Kids Quilts

There is a variety of styles, quality, and construction for kids quilts. The purpose of this guide is to help you understand the quality and construction of the many kinds of quilts available especially for kids and teens. This should help you determine the quality versus the price based on the quilt description.

The Anatomy of a Quilt

Quilts consist of 1 layer of backing fabric, 1 layer of fill, and a face cloth or top layer of fabric(s) either one solid piece, or a patchwork of different pieces and/or textures of fabrics. More intricate and expensive quilts have layered detail, and may or may not have 3-dimensional appliqués and ribbon or other embellishments. The backing of less expensive quilts is usually white, off white, or other solid color cotton. Muslin is also used as a quilt backing. More expensive quilts will have higher thread count cotton fabrics in either a coordinating solid or print. The backing may also be flannel or fleece.

The face cloth on the least expensive quilts usually consists of large piece(s) of poly/cotton blend fabric. The picture or design is printed on the fabric, and the picture is outlined or contour stitched.

The price goes up as designs are applied or layered on top and embroidered.

The warmth or middle layer of the quilt is the batting or fill. Quilt fill or batting can be Wool, 100% natural cotton, 100% bleached processed cotton, Cotton/Poly Blend 80/20, or 100% hypo-allergenic polyester batting.

There are many sub categories within the major types of batting that affect quilt quality as well. In general the polyester stuff is usually easier to use and the most commonly found in kids quilts. The only drawback is more tendency for the batting to beard or show up through the stitching in little tufts. Most polyester batting will return to its original shape because it is extremely resilient. However, in polyester batting the fibers tend to migrate more causing a lumpy quilt effect after some use. Bonded polyester batting has a light resin coating or glaze applied to both sides of the batting. This coating adds strength and locks the fibers to help prevent fiber migration so less lumpy after a longer period of use.

Cotton batting is harder to use and has to be stitched closer together so it doesn’t bunch up. This increases the price of a quilt. Cotton is superior to polyester because it has the capacity for absorbing moisture so it creating a cooling effect in the summer and adds natural warmth in winter.Unbleached cotton batting is a natural choice but the cottonseed oils can cause stains in the quilt. If you see little yellowish stains on a brand new quilt that has cotton batting, that may be seed oil stains.

Cotton/Polyester blends are the happy medium, adding the smoothing ease of use of polyester with 80% cotton. The batting is prewashed for shrinkage so little bunching up. A quilt with a cotton/poly blend is a good choice!

Wool is the most expensive. Wool is naturally very lightweight, breathes well, and is warm! It is more often used in hand quilting and not found very often if at all in commercially available quilts.

That is probably way more information about batting than you ever wanted to know, but at least you will know what you are paying for in a quilt.

Appliques, Embellishments, and Embroidery

All quilts are usually machine stitched together along the edges, adhering the backing to the layer of fill and to the face cloth. However, the design and construction of the face cloth varies from hand-pieced patchwork, hand embroidery detail, appliqués, or machine stitched detail.

The price of a quilt will go up if it has appliqués and embroidery. Appliques can be flat layers of fabric, like a flower sewn on top of a calico square, with felt leaves. Appliques can also have batting underneath, adding more depth and dimension to the design. For example, a plush puppy can appear to “pop” out of the quilt when it can been layered on top with a thin layer of batting and fur fabric.

Most appliqué designs on quilts are machine embroidered all around the edge, like this star on a baby quilt pillow.

Luxury Quilt this quilt consist of luxurious fabrics and textures, tight stitching and high content of quilting:

This next example is an heirloom quality quilt, with cotton fill, cotton backing and face cloth. Rich detail, soft fabrics, and 3-dimensional appliqués and ribbon detail:

Giddy-up Horses Ponies Quilt by Pem America

Hand embroidery and embellishments like ric-rac and ribbons on the quilt will also add value and increase the price. This quilt has hand embroidery around the flower and ric-rac around some of the patchwork squares.

Olivia Quilt

The Quality of Quilting

The quilting also varies greatly. The quilting is the sewing pattern stitching that flattens the fabric, adheres the layers together, and add strength and durability to the quilt. The quality and price of a quilt is affected by the type of thread used, stitching spacing, and technique used.

Machine quilted quilts will have even smooth stitching criss-crossing in a diamond or not-crossed wave pattern throughout the quilt. This is also referred to as Stippling. Stippling is a continuous, tight stitch, but in non straight line used to fill in an area of a quilt. The stippled line never makes a sharp turn or crosses over itself. There will still be some loose thread tails. The top will however be more neatly pressed and even.

Stippling

Hand-quilting or machine quilting can also be cross-over in a diamond or square pattern. The more quilting, the higher quality quilt, and the higher the price. See the hand stitched, close together stitched in a square pattern in this quilt:

Engine Number 9 by That's Mine ( Pem America)

In many block pattern quilts, another top stitch technique is Ditch stitching. The sewing line is right next to each seam in a pieced block in or near the “ditch” formed by the two pieced pieces of fabric.

Ditch Stitching - All Sports Quilt

A hand-pierced or hand quilt will have never have perfect even stitches. The thread will be hand-tied or fastened in many places, and there will be a certain percentage of threads and thread “tails” that are not perfectly trimmed. In the above example, notice the hand-piercing around the star (All Sports quilt with poly fill. also available in a more quilted style with cotton fill).

Caring for your Quilt

Better quilts will almost always be pre-washed. Pre-washed quilts have much less shrinkage. This prevents fabrics pieces from coming apart at the seems. Muslin has more shrinkage than most modern cottons and has to be prewashed. A few times some of my customers have contacted me after purchasing a quilt because they are surprised their “brand new” quilt appears to have been washed. Expect a higher quality quilt to have been pre-washed.

Machine washing a quilt may result in the backing shrinking more than the face cloth leading to a bunching up in areas of your quilt. A quilt that has many hand-stitched pieces may have more charm and style, but will require more delicate case. There is more probability a multi-patchwork quilt won’t last well through the wash. You should dry clean or wash in cold/gentle cycle and line-dry almost all types of quilts.Unlike comforters that consist of one large piece of thicker fabric and are completely machine sewn, quilts are pieced together and are by nature more delicate!

Summary

Quilts are a lighter all year round alternative to heavy comforters, especially for children. In colder seasons, pair with a warm blanket. In warmer climates or warmer seasons, use alone with a cotton flat sheet. The biggest bonus for children’s rooms is quilts stay on the bed much better than comforters!Quilts are also great for decorating any room in the house! They may tell a story in their designs. Quilts are colorful, intricate, and pleasing to all senses!

In decorating a child’s room, you want quality, durability, but also price. Read the description carefully. Check the face cloth fabric, fill type and examine the design. If the description says appliqués or other detail, expect a higher price. If the quilt is machine made, expect more durable, but less charm ( think more comforter like than quilt). If the washing instructions say machine wash, then err on the safe side and only use cold gentle cycle and line-dry.

Your princess will quickly outgrow the pink and purple princess quilt and want the zebra black and white velvet chic bedspread in a couple of years! Have fun decorating your child's or your room!