There are four parts to a quilt: the backing fabric, batting, fabric quilt top and stitching that holds it together. Batting is the soft material between the two layers of fabric. Traditional batting is cotton or wool and modern batting is usually polyester. Saving and joining batting scraps from other projects is an economical way to keep project costs down.
Lay out the backing fabric flat on a table, bed or the floor. Typically, the batting is cut to match the size of the backing fabric and then trimmed after the quilt is stitched.
2
Lay out the batting scraps until the backing fabric is covered. Overlap uneven edges, leaving no gaps.
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Trim the overlapped edges until the batting scraps lay flush and smooth with no backer fabric visible.
4
Choosing the two largest scraps as the base, whip stitch the two pieces together. Use large loose stitches to keep the joined batting flat with no puckers.
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Weave the thread into the batting at the end of the seam rather than tying a knot.
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Continue adding batting scraps to your base until enough pieces are joined to cover the backing fabric.
Tips & Warnings
Using joined batting scraps is best for a quilt that will be hand- or machine-stitched. The quilting stitching will hold the batting firmly in place. If a quilt is to be tied or tufted, a single piece of batting will give better results.
Do not mix different types of batting, such as, cotton with wool or with polyester. Do not mix different thicknesses of batting.
