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!



"That is who I am, and always will be!"

Recently we received a quilt here at Quilters Dream Batting for the Hopes & Dreams Quilt Challenge for ALS from Sharon Semanovich of Binghamton, New York.

"Tahitian Midnight" donated to Hopes & Dreams by Sharon Semanovich of New York in honor of
her and her husbands best friend,  William "Hose" Kemper, who died of ALS in 2006.

Sharon made this quilt in memory of her and her husbands best friend, William "Hose" Kemper, who died of ALS in 2006.  Sharon took some leftover Hawaiian print fabric she used to make a shirt for her husband and combined it with black material to make it look like a tropical midnight. One of William's last (unfulfilled) wishes was to go to Tahiti.  Therefore she called the quilt, "Tahitian Midnight."

Best friends, William "Hose" Kemper (left) and Ken Semanovich.

Sharon shared that William was a big fan of Star Trek and shortly after meeting him, she made this quilt that included the large center panel celebrating the 20th anniversary of the show.

Sharon wrote a loving tribute to "Hose" that will go with the quilt she made to a "PAL" - person living with ALS.  She gave us permission to share these words with you.

William "Hose" Kempner

"Hose was quite a person, as I'm sure you are, too.  He was living in Texas, and we were in New Jersey. He couldn't tell us about his diagnosis over the phone, and waited until he could fly back to Jersey for a visit. I was so excited when I realized he was in our house, but one look at my husbands face told me there was bad news.

Hose at Camp Runamuck

We did the best we could to make his remaining time happy.  That included one last trip to his favorite place, Camp Runamuck.  This is wooded NY state property he and my husband bought together in 1981.  Long before his diagnosis, he sold his half of the property to me.

William "Hose" Kempner as a shower on Halloween.

Hose has a unique sense of humor. On a trip back to Jersey, he wore a t-shirt that said "I'm Dying to Get Out of Here."  And he gathered with friends to take this photo, titled "F@*k You, ALS!"

(We changed the view a bit as a courtesy - although you can imagine the real photo!)

Hose loved Camp Runamuck, which is his permanent home now.

What Sharon also sent was "Hose" own words on what living with ALS is like.   He wrote this through the use of an eye gaze software system on his computer, that he named "Joshua."  His words are honest and raw and we did type out some expletives he used that conveyed his emotion of living with ALS.  Reading his story will explain the two photos below.


"Who I Am" by William "Hose" Kempner

Hose did get to skydive.

And several people are living a much better life today with the organs Hose donated.   So we leave you the way he wanted us to remember him - smiling, with a beer in his hands.  As Sharon noted, his final thoughts probably were, "Beam me up, Scotty!"

Ken and his best man, William "Hose" Kempner (right), toasting in celebration of Sharon and Ken's wedding.

Your Grateful Hopes & Dreams Coordinator

Batting University (Part 3) Dream Blend and Dream Angel Batting

This week we are delighted to continue Batting University with a look at Quilters Dream Blend for Machines and Quilters Dream Angel 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: customerservice@quiltersdreambatting.com

Quilters Dream Blend for Machines available in Select (mid-loft) quilts up beautifully!

QUILTERS DREAM BLEND BATTING For Machines

"Soft to hug, yet takes the tug!"  Dream Blend is the only batting we make that has a scrim base (similar in look/feel to a cheesecloth) that adds stability for tugging, pulling, and general abuse.  It consists of 70% cotton and 30% polyester that is needle punched through the ultra-light scrim base.  Dream Blend was developed  for machine quilters who need more strength and stability, especially for use on the longarm machine.

Quilters Dream Blend Batting with the reinforcing scrim layer peeled back from the batting.

Advantages:

• Some shrinkage (1-3%) for the slightly puckered look

• Has a light scrim, so it will not stretch at all nor leave hand prints from pulling 

• Can be stitched up to 12" apart! 

• We used the lightest weight scrim available to it still has a nice drape and does not feel stiff.

• 70% cotton, so it will wick moisture away from the body to keep you cool in the summer  

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

Disadvantages:

• Slight Shrinkage (1-3%) after washing
• Scrim can reduce the breathability of the batting slightly
• Holds a slight crease over time (can be fluffed out in the dryer, though!)
• Not a 100% natural product (some man made fibers)
• Due to reinforcing scrim layer, Blend Is not recommended for hand quilting.

QUILTERS DREAM ANGEL BATTING

Dream Angel is heavenly because it is made 100% from flame retardant fibers. 

The fibers are specially engineered to be flame retardant without bromides or other harmful chemicals.  Dream Angel Batting is needle punched to create a soft, cozy,

breathable batting with a natural look and feel.

Advantages:

  

• Made from proprietary blend of two different flame retardant fibers. Has passed the California 604 test for flammability (A cotton sheet is placed on top and on the bottom of the batting.The top was set on fire, and the bottom remained undamaged!! Wow!)

• Needlepunched man made fibers mimic cotton fibers, so you get the look and feel of cotton

• Available in Select loft for hand and machine quilting
• Some shrinkage (1-3%) for the slightly puckered look
• Will not hold a crease, even if it is folded up for months
• 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
• Very long fibers – no lint on the machine or in the air!
• Fine denier microfibers bend when in contact with fabric, so they resist bearding

Disadvantages:

• Some shrinkage (1-3%) for the slightly puckered look

• Does not wick moisture away from the body like cotton

• Is a man made fiber

• Cost

Please come back soon for part 4 of our Month Long Series: Batting University.  We will continue with Dream Puff, Dream Wool, and Dream Fusion Battings!

Happy Quilting!

Snow in our neck of the woods!

Batting University (Part 2) Dream Green and Dream Orient Batting

This week we are delighted to continue Batting University with a look at Quilters Dream Green and Quilters Dream Orient battings!  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 GREEN BATTING

Dream Green batting is a soft, cozy, and cuddly batting that is 100% made from recycled bottles.  Each pound of Dream Green rescues 10 bottles that could be added to the landfills! The polyester microfibers are indistinguishable from virgin poly fibers, so it has all the advantages of Dream Poly with added environmental benefits.

Dream Green Batting
The green coloring comes from the recycled bottles - there must be a lot of Mt. Dew drinkers!

Advantages:

• Made 100% from recycled bottles for the environmentally sensitive quilter
  
• Needlepunched poly microfibers mimic cotton fibers, so you get the look and feel of cotton
  
• No shrinkage, so quilting will look the same after washing
  
• Excellent for both hand and machine quilting
  
• Will not hold a crease, even if it is folded up for months
  
• 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
  
• Fine denier microfibers bend when in contact with fabric, so they resist bearding

Disadvantages:

• Green in color, so test when using under white or very light colored fabrics
  
• Does not shrink, so you will get no puckering
  
• Does not wick moisture away from the body like cotton
  
• Is not a natural fiber (man-made)

QUILTERS DREAM ORIENT BATTING

Dream Orient is the softest, drapiest batting available! East meets West with this elegant blend of sustainable bamboo, luxurious silk, botanic Tencel® and strong, stable cotton. One touch and you will be hooked!

Freshly quilted Dream Orient Batting. Lovely drape that begs to be fondled.

Teal quilted pinwheel block is a single layers of Dream Orient Batting. Purple quilted pinwheel is a double layer of Dream Orient batting - even doubled it keeps a wonderful drape.

Advantages:

• The very softest and best draping batting there is, even when stitched very closely
  
• Slight shrinkage (1-3%) upon washing/drying for the slightly puckered look
  
• Excellent for both hand and machine quilting
  
• Wicks moisture away from the body to keep you cool in the summer
  
• Breathable – there are no scims or other barriers that would inhibit airflow
  
• Fine denier fibers bend when in contact with fabric, so they resist bearding

Disadvantages:

• Slight Shrinkage (1-3%) after washing
  
• Cost compared with other battings
  
• Not recommended for tied quilts
  
• Bamboo fibers are short, so can be a bit linty if over-handled
  
• Fibers are not 100% from the USA, however, Dream Orient (like all Dream Battings) is made in the USA!

Please come back next week for part 3 of our Month Long Series: Batting University.  We will continue with Dream Angel (flame retardant batting) and Dream Blend for Machines!

 

Happy Quilting!