IT’S ALIIIIIIIVE!!!!!!!!
I couldn’t resist. So what is frankenbatting? I heard this terminology from Julie Schloemer on Instagram and it made me laugh so hard I could never call it anything else. Frankenbatting is essentially smaller pieces of batting sewn together to make a useable piece. I have used frankenbatting in several quilts. It take some time, but if you get sick of throwing away quilt trimmings, this is the use for you! There are a few ways to make this, but here’s my favorite:
- Start by gathering your pieces of batting. I only save and therefore use the largest trimming left over from (generally) the bottom of the quilt.
- Trim down the largest edges so they are straight. This is SUPER important to make sure your frankenbatting doesn’t get wonky and bumpy later. It does not matter much if your batting pieces are the same length (or width). Just work with what you have and build it up to be big enough for your current quilt needs.
- Sew 2 pieces together using a zig zag stitch. You do not want to overlap the batting. Just butt the pieces up next to each other and sew.
- When you’re done, here’s what each seam will look like:
- Keep following this process until you have built up enough batting for project.
I have never had any issues with any quilts in which I have used frankenbatting. You cannot tell once it’s quilted, and even before, that there are any seams in the batting. It’s a great way to use up something that otherwise would be trash and save yourself a few bucks. Have you ever used one of the methods to make frankenbatting? What’s your preferred way?
