Good Morning, Quilters!
On several occasions I have written about the myth that dense quilting causes a quilt to be stiff. Over and over, I hear or read warnings that quilters should avoid heavy quilting lines on baby quilts or any quilt that should be soft. Have YOU heard that too?
I know this is not true because I quilt very densely on all of my quilts and none of them are stiff.
The quilts shown here are my twin daughter’s college quilts and as you can see, the quilting could definitely be described as “dense”. What you can’t feel is how beautifully soft they are! They are a dream to sleep under!
So why do I keep hearing that quilting causes a quilt to be stiff? Am I missing something?
It is my experience that a quilt feels a little stiff just after the quilt is complete. But that is like putting on a pair of freshly washed jeans in the morning…they are a little stiff as we pull up the zipper, but by the time we are popping the Eggos into the toaster–our jeans are as soft as butter!
I have quilts made with a variety of battings too. My bed quilts are made with wool, cotton or cotton/poly blend and none of them are stiff.
Because I continue to hear that dense quilting makes quilts stiff, I want to get to the bottom of this…
Do YOU have a quilt that is stiff?
Does it remain stiff after it is used/loved?
Do YOU avoid dense quilting for this reason?
Please share YOUR thoughts on this topic!
We’d LOVE to hear!
Happy Soft Quilting!
Lori
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
PS…If you like these motifs and tips, be sure to check out my book, Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3 .
86 comments
Mary Grass
I always thought the kind of BATTING had to do with stiffness of quilt……..is that not true?
NancyinSTL
I recently densely quilted a queen sized quilt all over in the Baptist Fan design, using Aurifil 50wt cotton thread. The quilt was made with good quality cotton batiks and Cotton & Steel fabrics, and filled with NaturFil bamboo & cotton batting. It’s heavy, but super soft and flexible. My softest and most cuddly quilts are made with this bamboo batting.
Nancy Magee
I densely quilted one using Warm N Natural. It has been washed several times and I could still stand it in a corner. I have stopped using W&N completely and use Hobbs 80/20 which I like better. But I am afraid to quilt densely anymore.
Connie Boulay
I have heard that the stitch length affects stiffness, so if I want a soft quilt, but densely quilted, I lengthen the stitch accordingly. I don’t think I have any stiff quilts, although the lightly quilted ones (which are older) are softer.
Suzanne
Even if I heavily starched before piecing, my quilts are always soft after washing, even if the quilting is dense. I like a combination of dense and “looser’ quilting – I think it gives quilts a unique character.
Melanie McNeil
Lori, I think the notion mostly depends on how we see show quilts. Show quilts tend to be very heavily, closely quilted, and they also often appear very stiff. Our own quilts are less heavily quilted and are less stiff. It’s natural we would assume cause and effect. But instead it might be because of heavy starching or other issues. I do usually find with my own quilts that ones that are more closely quilted tend to be a little less drapey. But my most recent finish is quite closely quilted and is soft and feels great, so I can’t explain the difference there. Someone in comment above suggested that a shorter stitch length might make a stiffer feel, and I agree that’s likely. I’ve also read (for longarming) that allowing a softer sandwich surface tension when quilting helps keep a quilt softer. I believe that is likely, since the layers would be allowed a little more movement when quilting and likely would not end up as flattened to each other.
Marta
I was gifted with a “comfort quilt” by my guild. ..batiks pieced and other cotton backing. It was quilted by long arm. It is the most stiff quilt I ever felt. Maybe I need to soak it instead of the 8 minute wash cycle and use the dryer. I hung it to dry. I have limits physically and changed to using white flannel in all my own sewn quilts for weight sake. The recipients love them for drapability. Is that a word? LOL
Gail in Oregon
I’m reading everyone’s posts with great interest. I made a white, scrappy, Glorified Nine Patch, king size quilt a few years ago for our bed. It’s the only quilt I have ever had professionally quilted. She used Warm and White batting. I am hugely disappointed in it because it is stiff. My husband calls it “The Cardboard Quilt”. We have used it for a few summers now and it is better. I need to wash it and see if it improves, but I have to take it to the laundermat, it’s too big for a home machine, then it will smell like soap and my husband hates that ‘Tide’ smell, it makes him sneeze. I’ll try the dryer balls and see if that helps. I have blamed the long arm quilting, and the batting, but I really just don’t know why it’s like that. I have made many smaller art/wall quilts with very dense quilting, plus fusing, and am not particular about batting, using whatever pieces I have on hand. Yes their stiff, but their supposed to be, and I want them to be stiff. I block them when their done from the back with lots of steam. I’ve never had trouble with them not laying flat. I LOVE this topic and will take all your ideas to heart.
Peggy
interesting topic. I have two quilts from 15 and 20 years ago. both scrappy pieced. the log cabin with cotton batting has fairly dense quilting but most of the quilting was done with clear (lightweight) thread (probably polyester.) it has always been soft. the 2nd quilt a split ninepatch i sent to a new longarm quilter. the thread used is heavier and I am not sure of the batting as she supplied it. that quilt was stiff but now drapes. however the 2nd quilt is much heavier so there is some stiffness in that. I am wondering if when people complain of stiffness after use and washing if it is just heavier more dense batting and thread? I’d bet the 2nd quilt while only a little bigger weighs twice as much as the first.
Marylee Robertson
I bought a manufactured quilt that was very heavily quilted. It could practically stand up on its own! I figured I could just wash it and it would be fine. No! I’ve washed it many times and it simply is not soft and I don’t think it ever will be. It’s very pretty to look at, but not to use.
farmquilter
I would love to be able to get a stiff quilt for wall hangings!! I did one wall hanging that had a single seam and all the rest of the pieces were put on with solid pieces of fusible and I quilted the dickens out of the wolf part of the quilt…it is just a little stiffer then a normal quilt and that is probably because of the fusible! I have been told many times that dense quilting will make for a stiff quilt…never believed it, unless maybe you are talking about thread painting a huge portion of the quilt! Guess I’ll need to try a whole-cloth quilt that I paint a pretty picture all over it with thread to make sure!
Jean Bellefeuille
There are a couple of small doll quilts where I used a double layer of flannel instead of 80/20 batting. They seem quite stiff compared to my normal batting. The flannel was well washed ( I used the edge sections of an old flannel bed sheet that was worn out in the middle) so washing to soften doesn’t seem to apply in this case.
Jenny Crossland
Hi I have started a quilt, heavily quilted it and stopped BUT after reading you comment about loved and used will keep going and see if it loosens up with love. Thank you
Dottie
Lori, so glad for this subject. Thank you.
Karol
Batiks are my favorite fabric and I don’t find them stiff. My favorite one right now has poly fleece on the back. The fleece is more likes short fur, and it’s soft and cuddly. I love it.
JCinTX
Does tension adjustment make a difference in softness before (or after) washing a densely quilted quilt?
WordPress.com Support
I think not–as long as your stitch is balanced.
Pat in WNY
While I don’t quilt bed quilts with a lot of density, my quilt lines are generally not super far apart either. I aim for 1″ or so between machine quilted motifs, to help maintain loft which has a lot to do with the warmth of the quilt. My handquilted bed quilts do tend to feel softer and more pliable, and I think it is because there is only half as much thread in any one spot as there is with machine quilting. Everyone’s experience is different, and working with different machines will produce a different result. My domestic machine quilted items look much softer even before washing than most longarm machine quilted quilts that I have seen.
sheilaoxley
Interesting…I’m seeing a pattern. Domestic machines you tend to handle and mush the quilt up to get it under the needle. Hand quilting also is handled a lot whereas longarm machines are stretched and not really handled too much. Maybe it’s the amount we handle them?
I have one quilt that is densely quilted, but it has a different batting than all my others (not sure what it is) and it’s stiff. I haven’t washed it, but did use it this past weekend as a cushion at a tournament and by the end of the day it seemed softer. I think I’ll throw it in the wash and dry it and see how it feels.
Lori Kennedy
Perhaps you are on to something…long arm v. domestic…I can’t wait to hear what happens after you wash and dry it. Please let us know!
Emma Odegaard
Great topic, as I love to quilt mine densely, and I never wash them prior to giving them away. I’ve quilted large and small quilts using washable wool batting and they have been soft even without washing. However, when I densely Quilt an appliqué piece, it does feel stiff, even if I use wool batting. So my conclusion is that it’s the fusible that makes it stiff, not the dense quilting. It also tells me I should explore a different fusible!
D. Joy Summers
Glad to read this as I have never done dense quilting for this reason. Now I will be free to try more expressive quilting. thanks
HeartlandHoney
My quilts are always stiff after I’ve finished them because I starch all my fabric before cutting and piecing, sometimes starching the pieced blocks again.
I always wash my quilts with Orvus Detergent prior to using them and damp dry them before hanging them to dry the rest of the way.
Washing removes the sizing and starch. I’ve never had problems with any of my quilts being stiff after washing and drying, whether they are made with batiks or heavily quilted.
capepetrel
I have several hand-quilted quilts, and they are much softer than my machine quilted ones. Even after washing the machine quilted ones just have more dense stitches and remain a little bit stiffer. They are still nice to use.
Vicky M
This makes me wonder if machine quilting with a longer stich length than usual would make a difference.
Lori Kennedy
Is it possible that the hand quilted quilts received more “love” in the form of handling and natural oils on your hands, etc and that is really why the quilt is softer? I’m not sure…just a thought.
Doreen j hedtke
Throw a couple of tennis balls in the dryer with the quilt after washing. Softens them up nicely!
Lori Kennedy
I love this trick!
Patti
I made a queen size scrappy “spider web’ quilt. It is NOT densely quilted and yet it was very stiff. It has softened up quite nicely!
NancyinSTL
Me too! Mine is twin sized, all 100% cotton quilting fabrics, Warm & Natural cotton batting and not densely quilted at all. It’s only been washed once, but is stiffer than any of my other quilts. Since I’ve used the same batting in other quilts that aren’t stiff, I think the difference might be in the fabrics. Most of the fabrics were Hancock’s.
Lori Kennedy
Very interesting…..What batting did you use? What thread? What fabric? Or why do YOU think it is stiff?
Jane J
So glad you addressed this issue. I have started quilting “bigger” patterns because my quilts were stiff. But if I think about it, I always starch my material before sewing so that I am not sewing wonky. (and cause I hate wrinkles! lol) But I am excited to hear that myth bunked! I give them away starched and tell my new momma’s that they need to wash with their detergent. That way the quilt looks amazing when given and I am not responsible for wrinkles. But the one I made my husband is soft and has been washed several times. Just never thought about it! But I love to quilt, and quilt densely. I think I will go back to my first love of lots of quilting!! Thanks!! Sure enjoy your posts!! Thanks for sharing!!
Lori Kennedy
Hurray!!! Another thought—how bout all that starch we use! Do you think that might have something to do with how stiff they are! Enjoy your densely quilted quilts!!!!!
Lori
I have one that my grown-up son calls the Soda Cracker Quilt because it was like sleeping under a cracker when it was new. It’s been washed and dried several times now and it isn’t stiff anymore.
Lori Kennedy
LOLOL! What a great name for it–The Soda Cracker Quilt!! Was it densely quilted?
Lori
Very densely quilted. I went completely compulsive when I was quilting it.
L84quilting
Good morning, WOW! I read all the above comments and just last night, I took a quilt off of my long arm that was medium density of quilting and it was stiff, compared to when I was pinning all three layers! What seems to be forgotten, is that there are THREE layers with a bunch of thread, and like Batiks, they are stiff at first, but like you said, when they are washed and used, they DO loosen up, and so does Batik fabric. I remember the first quilt I saw, before I started quilting, in which the quilter washed it for me before I bought it, because she didn’t want me upset that it was stiff. And by golly, it did soften up, and since it was a baby quilt, I was very happy. I also agree, a dryer helps tremendously, as well as a fabric softener sheet, and since the quilt is being used and loved, one should not be afraid to wash and dry all the chemicals out and that fresh smell in!!! THANK YOU for your open conversations! I love reading them!❤️
Lori Kennedy
Very interesting!! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Kathy Delaney
I have, indeed, had a quilt so heavily quilted that, at first, it could stand alone in a corner. I thought it might have had something to do with the batting, a black dream poly. But, as you say, with a little use, it no longer has “legs.” Sometimes, I think, we quilters forget quilts are living, breathing entities. Like us all, we soften with age and use. A quilt, hanging on the wall, will always be stiffer than one that bends and movers around a person. You make a great point, Lori!
Lori Kennedy
Very funny image of your quilt standing in a corner (like a bad boy?) Thank you for helping to debunk this myth!
Kari
Well said!
Mormor Sewing Studio
More often than not, the type of batting used has been the difference in my experience. All my wool batt quilts are not stiff and I always quilt rather densely. I have one quilt that is an exception and I quilted it with a show in mind. It has 2 layers of batting, 80/20 Hobbs on the bottom for stability and 100%wool from Quilter’s Dream on top. That one is not overly stiff but does have less drape.
Lori Kennedy
Thank you for sharing your experience. Was the quilt ever washed? Does it get used? Or is it just a show quilt?
Sue singer
I have a quilt which is like a board. It is machine appliqué with the fusible windowed. I washed it a number of times when I got it back from l Ngarmer. In this case, I think it is a stiff backing that the store provided. Love the quilt, but not soft at all. Cotton thread was usd
Lori Kennedy
So the question is…did the quilting make it stiff or would it have been stiff whether it was quilted densely or not? What do you think?
Monica Hendewerk
Lori, what batting did you use in your twin daighters’ quilt?
Lori Kennedy
It was wool and it has been washed and dried many many times in dormitory machines. It is as soft as butter and makes you want to take a nap!
Sandy Bell
I have one “stiff” quilt. It is a beginner free-motion sampler started a couple of years ago and finished last month. I think it is stiff because of the type of thread used (I didn’t know better) and the starch still in it. Have to wash and dry before final judgment.
Karen
I have two art quilts that are very heavily quilted and are quite stiff indeed. They also do not hand flat (rather wavy). I think it is because of the density of the quilting. I’m working on a pet portrait with thread painting and quilting and it’s interesting that this quilt is not as stiff (but certainly not soft) as the other two quilts I referenced. So, I would suggest not to do heavy quilting on a quilt that needs to be soft.
Monica Hendewerk
A suggestion. Baste a temporary sleeve hanging off the bottom of your quilt. But a steel rod used in Roman shades such as CaliconCornrts sells or use heavy rebar. Put it in the bottom sleeve and hang it for a few months. I do this for all my show quilts.
DELLA LAUERSEN
I have done some quilting for a friend. She brings me the sandwiched quilt. It became very stiff with quilting but I think it was the excessive spray basting she used.. Perhaps that is why they are softer after washing.
Brenda Perry
Great topic!! I quilt 4 – 6 cuddle quilts per month for my guild’s community service program. I have been asked to not quilt so densely because they want the quilts to be cuddly and yes, when I do quilt more densely, they do feel stiffer, but they are not washed prior to gifting. Another stiff quilt story: I made (for my own bed) a large queen size quilt with a white background. I used warm and white batting and quilted very dense feathers throughout the center. It is quite stiff – but it hung nicely in my guild’s quilt show. I will try washing it to see how/if it softens – I thought it was the batting and swore next time (if I ever make that size again!) I will use wool – I love the loft and hear that it stays soft no matter how densely it is quilted.
mblittle5
I made a baby quilt using that fusible 2″ gridded interfacing that you fuse your squares on and then stitch. It was really stiff when I finished the quilt and I was super concerned because it was for my new granddaughter. But after I washed it, it was soft as butter and I am planning on using it again.
Kerry
I don’t think any of mine are densely quilted although some parts of one have a few areas – which don’t really make a difference. I’ve not had the nerve to try yet – but I love the look of the really puffed up areas that are surrounded by busier quilting. The more quilting I do, it seems that the quilt gets heavier to move under the machine though.
Bette
Lori, funny that you mentioned this today, because there was just a post on the Craftsy blog very recently about how dense quilting makes for a stiff quilt. I actually thought to myself, this writer has never read The Inbox Jaunt, because she’d have known from your posts that it’s just not the case.
Linda B
I saw that too and wondered what Lori would say!
boe77Brit
This has been a challenge for me. I am drawn to dense quilting, but the quilts feel a little stiff. Washing helped. I tried different types of batting and 50/50 bamboo/cotton helped soften the quilt. I have made two quilts using the quilt as you go method with sashing. I think the sashing also stiffened the quilting. I have also used wool batting and liked that.
Looking forward to learn how to achieve the best of both; dense quilting and softness.
Linda B
I too am wondering about the effect of batting. Have recently bought a couple different kinds to do an experiment but have not yet done. Wonderful topic Lori…thanks for investigating!
Cheri
Yes, I have had a quilt or two that has been stiff, and I really never determined why they ended up being stiff, except that I quilted them densely. I thought perhaps it was the fabric itself. One of the quilts did soften up, but the other hasn’t but then my daughter hasn’t laundered it yet!
Carol Gillen
My daughter prefers less dense quilting because she likes a quilt that is “puffier”. I like very dense quilting – and it’s not that it’s stiffer, but it is definitely flatter.
Sheila Hryclik
I used to be concerned with that but after washing they are gorgeous and more loosely quilted ones look more puckered. Also I love your photo of how to style a throw quilt on a bed. Do you mind if I borrow it to do a post about that on my own page @muchlovequilts?? Of course I would give credit to you!
Lori Kennedy
Please do!
Janice
I have only one “stiff” quilt, and that is because it is made from batiks. It is a “3 yd quilt” that I picked up at a quilt show. Because of the small yardage, there are larger blocks of fabrics in the pattern as opposed to blocks that take more piecing. It is very pretty, but when you use it, it is not soft like a throw should be.
Lynn
I made a queen quilt for our bed out of batiks. I used wool batting. After washing and partially drying in the dryer it is very soft. I did not do the quilting because if the size, so it has an all over pattern and is not densely quilted.
Lori Kennedy
You think the batiks make it less soft? They are very tightly woven fabric–so I can imagine they would be less soft–and they don’t allow as much air flow.
I am going to make a few batik samples… I want to create a STIFF quilt as an experiment.
Ben
I made a shirt from a batik fabric. After a number of washings, it is wonderfully soft.
Kari
I use batiks a lot and haven’t really found them to be any stiffer than other fabrics. I mix batiks freely with other fabrics in my quilts. Batiks do feel different, but not stiff, to me. Just my opinion.
Lori Kennedy
I think you are right. Batiks are not really stiff. Thank you!
Lynn
A couple years ago I made a batik quilt with raw edge appliqué. It was very heavily quilted and very stiff, but after washings and loving by my small granddaughter it is very soft.
Lori Kennedy
Thanks Lynn for your experience!
Pam
I made a quilt years ago as a wall hanging with only stitch-in-the-ditch stitching. It never hung right and I was about to give it away. But then I started free motion quilting and added ” filler” quilting to it. Now it hangs beautifully. Stiffer? Yes. There are more threads supporting the fabric sandwich. But it’s meant to be hung, so that’s a good thing.
audreygatey
I’ve recently learned about “blocking” a quilt, especially wallhangings. Had you blocked your wallhanging before it was hung?
Terry
Different question: What do you use when you wash your quilts? Special detergent, baby detergent like Dreft?
Suzanne G.
Because I starch (or use “Best Press” mostly) prior to cutting, plus I spray baste, I always wash my quilts before giving or using. My washer is a front loader – I wonder if that makes a difference? I use Purel Clear – no fragrance/no color and I add a little bit of clear ammonia. Not much, just maybe a quarter cup because it seems to add softness. Lastly, I use a very tiny bit of store brand fabric softener, just to give it a nice fresh smell. I dry them on low and remove them while still a little bit damp. Overdrying anything drives me nuts – clothes, linens, etc. never seem to be the same when overdried.
Lori Kennedy
That is a great question! I will do it next week as an Open Line Friday question!
Pat
How timely! I am working on a densely quilted throw quilt with two layers of batting. It does feel stiff, even though I have soaked it in the tub to remove markings. Since I am sending it to a non- quilter, I am afraid she won’t like using it. I was hoping that if I washed it in a machine, it might soften up.
Lori Kennedy
I would love to hear what others say…but I would throw it in the wash to help it get softer quickly and tell her that it will loosen up as soon as it is used. I suspect that our natural body oils help the process as well.
Chris Reeske
Same here, I add dryer balls to my quilts and that really softens them up and keeps them a bit fluffy.
Kathy
I think putting the quilt in the dryer helps to soften also. I dry mine on a warm setting – not hot – and to almost dry. My densely quilted quilts are soft!
Kari
I like to do dense machine quilting too and haven’t had a problem with any of my quilts being stiff. I think your comparison to jeans when you first put them on is great! Sometimes my quilts do feel a little stiff prior to being washed for the first time, which is one of the reasons that I always throw them in the washer right away after I finish the binding and before I use them. 🙂 Fun topic, Lori, and I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say about it.
Kari
I always wash mine after finished. They will soften up over time. Fun to see another “Kari” on here 🙂
Kari
Are you a Carrie or Car-ee? I’m a Car-ee?
Kari
I’m a Carrie! But Car-ee is pretty cool too.
Kari
Agreed! 🙂
quiltalong
I have 2 wall quilts that were “overquilted”. I suspect that the joined areas may have been off grain (mariners compass) and it forced the joined area to erupt.I have not washed them.
Andi O
I have found that my quilts that seem stiff because of closer stitching do soften up as they are used, and especially as they are washed. (I do wash my bed and throw quilts frequently.) For matchstick quilting areas, they do remain a bit stiff, but most bed or throw quilts will not be using matchstick or art quilting methods.
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