Going Batty
It’s time to talk about batting. So far we have discussed sorting fabric, using scraps (or at least some uses), and using the fabric you love, but the other major component most quilters have in their stash is batting, and left over batting pieces. I am right there with you. Since I make so many quilts I buy batting by the roll, which is a bigger upfront cost but works out better long term and also cuts down, somewhat, on waste. Even with the reduced waste I still have a huge bag of batting scraps, so what to do with all those scraps?
Small projects are the first answer. Depending on the size of your scraps, this could range anywhere from coasters to wall hangings. I find for a lot of the smaller projects it helps to use a double layer of batting (which also uses those scraps faster). A really fun option is to improv piece some fabric, cut to the desired shape and quilt. For coasters I like to use a very tight quilting pattern.
Another great way to use those batting scraps is to add dimension to any project you are working on. This can be intentional - when you want to create a faux trapunto effect by adding small batting layers to any areas that you want to be raised or puffier. Or it can be used to “fix” any issues with your quilt top. If you have a part of your quilt top that is a little “bubbly” you can add a little bit of extra batting to the bubble, which will make quilting out the bubble that much easier.
For larger projects, you can make a franken-batting out of all of your left overs. There are a few different options for how you can make franken-batting; the simplest is to overlap two pieces by a small amount and stitch them together, but this will create a little bit of a bump. If you want to avoid that bump, you can arrange two pieces with straight edges next to each other and zig-zag stitch them together, which allows them to lay flat. The simplest option, and the one I frequently use, is to create a second layer of batting out of scrap pieces. For this option I lay out one solid piece of batting and then on top of it build a second layer on top of the first. The best part with this method is you don’t have to sew anything because the batting layers stick to each other. You can also use franken-batting to create a design wall (and in this case it doesn’t matter if there are some bumps!).
Has this given you some new ideas on how you can use your batting scraps? Remember you can check out the subscriber section to find some smaller patterns that would be great for using up not just your fabric scraps, but your batting scraps as well.
