Saturday, January 17, 2015

Amish Baby 54-40 Or Fight is Sashed and Ready For Borders

Sashed and Ready for Borders...  Maybe
As you can see, I managed to get the blocks sashed and assembled for my Amish Baby 54-40 Or Fight quilt top this week.  I love the design, and I'm mostly happy with the accuracy of my piecing: 

...However, I made the mistake of cutting all of my sashing strips to EXACTLY 12.5", which is what every block SHOULD have measured upon completion, and then easing the sashing to fit those blocks that finished slightly skimpier.  My blocks were all within 1/8" to 1/16" of the 12.5" ideal, but that little bit of easing coupled with the finagling I did to get all of my teal points so sharp and perfect, created just the slightest ripple along the outer edge of my sashing.  So now I have to clear off my big work table, take the quilt top down off the design wall, and do some measurements to determine whether I need to take any of the sashing apart and restitch it, or if I can correct for the ripple and steam iron everything flat again after I add the borders.  I do know enough to measure the length and width through the CENTER of the quilt top for the borders.  Maybe I can just straighten the outer edges, square the corners, add the borders and it will be fine? 

Next decision: Batting, backing fabric, and binding.  I've heard of black quilt batting made especially for black or dark colored quilts like this one, but never used them before.  Supposedly they help the dark colors maintain their saturated appearance over the life of the quilt, without white batting fibers working their way through the quilt top.  Looking online, I found two possibilities: Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Cotton Polyester batting, which is supposed to be just like their regular 80/20 Premium batting except that it is black, or Quilter's Dream Midnight Dreams Black 100% Polyester "Select Loft" batting.  Midnight Dreams is supposed to be just like the Select Loft Quilter's Dream poly batting. 

Now, in the past, I've used Minky cuddle fleece for backing fabric and prepackaged wide sating binding on my baby quilts, and the parents and babies-toddlers-preschoolers have literally loved those quilts to death.  Clearly it's a winning combination.  For past quilts, I've just used a thin 100% cotton batting since the Minky fleece adds an additional layer of bulk and warmth, and I want the finished quilt to be drapable and very snuggly.  But I don't see anywhere that I can buy a thin 100% cotton batting in black, and I'm not as opposed to some poly content since Minky cuddle fleece is also a polyester fabric, as is the satin binding.  I did prewash and preshrink all of the fabrics in this quilt top to avoid the problem of a finished quilt where the top fabrics shrink and the batting and backing fabrics do not.  However, I want to use the thinnest, least bulky black batting that I can find.  If any of you have any direct experience with Hobbs 80/20 versus Quilter's Dream Poly Select Loft, please let me know in the comments which you would recommend for this project and why.  I don't think my LQS stocks black battings, so I may just have to order some of each online and experiment with samples in person.

I'm linking up with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  Happy Stitching!

8 comments:

Barbara Sindlinger said...

Have you thought of using a layer of black flannel instead of batting? Just a suggestion. I love minkee on the back of baby quilts. It's so soft.

Gemini Jen NZ said...

Oh that is absolutely divine! So striking to look at! I would also consider the black flannel as a batting, maybe a double layer?

Kacey said...

Kinky and satin binding does sound like a winning combo! I haven't used black batting before, so no wisdom to offer, sorry! Good luck!

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I used the Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 black batting on one of my quilts and it worked great the only problem I has was I like shrinkage and it didn't shrink so I have a flat quilt - but no migration of fibers to the top or if there is I can't see them because they are black!

Denise :) said...

Rebecca, your quilt is gorgeous. I love geometric quilts and the secondary pattern formed in the black space is awesome and should make for some fun quilting! Black flannel is what I would consider, too! :)

Jenny K. Lyon said...

I would slap those borders on and call it a day! That's just me. One consideration is what that black batting is going to look like through the white portions. I would use regular white batting. It's a baby quilt and I haven't seen quality batting migrate through if it's got just a bit of poly in it. Not saying it doesn't happen but I sure have not seen it. This is the coolest quilt!

Jenny K. Lyon said...

I would slap those borders on and call it a day! That's just me. One consideration is what that black batting is going to look like through the white portions. I would use regular white batting. It's a baby quilt and I haven't seen quality batting migrate through if it's got just a bit of poly in it. Not saying it doesn't happen but I sure have not seen it. This is the coolest quilt!

Jasmine said...

I am snuggling under a quilt right now that has cotton on top, Hobbs 80/20 in the middle and minky on back. It is nice and snuggly. In fact I find it even more snuggly than the same type of quilt I have put warm and white in. It was a little more puffy while quilting because the batting is softer.

I have never used a black batting because I am always more concerned with my whites being bright. I'm curious how the black batting would affect your white squares.

As this is going to be a cuddle quilt and not a wall hanging, I would square up the edges and add borders.