Hey everyone! Today you're going to learn why one batting does the heavy lifting in QISS — and why swapping it out changes the whole method. Here we go.
Why is double-sided fusible batting the heart of QISS?
Short answer first: it holds your block together while you quilt it. No pins holding the layers. No spray baste. No shifting halfway through a design.
QISS — Quilting Is Sew Simple — is the quilt-as-you-go system Pauline Rogers created at Pauline's Quilters World. You quilt one block at a time on your home machine. Then you join the finished blocks. For that to work, each block has to behave like one steady piece, not three loose layers sliding around.
That is the batting's job. Pauline's class requirements are plain about it: Hobbs double-sided fusible batting is essential to the method, and using another batting may give you a different outcome.
What makes this batting different?
Regular batting sits between your top and backing. It does not stick to either one. You have to pin it, spray it, or stitch it in place before you can trust it.
The Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Fusible Batting Package has a water-soluble fusing medium applied to both sides. Both sides. Top side and bottom side.
So you build your sandwich in this order: backing wrong side up, batting in the middle, top right side up. Then you press with a hot, dry iron, slow and steady. The top and backing adhere in that one pressing. Just like that.
Once the finished quilt is washed, that fusing medium washes out. The batting goes soft and supple again, like the regular Hobbs Heirloom Premium 80/20 it is made from.
What is inside it?
Here are the numbers, because numbers matter. This is an 80/20 blend: 80% cotton, 20% poly. It is lightly bonded and needle-punched for strength and durability. The loft is about 1/8 inch-plus — low and flat, not puffy.
That low loft is a feature here, y'all. A flat block feeds evenly under your foot. It follows a template design cleanly. It joins to the next block without a bulky ridge at the seam.
Plan your quilting lines 4 inches apart or closer. That is the stated stitch distance for this batting. Expect 3 to 5% shrinkage if the finished project is laundered, and know it is machine-washable once it is inside a project.
How does it change the quilting itself?
In Controlled Quilting, your feed dogs stay up. Your machine feeds the block. The template guides the design. We covered that idea in Controlled Quilting Explained: Real Designs With the Feed Dogs Up.
None of that control holds if the layers creep. A feather that starts on the top layer needs to end in the same place on the backing. Fusing is what keeps those layers honest while the feed dogs do their work.
I learned this the simple way. Press the sandwich well, and the block travels as one. Rush the pressing, and the block will tell on you. Slow down at the iron. That minute makes the next twenty minutes easy.
What goes wrong when quilters substitute?
- One-sided fusible only: one layer holds, the other is free to shift. You fixed half the problem.
- Non-fusible batting plus pins: pins have to come out as you sew, and the layers can move between them — right in the middle of a design.
- High-loft batting: a puffy block fights the foot, distorts the design, and adds bulk where blocks join.
- A quick, light press: the fuse never fully takes. Use a hot, dry iron, move it slow and steady, and keep the finished block flat while it cools.
If a layer lets go mid-block, stop and re-press it. No shame in that. We have all re-pressed a corner. It doesn't have to be perfect, and you're your own worst critic here. Take your time. It's not a race.
Is there an option for bigger projects?
Yes. The package suits blocks and smaller projects beautifully. If you are cutting batting for a lot of blocks, the same Hobbs 80/20 fusible is also available by the roll at Linda's. Completely up to you which way you stock up.
New to the system itself? Start with What Is QISS? Quilt As You Go, One Block at a Time. In the next foundations post, we'll build that block sandwich step by step.
Thanks for learning along with us, folks. If I can do this, y'all can do it. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Fusible Batting Package at Linda's Electric Quilters.
Browse the whole line in our QISS — Quilting Is Sew Simple collection at Linda's Electric Quilters.
