Baby Quilt w/ Batiks?

[DramaMama]

Is this a good idea: baby quilt with Hoffman batiks?

I have not yet worked with nor had the desire to use batiks (though I find many of them beautiful); I read several times on this forum that they are a more delicate/fragile and, some say, not as long lasting as quality cotton quilt fabric.

So, is using these batiks a good idea for a baby quilt that I assume will take a beating with use and washing?

Thanks in advance for your input!

[Vonnie]

Re: Baby Quilt w/ Batiks?

I won't say yes or no but will tell you that when our basement flooded and my batiks stash was in a box sitting on the floor and I had to wash everything that got wet. Well, most of those batiks faded even though I washed in cold water with vinegar.

[wlrquilts]

Re: Baby Quilt w/ Batiks?

I find that batiks aren't as soft. If you make the top from batiks it would use cotton or flannel for the back.

[Hulamoon]

Re: Baby Quilt w/ Batiks?

I agree with Wendy, it's not the softest fabric, but a flannel would do the trick for the back.

[quiltingaway]

Re: Baby Quilt w/ Batiks?

I don't know why people would think batiks are delicate or fragile. I've used batiks in lots of quilts and have never had any problem. They are high thread count and my quilts have been washed multiple times. I do always pre-wash my batiks. But then I pre-wash everything A few years ago Hoffman had some adorable batiks for baby quilts. I wasn't needing a baby quilt at the time so have never used them for baby quilts.

[Carlie Wolf]

Re: Baby Quilt w/ Batiks?

I would use them and have incorporated them into some of the baby quilts. Thing is that they do bleed so I try to beat into the receivers head that they will require a Shout Color catcher when washing until the color catcher comes out clean. You need to use a sledge hammer when doing this so they realize you're not kidding and making polite conversation LOL

[jjkaiser]

Re: Baby Quilt w/ Batiks?

I am making my first batik after xmas for my gd. It is the Sumatra line and will be a chevron each batik paired with white. The colors are really bright and intense, eggplant, fire orange, etc.My dd washes all clothes together so I am pretty sure she will never use a CC even if I buy them. So about this time next year I will try to remember to post a pic of what I think by then will look like a marbleized baby quilt!!

[Deegles]

Re: Baby Quilt w/ Batiks?

My babies are now almost 4 and 5. The quilts I have made get washed several times a week. The only place they are not holding up is on the binding. I do not recommend using batik for the binding. Part of my binding fail could be due to the fact I do not make bias binding.
Additionally, I have stopped buying hoffman batiks. The cloth itself is a true batik and feels less like cotton. I personally do not like the texture, no matter how on sale it is.

[stitchwishes]

Re: Baby Quilt w/ Batiks?

If you want ultra soft and cuddly, I'd go with flannel or Peppered Cotton (thick soft shot cotton). If it's just some color variation and interest you want in solids, there are many lines of regular quilting cottons that are marbled or visually textured by nature of the print - one off the top of my head is Moda Grunge.

I'm no batik expert, but the little I've worked with them recently I had to do some quick and dirty experiments on. There is a blog post somewhere that details how to soak the fabric in Dawn overnight to release extra dye. I'll come back and post it if I don't get too distracted here. It worked so great that I've had no bleeds from red and blue batiks. I don't know what brands they are because they were from a scrap bin, but they are a bit crisper and less supple and cuddly than quilting cotton (not a big difference, the batik is soft, just not the same).

[jjkaiser]

Re: Baby Quilt w/ Batiks?

What is peppered cotton and where do you get it? I have never heard of it. I have heard of shot cotton but idk what that is either!!

[quiltingaway]

Re: Baby Quilt w/ Batiks?

If you want ultra soft and cuddly, I'd go with flannel or Peppered Cotton (thick soft shot cotton). If it's just some color variation and interest you want in solids, there are many lines of regular quilting cottons that are marbled or visually textured by nature of the print - one off the top of my head is Moda Grunge.

I agree with the Moda Grunge for some nice texture. I've been using it a lot recently and comes in many colors. I just finished a baby quilt using some.