Quilt in a Day Forums

Does anyone ever piece their batting, maybe just two pieces, if the batting is not wide enough? If so, how do you do it?
Sara

Sara, I've never done it, but I've seen instructions for it somewhere online. What they did was they just placed the edges so that they met, and then "basted" the two pieces together with a needle and thread in a criss-cross pattern across the edges. Does that make sense?

I've done it several times, Sara. I just overlap the two pieces a little and sew with a long stitch length. I can feel the seam when I'm pin-basting but I've never been able to see the seam after it's been quilted.

I piece batting all the time, especially on small projects. Sometimes I hand baste like HomespunMary described. Other times I used a wide zigzag on the machine. I always make sure there is plenty of quilting in the pieced batting area and have never had a problem with it.

Give it a try. It's a good way to use up those long pieces of batting cut off when a quilt top is finished.

Leftovers! That's the main reason I was asking. I have all these great big pieces of warm and natural that the LAQ gave me that she trimmed from my quilts. I love warm and natural.

Sara

I have pieced batting together using both methods mentioned and never had problems.

I do it all the time. I lay one pc slightly over the other them cut it down the center with a ruler that way I have a pefectly straight edge to zigzag on my machine. Never had a problem doing that. Can't wasted any of that warm and natural batt. Marge

I'm weird and maybe overly obsessive, but I hand stitch when I need to piece batting. Get a nice clean, straight edge and use a loose-ish whipstitch over the edge of both pieces. When you open them up and lay them flat, they lay nice and smooth.

That reminds me: I was playing around with a mini-quilt last night and I am almost out of batting--all I have are scraps! Time to hit JoAnn's!

Carole

I have had to piece it - I do it the way i was taught

lay the pieces so they overlap then cut through both of them so you have two sides that match perfectly then I remove the extra and hand sew stitching the edges together side by side so there is no seam allowance
works evertime

I'm with the rest of you - I've pieced batting when I've realized that I was out of large-size batting and the stores are closed!
I figure that by the time the quilt top is stitched through the batting and backing - who would know the difference? After all - I'm not doing this to be judged at a show.

This is what I do: when I have leftovers of a decent size - I neaten up the edges with my mat, ruler and cutter. Then I fold them up and sort them by approximate size in those big plastic see-through zip bags that are out now in the markets. I love those bags. I buy them when there is a coupon or at Sam's Club and stock up on them. This way I can write on them what I've stored in them. Try that - it will help you organize the leftover batting for future use!
-Shelly