rryder

Hey all,
I am needing to make a baby quilt for a shower that is going to be held sometime in January or February. Having never made a baby quilt before I'm hoping to get some guidance.

What sort of batting is suitable for baby quilts? I usually use Warm and Natural cotton or a fusible fleece for my art quilts, but the W and N gets stiff if quilted close together, and the fusible fleece doesn't drape very well.

The other battings I've used are the green one that's made from recycled plastic bottles--it's very nice, soft, lofty etc. and I really liked using it in the quilt that I made for my oldest granddaughter who is in college. I've also got some Hobbs washable wool, but was thinking that wool might be a no no for a baby quilt.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Rob

Sync

I have been making a lot of baby quilts lately. lol ........ my daughters' friends are at that stage in their lives. I use 100% cotton batting usually Hobbs or their 80/20. Since I have never used a washable wool (allergic to wool) I really can't say if it would be a good batt to use or not.

gramajo

I like the Dream Green recycled batting. It drapes nicely and can be quilted up to 10" (I think) so it wouldn't be stiff like a densely quilted one.

meyert

I have used Hobbs 80/20 and the dream cotton. I have used the 100% polyester and it wears like crazy - my great niece has been dragging hers with her almost everywhere for 4 years now ---- makes me smile when I see her with it

rryder

Thanks for the responses. It sounds like either the dream green or the Hobbs 80/20 would work well. Now for another question:

Should I plan on quilting it fairly densely since I'm assuming it will be washed a lot? Or is it okay to do less quilting (say 3 to 4 inches apart)?

Also, I usually use either Isacord (good strong polyester thread) or Aurifil (cotton, not quite as strong) for quilting quilts that are to be used. My question is whether the Aurifil will be strong enough to handle lots of washing.

And also, someone mentioned in a post recently about not using a certain kind of thread because of some danger to babies getting their fingers wrapped in it????

Rob

quiltingshorttimer

I use either 80/20 or washable wool--have used a poly on one for a little girl that needed something she could drag to daily therapy sessions (developmentally delayed)and would never "wash out", but don't like the poly cause it's more flammable.
On thread I usually use either SoFine or a cotton. Think your quilting 3-4"apart will work fine. My kids (30's)have some crib quilts that were quilted much further apart than that and they survived! Part about thread getting tangled on baby fingers/toes was just be sure to get any thread ends clipped.

bearisgray

I think it was the monofilament type thread (think very fine fishing line) that I would avoid using on a baby blanket/quilt.

quiltingcandy

Before I started buying my batting by the roll I used the Mountain Mist sold by the bag. Some of those quilts are still going strong today, and a couple I know for a fact are 30 years old.

suern3

Look at the Quilters Dream website for some ideas. They are the makers of the green which I haven't used myself but others seem to like it. They also make one called Angel that is fire retardant, if that is a concern for you. I use Quilters Dream batting for most all of my quilts and I prefer to use the all cotton bats. The majority of the quilts I've made have been for my grandkids and kids and so far no problems that I know of. I use Aurifil thread for piecing and quilting. I think the problem thread that you are thinking of is the invisible thread that some say can come lose and wrap around a tiny toe or finger and is hard to find. Personally, I would not use it on anything but a wall-hanging.
Have fun with your baby quilts! They are a favorite of mine!

indycat32

I used Warm and Plush in my last two baby quilts and really liked it.