Batting University (Part 4) Dream Puff, Dream Wool, and Dream Fusion Batting

This week we are delighted to continue Batting University with a look at Quilters Dream Puff, Quilters Dream Wool, and Quilters Dream Fusion batting! We hope you enjoy a closer look at what makes each batting unique. If you have any questions or you would like free samples, call us toll free, 1-888-268-8664, or email: QuiltersDreamBatting@juno.com

 

 

QUILTERS DREAM PUFF BATTING

Dream Puff is 100% polyester batting that has been thermally bonded for a wonderful loft and warmth.  It is lightweight and breathable, but has a high thermal value making it even warmer than down.   

 

 

Advantages:

• 1/3-1/2” of loft to show off your quilting, designs “pop” out at you!

• Very warm, yet light weight.  (For even more warmth and weightiness, double the Puff or layer the Puff on top of the Dream Cotton or Dream Poly – WOW does it ever make a warm and absolutely gorgeous quilt!)

• Cozy and cuddly – children and teens especially love this batting

• Loft is excellent for T-shirt quilts or quilts made with varying material types

• Loft can hide some of the imperfections in piecing

• Can be stitched closely and holds the drape, then pops out in less quilted areas for a faux trapunto look.

• Although it is lofty, it flattens out for ease in hand quilting!

• Does not absorb moisture, so it dries very quickly and will not hold a stain

• Inexpensive

• Breathable – there are no scrims or other barriers that would inhibit airflow

• Very long fibers – no lint on the machine or in the air!

• Fine denier bonded microfibers bend when in contact with fabric, so they resist bearding

 

 

Disadvantages:

• Thermally bonded, so it can become stiff it put into contact with heat (Even on low heat, the drum of some dryers become hot enough to cause a problem), so we recommend air drying or drying with no heat. Absolutely no ironing!

• Does not wick moisture away from the body (like cotton)

• On occasion, holds a slight crease over time (can be fluffed out in the dryer on cool setting, though!)

• Is a man made fiber

QUILTERS DREAM WOOL BATTING  

Dream Wool is another warm and lofty batting that has been thermally bonded- it is one of my favorites for cozy snuggling on cold nights!  The U.S. wool is scoured and super-washed for cleanliness and to eliminate shrinkage, then blended with low melt poly fibers for thermal bonding.  Our unique processing creates wool batting that is light weight, machine washable, has very little shrinkage, and resists bearding.

 

 

Advantages: 

• 1/3-1/2” of loft to show off your quilting, designs “pop” out at you!

• Uses the soft and silky wool of U.S. raised merino and domestic sheep

• Very warm, yet light weight.

• Wool wicks moisture away from the body to keep you cool in the summer

• Cozy and cuddly – children and teens especially love this batting

• Loft is excellent for T-shirt quilts or quilts made with varying material types

• Loft can hide some of the imperfections in piecing

• Can be stitched closely and holds the drape, then pops out in less quilted areas for a faux trapunto look.

• Although it is lofty, it flattens out for ease in hand quilting! (Dream Wool is the favorite of many hand quilters!)

• Does not absorb moisture, so it dries very quickly and will not hold a stain

• Breathable – there are no scrims or other barriers that would inhibit airflow

• Bonded fibers resist bearding

• Very long fibers – no lint on the machine or in the air!

 

 

Disadvantages:

• Thermally bonded, so it can become stiff it put into contact with heat (Even on low heat, the drum of some dryers become hot enough to cause a problem), so we recommend air drying or drying with no heat. Absolutely no ironing!

• Occasionally holds a slight crease over time (can be fluffed out in the dryer on cool setting, though!)

• Wool fibers used, but also includes a man made poly fiber, so it is not flame retardant

 QUILTERS DREAM FUSION  

 

With Quilters Dream Fusion, enjoy the wonderful quality and consistency of Quilters Dream Cotton and Quilters Dream Poly with the convenience of a one sided fusible. Unlike most fusibles, Dream Fusion does not become stiff and sticky when used - it stays soft, supple, and drapeable so it is great for jackets and other clothing, bags, quilt-as-you go, embroidery, etc. (Jennifer insists I let you know that this is her favorite batting - she fuses the backing to the batting, then she can quilt with her domestic machine without worrying about pleating or puckering "back there".)
 

Advantages:

• One sided fusible ads stability and ease for use in small projects

• Uses a fusible webbing (rather than glue) that is needlepunched into the cotton or poly fibers so it does not become stiff

• Can machine quilt or embroider at high speed without gumming the needle

• Is soft, smooth, and consistent - just like our Dream Cotton and Dream Poly, but with an added soft fusible web

• Available in both cotton and poly, so gives more options (see cotton and poly advantages)

Disadvantages:

• Because the webbing is needlepunched into the batting (not sprayed on as a glue), it is only available on one side

• Is not a 100% natural batting since it does incorporate the fusible webbing

• Can be difficult to tell which side is fusible - so pay close attention to the sticker!

 



 

All of our battings are proudly made in the USA, and each batting is hand cut and hand inspected to insure superb quality is consistency.  Quilters Dream is a small, family owned business, so we don’t sell to chain stores and always encourage our customers to support their locally owned quilt shop or quilting business!  There are a lot of advantages to using Quilters Dream Batting, and with the wide variety of lofts, fibers, colors & sizes available, we hope that you find the choices to be to your advantage when choosing the perfect type of batting for your quilted treasure!

Please come back soon for a bonus Sweet Dreams Cotton Stuffing blog we are adding to Batting University! (OK, so I know stuffing isn't batting, but it is really cool stuff!)

Happy Quilting!



Dream Wool - It's B'ewe'tiful!

Have you been searching for a type of batting that will give your quilt more definition than usual? Our Dream Wool may be just what you are looking for! Dream Wool will show off your stitches beautifully – your designs will pop and your quilt will be extra snuggly, without it turning into a "comforter".

I don’t know about you, but when I think of wool, I think of my grandmother’s wool jacket from the 1950’s that my 16 year old daughter now owns - it is scratchy, heavy, bulky, and beautiful, but not what you would want for a quilt batting. Quilters Dream Wool has about 1/3 – ½ inch of loft, but it is very light weight, soft, breathable, and machine washable. Certainly not at all what I think of when I hear wool!

The type of sheep used makes a huge difference in the softness of the wool. Quilters Dream uses a high quality USA Merino and Domestic wool from the U.S.A. that is scoured, combed, and super washed into pure loveliness. The fibers are then carded and crosslapped for consistency, then thermally bonded for strength and durability.

Thermal bonding is a process of producing batting made by combining the main fiber, wool, with a low-melt poly fiber and then sending the fibers through an oven. The low-melt poly fibers melt and adhere to the wool fibers holding them securely in place. Because wool fibers are barbed, they are notorious for shrinking, bearding, shifting, and causing all sorts of other problems. (The fibers catch on each other, and when handled or washed they catch tighter and tighter until you have a lump of wool) The thermal bonding process used in Dream Wool secures the wool fibers firmly in place so there is very little shrinkage ( ½ a percent) and no bunching or shifting, while keeping the batting soft and breathable. It also holds the fibers apart so that the batting is easy to wash and air dries quickly.

Dream Wool can be hand quilted too. Even with the extra loft, when basted, your quilt sandwich will be flat enough to get the rocking motion needed for hand quilting. And because there is no scrim or glue used as a stabilizer, the needle goes right through without resistance. It is also stable enough to be easily machine quilted either with the domestic machine or on the long arm.

You can stitch up to 8 inches apart, so your quilt will not have to be “quilted to death.” If you desire the faux-trapunto look, quilt heavily where you want a flatter look, and more openly in the areas you want to pop – just look at Terri Stegmiller’s Green & Pink quilt! It is a stunning example of the faux-trapunto look.



Do take into consideration the heat when using Dream Wool – it cannot be ironed or dried on high heat, or the fibers can become stiff and the batting flat, so be sure and air dry your quilt when using Dream Wool!

Call us today and we will be delighted to send a free sample square of Dream Wool for you to feel. Then let me know if you love Dream Wool as much as I do!

Happy Quilting!

~The Dream Team

You can count on us...



Scrap batting made into a flower.

We hope everyone had a fabulous relaxing summer and stayed cool! Now that the kiddies are back in school and the holidays are just around the corner ( Uggg so soon right?) we are certain you are going to be busy bees quilting and crafting away. Keep in mind we are always here to help you with your batting questions and needs. Please call us for samples of our batting to try! We will be more than happy to send you some and a user’s guide to go along with it. We will also be glad to help you with goodies (mini samples) to put in gift bags for grand openings, guild meetings or shop hops! Give us a shout and we’ll help ya out!



Mini Samples

Thank you for your support.We truly appreciate it!

Quilters Dream Batting
888.268.8664
quiltersdreambatting@juno.com

Happy Quilting!

 ~The Dream Team

 

A Good Foundation

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 your 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 continues to be 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. Because of the natural, traditional fiber, Dream Cotton is recommended by the Restoration Society, but it is also great 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! With our unique processing using no scrim, glues or binders, Quilters Dream Cotton remains soft, huggable, and beautifully drapey.  Choose Request weight for hand quilting, Select for hand or machine quilting, Deluxe for machine quilting a heavy quilt, Supreme for machine quilting a very heavy quilt or craft projects.

·       Dream Poly Batting -  Available in Request, Select, and Deluxe weights, 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.  However, it has the benefit of no shrinkage, so it is perfect if you want to keep that “just quilted” look, even after multiple washings.  Dream Poly does not hold a crease, so you can fold it and store it (or ship it to a show) and not worry about lines or wrinkles when you take it out.  The request and select lofts are light, breathable, and drape beautifully.  The high loft, deluxe, is perfect for wall hangings that you want to lay flat without curling corners, and will shows off your stitches wonderfully.

·       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 very easy to handle and work with, so it has become an all time favorite for the long arm machine quilters.  You can tug it into place without worrying about stretching or leaving hand prints.  It is slightly heavier than the cotton or poly, but the scrim is so light that it still has a very nice drape.

·       Dream Angel – If you are concerned about flame retardancy for your 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.  The fibers are inherently flame retardant so the flame retardant quality will never wash off.  An excellent choice for baby quilts, dorm quilts, nursing home quilts, etc. (It is available in both Request and Select loft)

·       Dream Wool – This is a very soft wool that is very breathable and light weight with a nice loft of about 1/3 - 1/2” to emphasize the stitches (or hide those slight piecing imperfections).  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, both for hand or machine quilting; they’ve convinced me – I’m going to give it a try on my next quilt.

·       Dream Puff – This is another batting with a very nice 1/3-1/2" loft - just enough for a slightly "puffy" quilt.  It is made 100% from poly microfibers, and, like the Dream Wool, it is thermally bonded to hold the loft without being scratchy or stiff. It is soft, breathable, and very affordable.  Dream Puff is a great all around snuggly modern style batting for quilts. Layer the Dream Puff with a Dream Cotton for a perfect  faux trapunto - the cotton will shrink slightly when washed making the Dream Puff really "pop"!

·       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 exception that the fibers were once soda bottles, and it has a green tint of color!  If you are eco-conscious and going green, this is the batting for you - each pound of Dream Green batting rescues 10 bottles from our landfills.  You won't believe anything this soft, cozy, and breathable could come from recycled bottles, but it is true!

·       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.  Your finished quilt will absolutely hug you.  Beware – this batting is highly addictive!  
 

Okay, now you have an overview – if you need more info, please check out our website:  www.QuiltersDreamBatting.com