Batting Storage

I know, that’s a boring title! For most quilters, you buy a package of batting when it’s on sale, when you’re ready to layer your quilt sandwich, or ready to take it to your longarm quilter.

When you have a longarm, things get a bit sticky! I do quilt for customer’s, but I also quilt for myself, and for donation. I don’t have big rolls of batting as it is just too difficult to find space to store them.

My wholesaler, E.E. Schenck, Co., happens to be in Portland, OR, where I live. I like Hobbs Tuscany products and in recent years they have started carrying “bolts” of batting. The 96″ wide batting is double folded and rolled onto a bolt. There is less on a bolt, than on a roll, but I can stack multiple varieties in my closet without needing to store multiple rolls.

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  Bolts of batting stored in my office closet

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  Larger batting pieces

Recycling is important in my household too, it’s very hard to throw scraps of fabric and batting away. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, when you purchase fabric by the yard, you’re paying for all of it, including what goes in the trash, selvedge and all. It’s no different with batting, but how do you utilize the scraps?

I’ve learned that there are a few different ways to use them, if they are not too narrow of a cut-off, I’ll save those strips and them into squares to use for string blocks. Many people make string blocks using muslin or newsprint as a stabilizing base, but I was shown a method that uses batting instead. When I’ve saved up a bit, I’ll cut them into squares and when I have enough squares, I’ll use them on a sewing day, at a retreat, or give them to my guild’s community outreach person. She’ll bundle them up for guild members to make into string blocks.

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  Batting cut-offs

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  Cutting batting into squares

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  Batting squares ready to make string blocks

I’ve talked about my string bin before, sometimes I get frustrated at how many I have and want to get rid of them. Other times, it’s enjoyable to dig through the strings and start piecing the blocks. I’ll be on a quilting retreat soon, I plan to take a small box with some strings and pre-cut batting. If I’m bored with a project, I can always make a few string blocks.

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  Strings to take on a retreat with “add a quarter” ruler

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  String block

Batting square can be made whatever size you like and it really depends upon how big of a quilt you want to make. I like 10″ squares and will use that size to make 24 blocks. I can set them 4 across and 6 down for a 40″ x 60″ quilt. This is a nice size for donation purposes but the sky is the limit. After all, it’s just scraps!

Until next time

Susan