn't "breathe" well anyway. The quilt won't "breathe" any better with a middle layer of batting. Fleece adds a nice softness of feel to the user plus a fleece backing will stop a quilt from slipping and sliding around on a bed so I can see value in using fleece as a backing, especially if batting is omitted.
I see no real advantage to using fleece as batting between a cotton top and cotton backing. Cotton "breathes" whereas fleece does not, so you would be adding a non-breathable layer between two breathing layers. Fleece would not add more warmth than a good cotton or wool batting, but fleece is much stretchier in at least one direction much more so than regular battings of any kind. This stretchiness in the middle likely makes it more difficult to quilt all of the layers without puckers and tucks. Unless cost is a big factor, I just don't see how substituting fleece for batting would be a value-added choice.
10-21-2015, 09:51 PM
#6
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: In God's Kingdom in Tennessee
Posts: 12,724
I haven't used fleece for batting or backing, so this is my conjecture only.
If using fleece as a backing, I probably would not bother with batting unless the batting is extremely thin. Fleece provides some loft. Adding a batting will stiffen the drape of the quilt considerably and add a lot of weight with probably little gain in warmth since fleece is polyester and doesn't "breathe" well anyway. The quilt won't "breathe" any better with a middle layer of batting. Fleece adds a nice softness of feel to the user plus a fleece backing will stop a quilt from slipping and sliding around on a bed so I can see value in using fleece as a backing, especially if batting is omitted.
I see no real advantage to using fleece as batting between a cotton top and cotton backing. Cotton "breathes" whereas fleece does not, so you would be adding a non-breathable layer between two breathing layers. Fleece would not add more warmth than a good cotton or wool batting, but fleece is much stretchier in at least one direction much more so than regular battings of any kind. This stretchiness in the middle likely makes it more difficult to quilt all of the layers without puckers and tucks. Unless cost is a big factor, I just don't see how substituting fleece for batting would be a value-added choice.
If using fleece as a backing, I probably would not bother with batting unless the batting is extremely thin. Fleece provides some loft. Adding a batting will stiffen the drape of the quilt considerably and add a lot of weight with probably little gain in warmth since fleece is polyester and doesn't "breathe" well anyway. The quilt won't "breathe" any better with a middle layer of batting. Fleece adds a nice softness of feel to the user plus a fleece backing will stop a quilt from slipping and sliding around on a bed so I can see value in using fleece as a backing, especially if batting is omitted.
I see no real advantage to using fleece as batting between a cotton top and cotton backing. Cotton "breathes" whereas fleece does not, so you would be adding a non-breathable layer between two breathing layers. Fleece would not add more warmth than a good cotton or wool batting, but fleece is much stretchier in at least one direction much more so than regular battings of any kind. This stretchiness in the middle likely makes it more difficult to quilt all of the layers without puckers and tucks. Unless cost is a big factor, I just don't see how substituting fleece for batting would be a value-added choice.
Susan
10-27-2015, 04:49 AM
#9
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Farmington Hills, Michigan
Posts: 266
I've used thrifted fleece blankets for batting a couple of times now. Once when I wanted the quilt to be warmer, I doubled it up with a thrifted flannel sheet. That's a very cozy quilt! 
I sandwich and baste my quilts with Elmer's school glue, so I don't have a problem with stretching or shifting, and like someone else said, you don't have to worry about how far apart you quilt them.
Also, since it's not on the outside, any pilling that it might do isn't an issue.
I sandwich and baste my quilts with Elmer's school glue, so I don't have a problem with stretching or shifting, and like someone else said, you don't have to worry about how far apart you quilt them.
Also, since it's not on the outside, any pilling that it might do isn't an issue.
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