Hey everyone. Today you will learn why I only use 100 percent cotton in a microwave project, and why polyester batting stays out.
I wouldn't use polyester batting in a microwave project. Not in a bowl cozy. Not in a potato bag. Not in anything that goes in that microwave.
This one is safety, folks. It is not preference. It is not me being picky about batting.
Why it tempts people
I understand how it happens. You have batting scraps at home. A piece of polyester batting is right there on the shelf.
It looks soft. It looks clean. It looks just like cotton batting from across the room.
And bowl cozies are quick. You cut a few squares. You sew a few darts. You have a sweet little gift in an afternoon.
So it is easy to think, well, batting is batting. I will just use what I have.
Please do not think that here. Polyester can melt in that heat. It can catch fire. That is a very different afternoon, y'all.
Scrim can be a problem, too. Some batting has a thin scrim layer to hold it together. That layer may contain fibers that do not belong near microwave heat.
The label matters more than the look. If you cannot prove what is in it, do not microwave it.
The lesson I have watched at the shop
At the shop, we talk about this project a lot. Folks love making bowl cozies for gifts. I love that. They are useful. They are fun. They are super duper easy once you learn the fold.
But I have watched that same conversation stop cold. Someone will say, I used the batting I had left over. Then we have to ask the hard question.
Was it 100 percent cotton? Was there any scrim? Was the thread cotton? Was the fabric cotton?
Sometimes the answer is, I don't know. And if the answer is I don't know, my answer is simple. Do not put that one in the microwave.
Use it as a hot pad on the table. Hold a hot bowl with it after the bowl comes out. That is still useful. Just keep it out of the microwave itself.
I would rather tell you that at the cutting table than have you learn it at home. Slow down here, or you could have a melted mess, or worse, a fire. I am not scolding you. I am standing right beside you on this one.
We all grab the wrong scrap sometimes. I have grabbed the wrong thing before, too. The fix is to check before you sew, not after you heat.
What I do instead
Here we go. For any project that will go in a microwave, I run one simple check. Three parts. Every time.
First, the batting. Use only 100 percent cotton batting with no scrim. Read those exact words on the package. Look for batting made for microwave use. If the package does not say it clear, set it aside for a regular quilt.
Second, the fabric. Use 100 percent cotton fabric. No blends. No metallic prints. No glitter. If a pretty print has a shiny foil on it, save it for a project that stays out of the microwave.
Third, the thread. Use 100 percent cotton thread, top and bobbin. Yes, the thread counts. It is part of the project, and it goes in the heat with everything else.
So that is 100 percent, 100 percent, 100 percent. Batting, fabric, and thread. If any one part is not cotton, that project does not go in the microwave. No exceptions for me.
You do have options, folks. Make a cozy that only holds a bowl after heating. Or make a true microwave cozy with all cotton, start to finish. Both are good projects. My preference is all cotton, so I never have to guess later. But the choice of project is completely up to you.
And here is your permission beat. If you already made one with mystery batting, you did not ruin anything. Just label it in your head as table-only. Take your time. It is not a race. Check the next one slow and careful. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Don't take my word for it — watch this:
Watch Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me Bowl Cozies Were This Easy? from Make with Melissa on YouTube — she says the same thing plain and clear: to keep a cozy microwave-safe, use 100 percent cotton for the fabric, the batting, and the thread.
Shop the Pellon® Wrap-N-Zap® Microwaveable Cotton Batting 45" x 1 yard Package. at Linda's Electric Quilters.
Thank you for spending a few minutes with me today. Check that batting label twice, and sew safe. We'll see you next time. Bye.
— Corey, Chief Quilter, Linda's Electric Quilters
