Hey everyone. Today you'll learn about the invisible net hiding inside some battings — and why it changes how you quilt.
Here we go.
Pick up a piece of batting. Hold it up to the light.
On some battings, you will see it. A faint grid. A thin, papery web. Almost like cheesecloth trapped inside the fluff.
That is scrim.
Most folks have quilted with it for years. They just never knew it had a name.
I didn't either, at first. I just knew some battings felt sturdy. And some felt soft and drapey. Oh my goodness, the difference makes sense once you see that net.
Why it happens
Scrim is a thin stabilizer layer. Makers needle-punch the fibers right through it.
Think of it like this. The fibers are the soft part. The scrim is the skeleton.
That skeleton does real work, y'all.
It adds strength. It helps the batting resist stretching when you pull it across a frame. It helps it hold together in the wash.
It also changes your quilting distance. The package will give you a maximum distance, and battings with scrim can often allow wider spacing between quilting lines. Always read your package. That number is your guide, not a guess.
Here's the trade-off. That same net can fight a hand-quilting needle.
Machine quilting? The machine pushes right through. Hand quilting? You feel every bit of that layer. Your needle has to punch through fiber and net, stitch after stitch.
It can also change the drape. A batting with scrim tends to feel a little firmer. A batting without it tends to fall softer and looser.
Neither one is wrong. They're just built for different jobs.
What to do about it
First, learn to spot it in the store.
Hold the batting up to the light. Look for that faint, even grid showing through. Feel both sides. One side often feels a tiny bit smoother, like the net is closer to the surface.
Give it a gentle tug. Not a hard pull. Just a little stretch in both directions. A batting with scrim usually resists. It doesn't stretch out of shape as easily.
Check the label too. It will often say "with scrim" right in the name. If it doesn't say, the light test will tell you a lot.
Second, match it to your quilting plan.
Quilting on a machine or a longarm? Planning wider spacing, like a simple meander or echo across a big quilt? Scrim can be your friend. It helps that batting stay stable while you work.
Hand quilting with a rocking stitch? Look for a batting with no scrim. Low loft helps too. Your hands will thank you by evening, I promise.
Here's what I use and why. For everyday machine-quilted quilts here in McKinney, I reach for a cotton batting with scrim when I want extra stability. It loads well. It travels well. It quilts clean. For a hand-quilted project, I choose a softer batting without that net. Completely up to you.
Third, do a test sandwich. Ten inches square is plenty.
Quilt it the way you plan to quilt. Try your needle. Try your spacing. Wash it if the quilt will be washed.
You will feel the difference in five minutes. That's the test that tells the truth.
And listen. It doesn't have to be perfect. You're your own worst critic. Take your time. It's not a race.
When it matters most
This matters most for hand quilters. If the needle fights you on stitch one, it will fight you on stitch one thousand. Choose before you baste.
It matters for big quilts too. A large quilt pulls and shifts as you move it. That extra stability from scrim helps keep everything where you put it.
It matters for quilts that will be washed a lot. Kids' quilts. Charity quilts. Everyday throws that live on the couch. Strength inside the sandwich helps the whole quilt last.
It matters less for small wall hangings. Or for a soft, drapey throw where you want every bit of softness. In those cases, no scrim might be exactly right.
So next time you shop, hold that batting up to the light. Look for the net. Decide on purpose.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. We're not reinventing the wheel here. We're just seeing the layer that was there all along.
Thanks so much for learning along with me, folks. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop Pellon® Natural Cotton Batting With Scrim 90" x 108" Queen Size Package. at Linda's Electric Quilters.
