Wadding Fabric

The ideal wadding weight depends on your project’s required warmth, drape, and plushness:

• 2oz Wadding: Lightweight and low-loft; ideal for summer quilts, wall hangings, delicate table runners, and clothing linings.

• 4oz Wadding: Medium-weight and versatile; the standard choice for everyday bed quilts, cushions, and padded craft items.

• 8oz Wadding: Heavyweight and high-loft; perfect for thick winter quilts, padded outerwear, bumper pads, and pet bedding.

There is no functional difference between wadding and batting—they are two names for the same cushioning material. “Wadding” is the standard British UK term, whereas “batting” is predominantly used in American English. Both terms refer to the soft insulating layer placed between the top fabric and backing fabric in quilting and dressmaking.

No, 100% synthetic polyester wadding does not need to be pre-washed because synthetic fibres do not shrink when exposed to water or steam. While natural cotton or bamboo waddings can shrink slightly (around 3%–5%), polyester wadding maintains its exact dimensions, loft, and structural integrity straight from the bolt.

To hold wadding securely in place and prevent bunching or shifting while quilting, use one of three basting techniques:

• Pin Basting: Insert curved safety pins or long quilting pins every 4 inches across the quilt sandwich layers.

• Spray Basting: Apply a temporary repositionable fabric adhesive spray evenly across the wadding surface.

• Tack Basting: Stitch long, loose running stitches by hand from the centre outward to secure all three layers temporarily.