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I don’t know about you, but utilizing scraps of any kind is such a satisfying aspect of the quilting process. One of my favorite things is joining scraps of batting together to use for another project. There are a couple of different ways to do this, but I’m going to walk you through my favorite way in this blog post: using a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine. (Using a zig zag stitch to join batting scraps is sometimes referred to as “Frankenbatting” since the zig zag stitch resembles the scar on Frankenstein’s monster.) I sew my smaller scraps of batting together to use in baby quilts, wall hangings, table runners, and other small projects. It’s very effective AND extremely easy. Ok—let’s get started!
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What you’ll need:
Batting scraps (make sure you’re joining two pieces of batting of the same brand/type.)
Long ruler (I use this one)
Rotary Cutter (my favorite go-to is this one)
Cutting Mat
Sewing machine with a zig zag stitch function
Thread
First, you’ll want to remove any jagged edges from your batting. Starting with a nice, clean edge is crucial to getting a good end result. Place your batting on your cutting mat and carefully cut the uneven edge with your ruler and rotary cutter (see photo below.)
Repeat this step for your second piece of batting you will be working with. When you’re done, your edges should look similar to the photo below:
Now you’re ready to stitch them together! You might have to play around with your particular machine’s zig zag stitch settings, but the following photo shows the default zig zag stitch settings on my Janome and it works well. The stitch width is 5.0 and the length is 1.5. You just want to make sure that it is a wide enough stitch to catch both pieces of batting when sewing.
To join your scraps together, you will be sewing them next to each other rather than one piece on top of the other like we normally sew. Place your scraps side by side so that the clean straight edges are flush next to each other, making sure the pieces are NOT overlapping at all. Sew your zig zag stitch all the way down, making sure the stitch length is wide enough to catch both pieces as it sews. The photo below shows how I place mine before I start sewing.
When you’re finished, your “Frankenbatting” should look similar to the photo below. (Normally I use a white or cream thread that matches my batting, but I used grey for this tutorial so show the stitches more clearly.) Since I’ve gotten a few questions about this, I usually only use Quilter’s Dream batting or Warm and Natural.
I hope this is helpful for those of you wanting to try this method. I have also recorded myself doing this process and it is saved to my story highlights on my Instagram page. Please let me know if you have any questions! This method is quick, easy, and has been very effective for me. I’m a fan!
Until next time,
Rach