Quilt Batting Sizes – How to Choose The Right One

Quilt batting comes in all different sizes. Let me show you how to easily figure out the right batting and size you need to finish your quilt. You will learn how to shop for batting, how to use it and important things you need to know for machine quilting.

What is Quilt Batting?

Quilt batting, also known as wadding, is the filling that goes between the quilt top and the quilt backing. It provides warmth, loft, and stability to your quilt. Batting comes in various materials, thicknesses, and sizes, each offering different benefits depending on the type of quilt you’re making. It comes in different materials but a great choice is low loft batting in cotton or cotton and poly blend. It’s a warm batting with easy care instructions. Perfect for light-weight summer quilts. 

In today’s tutorial, we will discuss the following:

Type of Batting

Cotton: Natural fiber, breathable, soft, and drapes well. It’s a popular choice for quilts that need to be washed frequently. Can shrink slightly after washing, which can create a crinkled look (some quilters love this effect, though!).

Polyester Batting: Lightweight, non-shrinking, and holds its shape well. It’s also less expensive than natural fibers. Less breathable than cotton and can sometimes feel less soft.

Wool: Warm, lightweight, and resilient. Wool batting has a lovely high loft and is naturally breathable. More expensive, may require special washing care to prevent felting.

Bamboo: Eco-friendly, soft, and has a natural antibacterial property. It’s also breathable and drapes beautifully. Can be more expensive than other batting types.

Poly Blend: Combines the best qualities of different fibers, such as cotton/polyester blends which offer softness and stability. The characteristics can vary widely depending on the blend ratio.

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How to Choose The Right Batting

Besides deciding on which material of batting, you really need to look at the stitch distance for that type or brand. Pre-cut batting packages will have key info on the front of the package. Stitch distance tells you the batting needs to have quilting no more than a certain number of inches. So based on your quilting skills and the quilt pattern (large quilt blocks, modern with lots of negative space) you need to make sure your pattern and quilting skills can accommodate the stitch distance. If you only know how to straight line machine quilt, you want to pick a batting where the stitch distance works for your quilt pattern. 

Needle-Punch Batting

I’ve used needle-punched batting a handful of times and I really liked it. It contains a cotton scrim and provides stability in the batting. The benefits of needle punched batting is that it has more stability and was slightly easier to work with. Needle punched batting is more firm because it has a stabilizing scrim in the batting. Cotton batting is pretty thin but it was a lot thicker and sturdier to work with when needle punched. It doesn’t have any effect on the outside of the quilt but may add life to the lifetime of the quilt. 

Natural vs. White Batting

Your probably wondering why they have different colors of batting. The color of the batting can add brightness to white fabrics. Natural batting is a light beige color and is most commonly used for all your quilting projects. However, if you have a lot of white fabric, then grab white batting. It will make your white fabric remain as white as possible and not dull the white out like natural batting can.

When using white batting, you want to snip off any loose threads before basting so they don’t show up between the fabric and batting. If you are in a pinch and need white batting but only have natural beige batting, just use your beige batting. The also have black batting for black and dark fabrics to make the dark colors pop. 

Measure Quilt Top

Measure the dimensions of your quilt to determine which batting package to purchase. The first thing I do after the quilt top has been made, is lay out the quilt top and measure it. Add an extra 3″ to each side of the quilt, or an extra 6″ for the length and the width. Sometimes I only have an extra 2″ on all sides, it really depends on your machine quilting skill level.

Pre-Cut Batting

You can buy this online or in your local craft store like Joann’s. Just measure your finished quilt top and add 3 inches of extra batting to each side of the quilt. Now you have the measurement you need for your quilt batting.

If you are just starting your quilting journey, I suggest you buy pre-cut batting. You can get it on Amazon or Joann with coupons, it doesn’t take up too much space and if you order the next size up then you can use the leftover batting for small quilting projects.

For example, if you are making a baby quilt then buy a twin or queen size batting package to have extra batting on hand. No matter what size pre-cut you buy, you will always need to do trim it during the basting process. Now let’s talk about how to use your batting.

How to Use Quilt Batting

Preparing the Batting

Do not wash the batting before using. It’s delicate and would not hold up very well when washed on its own. You will need to work out the wrinkles and cut it to the exact size you need. Here are a few methods you can use to work out the wrinkles:

• Tumble dry on low heat and check every 5 minutes until deep wrinkles are smooth.
• Iron on the smooth side of the batting, not the fluffier side. Set your iron to the cotton setting and iron out the batting.
• Air out batting from pre-cut package to let it breathe. 

Once you have the wrinkles out, cut to size. Cut the batting so it’s 3 inches larger on all sides of your quilt top. These extra inches are a safeguard to accommodate for any shifting when you are machine quilting your patchwork quilt or quilting project. Then baste your quilt by hand, with safety pins or spray basting and finish that quilt sandwich.

My preferred quilt batting

The Warm Company or Pellon cotton batting is my current preferred quilt batting because that’s all I know at this point until I try all the others. Here are some reasons why I like these brands:

Read the Package Information

The natural cotton fibers have a soft feel and are available in pre-cut batting packages. Just read the measurement on the package, it comes in all quilt sizes. ​You most likely won’t find the batting packages at your local quilt shop but you will find it at the craft stores like Joann or on Amazon.

You can also buy batting on a bolt and cut it as needed for your projects. The price for a bolt may sound like a lot but it’s less expensive than buying in pre-cut batting packages. You just need to find a space for it and have room to trim it for your projects. A large table is preferred when trimming but you could also use a clean floor or possible a king size bed. 

I’m trying new brands to see if they are any better. I’ve just purchased Quilter’s Dream cotton batting for a commissioned quilt and I’ll let you know my review after I’ve used it. Kitchen Table Quilting recommended it as her favorite so I’m going to use it in one of my quilt commissions.

Quilt Batting Sizes – BEGINNER SUPPLIES

Here are some quilting tools and supplies I recommend. I make a small commission if you purchase through the links, this helps to support this free content. For more info, check out Supplies for Beginners (Best Tools To Start).

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