Using that leftover batting!
I am in the middle of all this trimming and finishing up a bunch of quilts.
How can I use up this batting?
How do you use up leftover batting - especially polyester, which is what I have mostly?
Here are some ideas.
First of all the easy two - throw it away (! GASP!) or Give it away (!) No gasp.
I really hate to throw away perfectly good stuff - if someone else can get more use out of it. Most of us quilters are like that. After all, we use small pieces of fabric. If you are the kind of person who can’t stand using small pieces or need to get that area cleaned up and the stuff out of here - then I get it. Go ahead and move it on out. It’s fine with me. No judging here.
But how can we use this stuff in a good way - using it ALL. We like that. I hate to throw away perfectly good food or fabric. Or batting.
So…here goes.
Make a puff quilt. I’ve done that. I probably won’t do it again, but it is impressive, if difficult. Probably baby sizes are much more do-able than the queen size I made.
Make a rag quilt. I might do this one again. These were my first quilts that I made once I decided to try quilting. While I got tired of doing so many at once (I collected flannel from local second hand sources for one year and then cut them all up and made 7 rag quilts - color coordinated). I got tired of them, but if I had a good source of flannel, I’m game to make another one again - especially since I got good scissors.
Add as texture to fidget mats.
Use in trapunto projects. While I’ve not done this - I know that you need to slit the fabric underneath and stick in batting.
Make sandwiched pieces for sample stitching on your machine before starting to FMQ. I find myself needing these each time I go to quilt.
Use in quilt as you go (QAYG) blocks - - any style blocks including regular pieced blocks or string blocks.
Take all the small pieces and place them in a pillowcase and sew shut for the dog or cat shelters. Animals love to bury in it.
Make stuffed animals or other small crafts with them such as mug rugs or pin cushions.
Give them to a teacher who can use them with her children for pictures - the white batting can be clouds, for example. You could make a collection of good usable items from your leftovers and give it all as a ‘craft supplies kit’ to the teacher - she would probably love it.
If they aren’t too small, you can use them in a quilt. Sew them together to make a small piece and use them in a doll quilt. If a bit bigger, might work as a baby quilt or even a lap quilt. Sewing (zigzagging) together works better for cotton batting. If I am using misc. pieces in a quilt I’m going to heavily quilt, I just place the pieces next to each other, butting up the edges and spray and pin baste. Then I quilt - completely skipping the ‘sewing together’ part. Once washed the poly batting begins to meld together at the edges. Once heavily quilted, it’s not moving. Promise.
So there you go..some real ideas on how to use up poly batting scraps.
And so what am I doing with mine? Good question. Since I constantly produce more - I’m going to ask on our local freecycle group if anyone wants a bag (or two) and see about giving it away.
Have a great day wherever you are reading this! Thanks for coming along with me on my quilting/sewing journey!
Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store here!
Here’s one of the beauties we have!
