Going batty about batting.

May 7, 2021 2:25 PM

Intermediate sewing filter: Questions about batting.

Hi! I just bought this <3 pattern, and want to make it pretty much the way it is in the photo. The trouble is, I'm not a quilter and know nothing about battings. (And I'm also lousy at eyeballing, I spend way too much time with muslins.)

I contacted Jalie herself, and she said "don't use anything under one inch," which is fine, but I'm not sure what to use so it'll look like the photo. There seem to be a million options to choose from; I'd like it to be nice and warm too. Tell me what you know about batting!

Bonus question: again since I'm not a quilter, please share with me any tips you have about working with batting, especially working with batting and EXTREMELY SLIPPERY nylon outerwear fabric. I have a couple of tips that I use (using lots of pins, etc.), but perhaps YOUR tips are brilliant and will make my life much better. And any recommendations for sites on how to work well with outerwear, as well as batting, are welcome as well. Thanks all!

posted by Melismata to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (6 answers total)

My first thoughts were: NO pins, use Wonder Clips, and use a walking foot for quilting. A quick Google search found this tutorial, which has lots of great info. I think you should make a couple samples to see how to work with your slippery fabric and batting. I would presume you quilt each piece separately and then assemble your jacket.
posted by XtineHutch at 2:40 PM on May 7, 2021

I think either Thinsulate or Primaloft would work. I would buy a little extra fabric + batting and do a test quilt, then you can evaluate how lofted the batting will be. You can double up the batting layers to get it more lofted.

Instead of pins consider spray baste but again I would recommend a test patch.
posted by muddgirl at 2:44 PM on May 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Use temporary spray adhesive. Super easy and you won't worry about keeping track of pins. If you have to pre-quilt this yourself absolutely order samples and play with it a bit. You can find 1" or thicker polyester batt or spray glue to your desired thickness.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 2:45 PM on May 7, 2021

Response by poster: Yes, the pieces are quilted first and then assembled.
posted by Melismata at 2:49 PM on May 7, 2021

Use insulation meant for outerwear, not quilt batting. I've never heard of Kodel but the pattern mentions Primaloft or Thinsulate, which you see used in lots of big name retail clothing. You might have to order it from a specialty outdoor fabrics supplier, the MakeYourOwnGear subreddit has a list. I've gotten samples from Seattle Fabrics before, the swatch pack gives you all the different weights/lofts. If it's not puffy enough, you can double up.
posted by yeahlikethat at 3:55 PM on May 7, 2021 [5 favorites]

One last tip...starch your super slippery nylon fabric. There are diy cornstarch and water or unflavored gelatin recipes. Dip your rough cut fabric and let dry. This will change the hand the tiniest bit to make it easier to handle. Once your garment is finished, wash in water and the starch comes right out. I've used thus trick to handle chiffon and it was so easy to handle.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 6:35 AM on May 8, 2021 [3 favorites]