meyert

https://www.amazon.com/Quilters-Drea...+72%22+X+93%22Hello,

I used Quilters Dream Wool Batting in my most recent quilt. I feel like I have use is brand before with no problems but this time I ran into something odd

When I washed the quilt there was batting fuzz and balls all over. It was so bad I wondered if I had missed sewing the binding on in a spot... but I didn't

Has anyone else experienced this? What causes this?

This is a cotton quilt top with flannel backing

Any ideas?

joe'smom

Was the quilt/backing dark? This batting does beard through dark fabric (I don't know why that is).

dunster

Are you sure the fuzz was from the batting, and not from the flannel backing?

meyert

the backing is a teal greenish.. not real dark. And yes I am positive that it was the batting.. I had balls of the batting I was pulling off the front and the back

ManiacQuilter2

I would take pictures and send them an email asking them what could have caused this. They have great customer service and would be very concerned that you had a problem.

yngldy

I had the same problem with a Fairfield cotton type batting that I used in a quilt. I washed it before gifting and I found bits of batting all over the quilt. I had to use tape to lift the lint off it. Took almost 2 hours. Won't use that again! But somewhere I read that some batting have a right and wrong side, and wondered if that was the case, and I had put the wrong side up.

sewbizgirl

Oh no... I hate to hear this. I got some wool batting to hand quilt a vintage top I bought. Hope it doesn't do this!

Bree123

QD wool is thermal bonded so there isn't a right or wrong side to it. Typically I've found there are 2 reasons why a batting sheds on a quilt:
(1) the size of needle was too large for the thread or the size of the thread was too small for the flannel. I actually tend to use at least a size 40/2 thread (or 50/3) with flannel because the brushing tends to cause more spaces between the fibers. So if you switched threads or switched needles, that could well be part of the cause.
2) density of the fabric. All flannels are not alike. It depends on the width of the fibers & weight of fabric that they started with. Then it depends on whether it was brushed or double brushed, and what chemicals were added to the flannel. Some companies will pre-shrink the flannel before sale. Again, that process can vary greatly.

I often see recommendations to wash flannel in hot water and drying on high before quilting. I'm not sure where that idea came from. The brushing process already weakens the cotton fibers. Washing in hot water & then exposing it to more heat & agitation in the dryer will cause the cotton fibers to swell & develop microscopic cracks. Then it cools to room temperature (typically 50+ degrees F cooler) and shrinks back to normal size, but may cool in a bent position, making slightly more space for batting to come through.

At this point, I think the best option would be to use very careful laundering processes. A dye-free detergent, cold water (tap water cold, if your machine has that option), the gentlest cycle you have (mine has an intermittent hand wash cycle) in a top-loading washer to limit agitation. If possible, allow to drip dry a bit on a line before popping it in a cool dryer until 80-90% dry. Then remove & allow to air dry the rest of the way.

So, so sorry this happened to you. It can happen with any batting. The only way to ever be 100% sure it won't happen is to encase the batting before sewing -- but that's a huge hassle. I'd get one of those electric pill removers to make short work of the clean-up and probably do most of the "laundering" with a vacuum rather than in the wash.

meyert

Thank you. I am going to study this I don't want this to happen again

Prism99

Here is a thread about QD wool batting bearding:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...m-t222212.html

I have not seen posts about Hobbs wool bearding.