Can Quilt Batting Be Pieced Together
As a quilter, you may have a lot of leftover batting pieces that you want to use for other projects. This helps you to save on the amount of fabric that you use to snake your quilt.
Also, having to piece different pieces of batting to make your quilt makes it have lots of color and fabrics, making it a unique piece of work.
Can You Piece Together Quilt Batting?
Contents
Yes, you can. Place two pieces of batting next to each other on your working surface. Align them so that the edges that you want to piece together are next to each other.
Fold the rest of the fabric of the batting inside to make it easier to work with. Bring the center of the two pieces of batting where you want to piece them together on a sewing machine.
Using a zigzag stitch, sew along the center of the two battings and piece them together.
Step-by-step Guide To Piece Together Quilt Batting
Method 1. Piecing Quilt Batting With Sewing Machine
Step 1. Identify and prepare the batting pieces that you want to piece together. Wash and dry them. You don’t want to complete your new quilting project with dirty batting. Iron or press the batting pieces to clear up any wrinkles.
Step 2. Place the pieces next to each other on your working surfaces. Align them so that you have the edges you want to piece together properly aligned next to each other. Confirm that none of the pieces is so much thicker than the other.
Step 3. Bring the pieces of batting onto each other with about three inches overlap or shorter. Straighten the pieces to ensure that there isn’t any bunching upon them.
Step 4. Place your ruler at the end of the overlap. Take a rotary cutter and cut from the top to the bottom of the batting. Remove the cut part and you have two straight edges that are not likely to bunch up together.
If you feel that you will make your batting pieces smaller by cutting, you don’t have to cut them. You can still work with the batting pieces as they are without having to cut off the edges.
Step 5. Align your straight batting edges and hold them together with your hands. If the remaining fabric on your batting pieces is too large, you could easily fold it in to make it easier to work with the batting pieces.
Step 6. Bring your batting pieces to the sewing machine, aligning them on the sewing machine needle. You can use your presser foot to keep them aligned for a straight stitch to join them.
Step 7. Set your sewing machine to produce a zigzag stitch. You don’t need the batting to piece together too tightly, thus you can have the largest or medium stitch setting.
Sew on the batting pieces pushing them up with your hands and, keeping them aligned as the sewing machine goes along the center to piece them together.
If you have other pieces of batting to piece to these, follow the above steps and sew them together until you have your desired length.
Step 8. Now, you have pieced your batting pieces. You can now use them to finish or start your new quilting project.
Method 2. Piece Together Quilt Batting Without Sewing
Step 1. Wash, dry, and iron your batting pieces. You should always do this especially if your batting pieces have been in storage for a while.
Cleaning and ironing freshens them up and makes them easier to work with than if you just got them from storage and started folding and cutting them up.
Step 2. Now, place your batting pieces on your working table and align the edges that need to be pieced together.
Make sure they are properly aligned and straight alongside each other. If you need to, cut up the batting to ensure that you have straight edges on each to piece together.
Step 3. Now, with your quilt batting pieces straight and aligned, apply an iron-on fusible on them.
Step 4. Place a cotton cloth over the fusing and iron the seam. The heat-activated adhesive on the fusible activates and firmly holds the two pieces of batting together.
Step 5. Once you have your batting pieces properly pieced together, apply a piece of muslin to cover the fusible that you are using. Make sure it is wider than the fusible and it covers it completely. You will not be required to sew it on.
Step 6. You have pieced together your first two pieces of batting. If you are up to it, this is a quick method of piecing together quilt batting, You can add as many pieces to the length of batting that you need for your quilt.
Method 3. Piece Together Quilt Batting By Hand Stitching
Step 1. Wash, air-dry, and iron the batting pieces that you want to piece together for your quilting project. This makes them easier to work with. You can also identify the condition they are in and if you can use them for your quilting project.
Step 2. Align your pieces of batting to identify if they are a good fit. The batting pieces you choose should be at least the same length for them to work well together.
Step 3. Place the edges on top of each other with a short overlap. With a rotary cutter, cut in the middle of the overlap. Use a ruler to make sure that you cut the edges as straight as possible.
Step 4. Thread your needle. Use a neutral-color thread or one similar to the battings being pieced together. This helps to hide the fact that the battings are stitched together.
Step 5. Holding your batting pieces together at the center, bring your needle up from behind the two battings. A hemming stitch is easy and one of the fastest stitched you can use to piece battings together.
You can’t piece as many batting pieces when you sew by hand compared to a sewing machine. Use this method only if you have a small quilting project. For larger projects, you can use a sewing machine or fusible mesh to piece your battings together.
Why Should You Piece Batting Together?
Why should you piece batting together when you can just buy the fabric or batting pieces you need? Every quilter who has completed several projects will have lots of leftover batting pieces. They can use these batting pieces in other projects by piecing them together.
Piecing batting pieces has several benefits. First, it saves you money. You don’t have to buy new extra fabric for battings with every quilting project you start.
Second, it helps to clear up any leftover batting you may have thus, cleaning out your storage and working space. It also helps to save you the time that you would need to find and buy the fabric or battings you need.
Further, you have lots of fabric to use in case you come up short in some areas as you quilt.
How To Choose The Right Batting For Your Quilt
There are many types of batting available in the market to buy for your quilting projects. Some of the available batting types you can buy include cotton, polyester, bamboo fiber, and wool batting among many others.
When buying quilt batting you will need to consider the thickness of the batting. If you want a thick quilt, thick batting is what you will buy. However, if you want to finish your project fast, get thin basting which is easier to work with.
Also, consider the type of batting that you need for your quilt. This will determine the cost of the project as different types cost differently, with some more expensive than others.