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.
- 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)
- 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!
