I have this here pile or should I say box really, that sits under my work desk in the sewing cottage that is full….and I mean full to the brim of little bits of batting. I use them for smaller projects, or hand embroidery, but at some point they get out of control.
My box is full of all the leftovers that get cut off from the larger piece. Some are super long and skinny, some are square and chunky. None of them really go together size wise. What to do with all these little bits of batting pieces? How about sew them together and make one large piece that you can actually do something with.
Super simple, but it works great.
The little bits that I sew together I match up in thickness when sewing them together. That will make your quilt a little more even and not fluffy fat in one spot and flat in the other. I don’t worry too much about content- poly or cotton, but that would make a difference if they weren’t prewashed as they react to water differently and shrink at a different rate too.
Just a quick fyi– don’t use colored thread! I used this method one time using red thread {because I was super lazy and didn’t change it} and wouldn’t you know that the quilt I used the quilt batting in had big spaces of white fabric, and you guessed it, the red thread showed through. tragic.
So, keep with the same color of thread that the batting is. It will save you bunches of headaches later. {no, i didn’t unpick the quilting. It occasionally shows itself if you look for it}.
Now that you have your batting all ready, how about picking up a quilt to sew. Check out the shop- there’s even a new one- Garden Path.
What do you do with your little bits of batting?
Have you found a method of piecing your batting? I’d love to hear about it.
Becky Jorgensen is the creative quilter behind Patchwork Posse, the Patchwork Planner and her online quilt group Patchworkers Plus. You can find her patterns in books, magazines, and her quilt membership. Gather your quilting supplies, organize your sewing space, explore the process of disappearing quilt blocks, or finish a free quilt pattern. I'll help you use what you have, finish what you start and make your quilting journey fun!
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I read in a book to overlap the pieces and sew in a curve. This eliminates a “seam” from butting them together. Then you cut away any excess on either side of the curve. Saw this in a book I purchased to learn how to quilt a quilt in pieces and assemble them into one piece. Part of one of the methods.
Kathy- that’s a great idea. Hadn’t thought of that. Thanks for the idea. Might have to give it a try.
Just a handy hint, I take smaller pieces of batting , and put them on my swifter handle, it picks up all the dog hair on my kitchen floor, I have a lab, that is always shedding. Then I can just toss it out. Good way to use small scraps.
I find when I stitch my smaller pieces together they buckle and form a ‘wave’…..just need to be careful to start with trimming edges to make them straight and not ‘pull’ the batting as you stitch together. Otherwise, works a treat!
Wendy- thanks for the great suggestion. Yes, they do get wavy sometimes…. no pulling.
I trim my batting with pinking shears. When i sew the pieces together, they line up with the zig zag and I just uwe a wide stitch and sew them as I need them. Th long narrow pieces I cut into squares and make seasonal coasters and hot pads withthem.
I sew my pieces by hand into 1 yard sizes. This allows a full batting for small projects and you can combine them for larger. The really little pieces I use for small projects. I got most of mine sewn together last fall while recuperating from surgery. Ended up with more than 12 yards of usable batting.
I use fusible interfacing or left over fusible stabilizer and join the pieces together. Doesn’t seem to add any weight to the batting .
I use my rotary cutter immediately after cutting my fabric free from the batting and square everything off. So, when I do need a larger piece of batting, I can sit at my sewing machine, grab a couple of pieces of batting and zig zag them together. I use this ESPECIALLY for the new Battlizer that’s out, a combination of stabilizer and batting. It’s too expensive to end up in the trash.
Happy Sewing. Quilting and Embroidery!
Hello Becky,
I am certainly not a full fledged quilter, but I guess you could say that I dabble at the edges. Hot pads and pot holders are the the biggest challenge that I have taken on but I do admire the quilts that my friends create!
I find your instructions so clear and your techniques items so informative. I look forward to your weekly e mails. Today, however, when I reviewed your item on Quilt Batting I just sat back in my chair and said WOW! I had no idea that there was so much to learn about that! When I go to our local fabric store with a project in mind I just ask for batting for the project and they haul out the roll and cut it for me. Thank you for being there to help us along. I consider this continuing education and really am inspired by you.