Quilters Dream Batting

I love when the mailman comes!

2012-01-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

The mailman has come today and brought yet another box that I just know is for the 3rd annual “Hopes & Dreams” Quilt Challenge for ALS. Those packages, all small, medium and large are very exciting to receive! It’s like a birthday every day here at Quilters Dream!!

You should see us when the box is about to be opened. We all stand around it huddled anxiously waiting for the tape to be removed. You would think there was an unheard of species or a magical treasure inside!

Sometimes the quilts are inside a plastic bag or pillow case to ensure they are protected inside the box and when removed all you hear is………….

“OOOOH!!”

“I love the colors on this one.”

“Feel how soft this quilt is.”

“That is all hand stitched? WOW!! What amazing talent.”

Every quilt we have received has its own personality and uniqueness to it. Not to mention how touching some of the stories that have been attached to these quilts are. That is just as much a treat as it is to see the quilt.

Some stories are about a connection that someone had with ALS patient and how happy they were to make a quilt to be donated. Sometimes they are personal reasons why they chose a specific pattern, color scheme or technique to be associated with the quilt. And sometimes it’s just a simple “I hope you enjoy this quilt as much as I did making it!”

I am personally touched that quilters have come together and worked so hard on their quilts to be donated. It feels good to know that people do care and don’t expect anything back and are willing to share out of the goodness of their hearts!!

So thanks to all that have already sent in their quilts to the “Hopes and Dreams” challenge. Speaking for all of us here….we are certainly looking forward to when the mailman comes tomorrow !

2012-01-01T18:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Wishing that all of your hopes & dreams come true and that your new year will be filled with love, peace, happiness, friendship and the best of health.
This holiday, We went to see the movie 'New Years Eve' and the actress from Glee sang Auld Lang Syne beautifully and reverently. This year, the song has felt particularly poignant for me and it dawned on me.. That after more New Years eves than I care to count... I don't know what it means! In asking everyone I know "what does Auld Lang Syne mean" ...no one else knew either!! So I googled it and it really is a beautiful and meaningful song that we all sing - but don't know why:)! Auld Lang Syne translates to 'old times past' or 'times gone by'. So the song asks "should old acquaintances and old times past be forgotten? Then answers: no...old times past should not be forgotten as we will take a drink of kindness (in remembering) for old times gone by. This song is a part of many cultures and is sung all over the world in many languages and versions. According to my 'detective googling' more people don't know what the lyrics mean .. Than do know! So now you are part of a rare group that know the meaning of 'Auld Lang Syne'. Robert Burns version of this 1700's Scottish song goes as follows:

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ? (old times gone by)
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear, (for old times gone by
, my dear)
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine† ; (dinner)
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.
CHORUS
And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught (toast)
for auld lang syne. (old times gone by)

A Good Foundation

2011-12-21T06:59:00.000-08:00

I could talk all day about batting, and if you have called Quilters Dream Batting with a question, you might already know this. I just got off the phone with a customer who was trying to decide which batting to choose, and it was quite a discussion. The choice of which batting to use is pretty darn important, as the batting is the foundation of the quilt. And since there are so many batts to choose from, it is best if you can make an informed decision. Batting has come a long way, baby! Here are some things to consider when making this critical decision:

· Dream Cotton Batting – Dream Cotton is the most popular batting of all! Dream Cotton is incredibly drapeable, beautifully soft, 100% natural, and quilts like butter! Available in four lofts-Dream Cotton is exceptional for all your quilting needs. Recommended by the Restoration Society as well as perfect for today's modern quilts. We use a very high grade of USA cotton and the longest fibers in the industry. This is important because longer fibers mean minimal shrinkage, less bearding, and virtually no lint on your machine. The longer the fibers, the more places the fibers will intersect, making the batting so strong that you can stitch up to 8 inches apart! Dream Cotton fibers have been mechanically cleaned- so there is absolutely no need to prewash your batting. With our unique processing using no scrim, glue or binders-Quilters Dream Cotton remains soft huggable and beautifully drapey.

· Dream Poly Batting - Available in the same weights as the Dream Cotton, the Dream Poly is made 100% from polyester microfibers. The poly microfibers mimic the cotton so you get the same look and feel of the cotton. This is great if you want to keep the “just quilted” look, or if you need it to stay flat on the wall or table. The high loft, deluxe, is perfect for wall hangings that you want to stay very flat, but still shows off the stitches.

· Dream Blend for Machines – Note here that this batting is “for machines” – it has a light scrim, so you won’t want to hand quilt this batting. However, because of the scrim, it is so easy to handle and work with, it has become a favorite for the long arm machine quilters. It is slightly heavier than the cotton or poly, but the scrim is so light that it still has a decent drape.

· Dream Angel – If you are concerned about flame retardancy for you quilt, this is the batting for you, and as a bonus, this batting is wonderfully soft and drapey! Unlike most flame retardant products, this batting was NOT chemically dipped or treated – the batting fibers were specially engineered to be flame retardant.

· Dream Wool – This is a very soft wool that is very breathable and light weight with a nice puff of about ½” to emphasize the stitches. It is thermally bonded, so can be machine washed and dried (on cool settings) without much shrinkage at all. More and more people are telling me that this is their favorite; they’ve convinced me – I’m going to give it a try on my next quilt.

· Dream Puff – This is a batting with a bit of pouf – it has about ½ “ of loft, and is made 100% from poly microfibers. It is soft, breathable, and very affordable. A great all around snuggly modern style batting for quilts. Layer the Dream Puff with a Dream Poly for a perfect faux trapunto.

· Dream Green – Could a batting from recycled bottles be soft and snuggly? I was skeptical, but Dream Green proved me wrong. This batting is exactly the same as Dream Poly select, with the exceptions being that the fibers were once soda bottles, and it has a green tint to the color! If you are going green, this is the batting for you!

· Dream Orient – This is the softest and silkiest batting available. It is made from a blend of silk, bamboo, cotton, and botanic tencel that is simply scrumptious to work with. Beware – this batting is highly addictive!

Okay, now you have an overview – if you need more info, you can look on our website: www.QuiltersDreamBatting.com