Every year about this time ---I look at things that are over flowing.
Remember that #1 rule?
“If you can’t put the lid on it – it’s time to use it up!”
I don’t want to start a second tub of batting scraps. These are all pretty good sized – the batting comes on the roll at 96” wide..and sometimes there can be a left over strip about 8” X 96” wide…or other useable pieces.
It’s not always my FAVORITE thing to do, but being the thrifty scrap-o-matic quilter I am, Zig Zagging these pieces together will give me a “FREE” batting – empty my bucket and give me a chance to play with one of my vintage zig-zaggers that doesn’t come out and play as often.
Starring in tonight’s role of lead zig-zag-o-matic!
My pink Necchi Supernova Ultra Mark 2
Sleek 1950s styling, two tone paint job --- and heaven help me, I can’t remember WHAT I named her! See, it just doesn’t apply to former students 3 days after I meet them – it applies to OBJECTS too. Anyone remember? Hmmmmph. Something Italian. Maybe --- GELATO!
*Note* This is NOT Sophia -- Sophia came first when it came to my Necchis and she is aqua in color.
I REMEMBER! Her name is Francesca --I named her while watching one of my fave movies of all time --The Bridges of Madison County. Love me some Meryl Streep!
*Note* This is NOT Sophia -- Sophia came first when it came to my Necchis and she is aqua in color.
I REMEMBER! Her name is Francesca --I named her while watching one of my fave movies of all time --The Bridges of Madison County. Love me some Meryl Streep!
She makes the joining of the pieces so easy. Just overlap them about 1/8” – set her stitch length as long and as wide as it will go and ZOOM!
I piece the batting into columns as long as I need them, and then join the columns side by side until the batting is big enough for the quilt.
I piece the batting into columns as long as I need them, and then join the columns side by side until the batting is big enough for the quilt.
I know there is iron on tape that I can buy to do this. I don’t want to spend MONEY on something that is going to leave glue-on-interfacing in my batting. Who knows what that will do over time? Besides – I’d rather save that money for fabric – or more machines. ((oh someone PLEASE tell me I didn’t just say MORE MACHINES!))
We are in good company….I’ve got Mr Joe DuBois and the magic panda speakers along for the ride. I’m kind of partial to Joe Du Bois ---
I’m anxious to see how much I can clear out of that bucket ---I’d love to see it EMPTY! Yes, it takes longer to “Make” a batting out of left overs – but it’s better to lighten the load in that bucket rather than add to it.
Have a great evening, Everyone!
50 comments:
Wasn't she Sophia?
I use the batting bits for smaller projects like the pillows I just finished or table-runners (made 5 in November.) So there is something good about projects that aren't bedsize!!!
Is that Petula?
I'm using up a bunch of batting this week and next on Christmas ornaments, quilts 20" and under, and...wait for it...5" coasters with machine-appliqued snowflakes!!! Let's have a batting scrap party!!!
(No, I have NOT had any eggnog, but perhaps I've had too much iced tea for this hour of the evening!)
Here is where you introduced her, but I don't see a name for her! Someone suggested Estelle in the comments...
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/06/enablers-all-of-you.html
You don't have her name listed on your machine page. So maybe she needs a new one?
I used up some left over batting today too. It was a sew great day.
I'm so glad to see that I'm not the only one who pieces the leftovers for larger quilts! LOL In fact, it's a game to me...love it when I can use up Bob's scraps and get a batting for free (well sorta)! You GO GIRL!
I am not the best quilter - so my quilts sometimes need extra padding in spots to help the look flat - I use the left over batting for that, too!
Finally able to work on this weeks mystery...68 done. And I WILL.keep.at them till they are done in the AM. And I am determinedto keep up. This is my first year with you and thus my first mystery. Christmas sewing is done for the most part. May add a couple more fun things in fof the 5 sisters. Used lots of batting scraps up. And 5 quilt queen sizes. Gonna have to break down and buy more for the mystery!!!!!!
I also save my batting scraps. Yes, I piece them together and use it in a scrap quilt. It all saves money in the long run.
I feel the same way as you about that iron on interfacing joining stuff...awkward to try to iron batting anyway!!! I also piece my batting scraps...it seems as if it is free...and kinda like serendipity when the pieces make the right size I am searching for!!!
XOXO Subee
I just trimmed a quilt and was thinking about piecing that batting back together for another quilt top. I agree - why waste it?
I'm so glad to see that you do this too. I have had many people tell me that you have to use some sort of fusible or it isn't good enough. I have been doing it for years and none of the quilts have come apart yet! LOL
Sorry I missed quilt cam last night. On a non-quilty note, don't you just love Bridgette DuBois, I think that's the middle daughter,she was great. Loved that show, will have to catch it again on Netflix!
I think you should name her Rosa-Lucia!
I'm a batting piecer tooooo - so glad I'm not the only one.
I piece my batting too... but I end up doing it by hand as my machine doesn't zig zag well... could use the crummy looking zig zag stitch since it wont be seen... but I find it easier to raise the back bar and lay the two pieces together and just whipstitch them together.
I think I need to give it a try...ugh! But you are right, I could use the room too!
I just realized my Singer 401A is a slant-o-matic
Hi Bonnie , Since your first one was Sophia after Sophia Loren maybe she is Gina ? http://www.lifeinitaly.com/italian-movies/italian-american-actors
I piece batting too, but my leftovers aren't usually that long. I don't know why people wouldn't because the quilting will hold everything in place anyway so why use the glue-y stuff. I use smaller pieces for wall hangings, and place mats, and even smaller bits for rag quilts.
If she were mine, I would name her Annette, after Annette Funicello!
Also after last night when you talked about the throat plates I rummaged around and found the single needle hole one for the machine and swapped it out for the zigzag one - it makes a huge difference when sewing those geese pointy ends. Thanks
Thank you for always encouraging and inspiring us to make good use out of all we have!
I like Gelato !! great name!
I also piece my batting leftovers. I sometimes get some ripples though, like one side is stretching. I do use my walking foot, so I am not sure why.
I'm so glad to know that someone else zig zags their batting scraps together! I love that free stuff.
That's what I thought I remembered, too, as in Gina Lollobrigida.
I piece leftovers too...thanks to you! (that is a very sincere thank you by the way) I did get some of the iron on tape...HATE IT! It is stiff and makes a HUGE mess of the iron. Totally not worth it at all. I went right back to stitching, besides I was worried about it holding together after washing. THANKS Bonnie you inspire me....
PS I think Gelato is a fun name, like Gina too...maybe she can be Gina Gelato..LOL
I cut my left over batting into 6 inch squares and use the batting for foundations for string piecing. Then I sew the squares together with 1" strips. I can load this on my mid arm machine with backing fabric and sew all the layers together with a lazy meanandering stitch.
I may be a fabric hoarder but those batting scraps get gone! Fortunately, I know someone who puts them to good use so they go to her. I recently cleared out my batting bin.
Barbara in MD
So funny that you are working on batting! I cleaned out my batting supply last night, got it organized, and pulled out a couple of boxes of batting to piece together! I'll be zig-zagging that batting soon!! I love using those scraps up!!
A batting scrap costs as much per inch as the big piece it came from! I piece my batting scraps using a three step zig-zag stitch (3 stitches to the right, 3 stitches to the left) with the edges butted together. I learned that method from someone in our Project Linus chapter. It holds the pieces very securely. I make a lot of kid's quilts and it doesn't take many pieces to do each one.
Maybe you need a labelled photo album of all your machine kids. Names are so hard for me to remember. I'm 55.
Janice in TN
Gave a charity quilt to the quilter last night with 2 large pieces of batting and she will just lay them together to make the size needed! Also sent another small quilt with fleece for the backing and no batting-think that will work fine. Have a batting pieced here to lay out on the backing and then do the quick trips around the world on it in a sew and flip method so it will be ready to bind when I am done with sewing! Have been piecing batting for many years and none of it has shifted yet! Love to save the $$ for things-like my new featherweight!!!! Yeah!!!
There she is! I was wondering what happened with Sophia!!
Your comment last night cracked me up..."the machines in the cabinets are not so easy to hide" Aaaaaargh! Ain't that the truth!
"look honey, I got a(nother) nice side table today, um...Oh, look! There's a sewing machine in there! How 'bout that!" rofl Nooo, much easier to get the portables in cases, that is for sure!
This is a great idea. I make string blocks so often that I think I'll try this. Thanks for suggesting it. Dar
I was dancing a jig today as I got a lovely 1945 hand crank Singer today. In lovely shape. I have not tried it out as yet but I believe the lady that sold her to me that the machine just needs a new needle and will sew just fine. (I have two featherweights and a treadle and an old Kenmore also an Elna computerized machine) But even my husband was happy that I got the machine and at the price I paid.
Dorothy
Yes I piece batting scraps together but by hand with a long zigzag stitch.
I love scrappy quilts - using those small pieces to make something pretty and usable is so great - it's like a free quilt! That's the way I feel about piecing batting leftovers to use. This is a project I do often - I keep mine in a small container so it doesn't take long to fill up. I have used several different kinds of batting this year so each piece is labeled with what kind it is and its size.
Bonnie,
I cut some of those long pieces into squares and use them to wipe down my Gammill; machine (especially the underside!) tracks, wheels, table, swab out bobbin area, etc. I keep a couple under my parked machine to catch drips. They are quite useful.
My customers who get their batt from me get all of their scraps back. A few of them cut pieces to fit their Swiffer.
I used to hand sew batting pieces together till saw a mention of zig bag on longest and widest settings ...works fine using my Bernina 930.(
haven't managed to do step 2 of Easy Street yet but that's okay coz I am not in a race.
My RRCB is going to a new home tomorrow as it has been raffled to raise much needed funds for a favourite charity.
Thank you Bonnie for providing us with such fun projects that we can use to bless others.
I, too, zig zag my batting scraps together to make bigger pieces to use in large quilts. I keep the smaller cut offs to use as dust rags and floor sweepers. They stick pretty well to a Swiffer handle and away I go cleaning up cat hair and thread strings! I have finished parts one and two of Easy Street and my calendar is clear tomorrow to work on part three.
I not only piece them togther, I have OMG bought pieces/remnants from Joanns at deep discounts, and senior discounts... DH thinks I'm crazy... and I was also looking at my overwhelming amounts for scrap batting.... Hummm.....what to do w it???
I've been doing this for a while. Then I measure it and pin a pin the measurements so all I have to do is find te one that comes closest!
I have made many a "Franken-batting"!
I whip my batting together by hand when I am pin basting my quilt(I don't have a long arm, :() I tried machine stitching it together and I did't like the "lump".
Bonnie, do you ever run into problems with one piece of batting feeding through faster than the other? The last piece I joined this way, the left side piece gathered and fed through the dogs faster than the right side piece. I cut the stitches and did it again, but it took lots of pulling to keep that from happening again. Thanks! Lane
Love Joe DuBois. Been through the whole series. We check them out through our local library. Also been through the whole series of 'Numb3rs'. Need a new series I can watch while the children are present... Any suggestions?
I quilt for Binky Patrol. We receive lots of leftover batting pieces as donations. Last week was Binky week and I quilted 20 Binkys, all with pieced batting. Did not make even a dent in the pile of batting leftovers!
Carla
I am sure that panda gets creepier everytime he is in another photo!
Hi Bonnie: A woman after my own heart. I love your tips and your blog. I have the Bridges movie and watch it at least twice a year - love both Meryl and Clint. I cry every time I watch it. I also have to use all my scraps - everything, even cut off threads. Feels so good to make things from scraps.
Luvya Bonnie and thanks so much.
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