Scrim is an important part of quilt making. Aspired quilters may have heard the word “scrim” and thought it was a new type of fabric, but don’t be mistaken.
Scrim is a type of lightweight polyester binder that is added to the batting to make it more stable. It prevents the batting from stretching out of shape.
If you’re unsure about how to use scrim-backed batting to your advantage in a quilting project, this article will tell you all that you need to know about scrim, including what it is and how to use it the right way in your next quilting project.
What is scrim? Scrim is a mesh stabilizer that’s used to add strength and stability to batting. It prevents the fabric from stretching and distorting, especially when you are rolling the quilt. Rather than being a woven material, the scrim is actually needle-punched to the batting itself.
This means that thousands of tiny needles are punched into the fibers to fuse the fibers together (similar to felting). This process produces stronger and denser material that adds substantial structure to the batting.
Scrim is more often seen in lightweight battings such as cotton or polyester to add weight to it. It’s less often seen in wool or silk batting, just because the materials themselves already have a lot of structure, volume, and density.
Batting With Scrim Vs. Without Scrim
The main difference between batting with or without scrim is in the style of quilting.
Batting with scrim is preferred for machine quilting because it makes the batting easier to pull, tug, or maneuver without losing any of its structural integrity. Without scrim, you will need to take extra care to make sure you’re not pulling the batting apart and creating big gaps when you feed the quilt through the sewing machine.
However, if hand quilting is your method of choice, you may be disappointed to learn that it’s usually not possible to hand quilt with scrim-backed batting. Since this material is very, very dense, it makes hand quilting super difficult.
Of course, it all comes down to personal preference. In terms of comfort levels and the drape of the final product, scrim-backed batting doesn’t feel very different from scrimless batting. So, depending on your skill level and your quilting preference, you can choose an option that works for you.
How To Quilt With Scrim-Backed Batting
The first thing you need to know is that scrim doesn’t like heat very much. That means you won’t be able to do a fusible quilt technique on the scrim side of the batting.
Fusible quilting is a technique where the layers are literally “fused” together using the heat of an iron. This technique allows all the layers to appear as one instead of multiple layers of fabrics and batting.
However, if you apply a hot iron to the scrim side, the scrim can produce some nasty ripples or puckering that doesn’t look at all aesthetically pleasing.
The golden rule for quilters when using batting with scrim is to always use the scrim side on the back of the quilt and the soft, scrimless side on the front of the quilt. That way, any roughness or mistakes that can happen when quilting can be hidden away in the back, and the front side will still look nice and clean and feel soft to the touch.
If you want a thick quilt with some substantial volume, you can also use two layers of scrim-backed battings and face the scrim side together. That way, both sides of the batting will feel soft to the touch, and you will still have the structure that you need to quilt with a quilting machine.
When quilting with a scrim batting, you can use fewer stitches that are farther apart since it takes less effort to hold the structure together. This is why using scrim-backed batting is quite friendly to beginner quilters.
How To Detect The Scrim Side Of Batting
If you are new to the world of scrim-backed batting, it can be difficult to identify the scrim side and the scrimless side of a piece of batting. Since scrim is a very fine mesh, it is often hard to differentiate between the two sides of batting with just your eyes.
The easiest way to identify the two sides of batting is to feel it with your hand. The scrim side is often a little rougher than the scrimless side, and it will appear slightly flatter and less voluminous than the scrimless side.
When you feel the non-scrim side of a piece of batting, it should feel very soft to the touch and slightly airy, thanks to the volume. If you have cotton batting, the non-scrim side should also have some cotton seeds and hulls – this is very normal in 100% cotton battings.
When quilting with scrim-backed batting, it’s important to keep track of the two sides so that the scrim side, which is the rougher side, will also be facing the back. That way, the nice design in the front of the quilt won’t be affected by any roughness or mistakes that can happen on the scrim side.
Where To Buy Quilt Batting With Scrim
It is quite easy to find quilt batting with scrim in most craft stores as well as online. You’ll notice, however, that batting with scrim is mainly present in cotton, polyester, poly-cotton, or cotton/bamboo batting.
As we’ve mentioned, it is quite difficult to find wool or silk batting that has a scrim backing, as these materials already have a natural structure that can make machine quilting pretty painless without the addition of a scrim layer.
You should still handle scrimless batting with care to make sure that the fibers aren’t shifted around too much when you quilt; otherwise, the quilt can look lumpy and uneven as the fibers can be pulled apart as you quilt.
How To Choose Quilt Batting
Choosing the right batting for your quilting project might sound like a challenge, but it doesn’t need to be. The batting is designed to do just that — complement and enhance your quilting projects.
Let’s take a look at the key factors for choosing the right batting:
1. Quilt Use
Why are you making a quilt in the first place? Is it a baby shower gift, a decorative piece for your bed, or something else?
Determining the use of the quilt is the first important task that can help you determine the size of the quilt you are planning to make, the loft of the batting (how puffy the quilt needs to be), and the batting material itself.
2. Size
Once you have determined the purpose of your quilt, the next thing to decide is the size of your quilt.
Batting comes in pre-packaged packs that fit some popular quilt sizes, which you can find below. If you are buying batting from a craft store, you can also get custom sizes to match the size of your quilt.
| Size | Quilt Dimensions | Batting size (Pre-packaged) |
| Crib | 39″ x 54″ | 45″ x 60″ |
| Twin/Single | 65″ x 88″ | 72″ x 90″ |
| Double/Full | 80″ x 88″ | 81″ x 96″ |
| Queen | 86″ x 93″ | 90″ x 108″ |
| King | 104″ x 93″ | 120″ x 120″ |
| California King | 100″ x 97″ | 120″ x 120″ |
Table: Common quilt and batting sizes
3. Loft
Loft determines how puffy your quilt will look after you are done. Higher loft means the quilt will be puffier, and any decorative stitches will stand out. A low loft batting will give you a flatter quilt, which is usually better for patchwork quilts where the fabric needs to be the front and center of the design.
4. Quilting Method
The quilting method will substantially affect your choice of batting.
If you are hand quilting, your options can be very limited. For example, you won’t be able to use scrim-backed batting or high-loft batting, as it can be difficult to work with thick and dense layers.
Machine quilting is friendly to most types of batting, and using scrim-backed batting is a great way to ensure that your quilt will turn out the way you want.
5. Fusible Batting
If you are making a fusible quilt, then it’s good to opt for fusible batting, which has a thin layer of glue on the two sides of the batting that can be activated with heat. Then, you can use an iron to literally fuse the layers together to make the quilt seem like one big piece of material.
You can find fusible batting made from cotton, polyester, and cotton blend.
6. Material
The fiber content of the batting can substantially affect how your quilt will look and feel. Let’s go through some common batting fibers that you can find.
- Cotton
Cotton is a soft and breathable material that is highly affordable and very accessible. This material is perfect for most quilts, as it is machine washable and has a moderate drape.
Unlike other types of batting, cotton batting is quite heavy with low loft. That’s why it is great for making various projects, such as wall hangings and table runners.
Cotton batting comes in white and natural off-white colors. White cotton batting is a great choice if you usually use a lot of white in your quilts since the off-white (sometimes even yellow) can peek through the white fabric.
Cotton batting also commonly comes with scrim. The scrim in cotton batting is usually made from polyester, so a scrim-backed cotton batting usually has some percentage of polyester in it.
Cotton can become quite wrinkly after the first wash, but some quilters believe that this gives the quilt a lived-in, vintage feel that is hard to get with other types of batting. If you don’t love this look, you can pre-wash the batting before quilting, which will reduce this problem later on.
- Wool
Wool is a great choice for bed quilts and other garments that are suitable for all seasons. It has a moisture-wicking and lightweight feel, making it ideal for minimizing heat in the summer and insulating in the winter.
This is high-loft, lightweight batting that is super soft to the touch, so if you are looking for a natural material that has it all, wool is definitely the answer.
The thought of wool can be intimidating, especially to those who love low-maintenance materials like cotton. However, wool batting is pretty easy to take care of, as you can use the delicate cycle in the wash with cold water and air dry the quilt after washing.
Note that wool batting doesn’t usually come with scrim, but thanks to the high loft construction, you won’t have a lot of problems working with wool batting.
- Silk
Silk is a luxurious type of batting that would be a great choice for bed quilts, garments, and hand quilting. It is very lightweight, breathable, and has exceptional drape. For bedding and things that touch your skin regularly, this material feels luxuriously soft and has tons of benefits for your skin and hair.
However, silk is a less popular choice for batting because it can be quite expensive. Caring for silk does require a lot of effort since it needs to be hand-washed and hang-dried.
You also won’t have a lot of luck finding silk batting with scrim backing, so it will take an experienced hand to work with this material.
- Silk
Polyester is lightweight and durable. As a batting, it has a very high loft, making it a great choice for those wanting to show off their work. Since this is a synthetic material, it is also machine washable and dryable.
This is a very affordable type of batting that you can find in most craft stores and online. There are also scrim-backed polyester batting that you can purchase in stores and online.
However, because it is synthetic, it is nowhere near as soft or breathable as other types of natural materials. It doesn’t drape very well, so overall, this is a poor choice for bedding.
- Bamboo
Bamboo batting is a more sustainable alternative to cotton. It has a similar feel and loft to cotton batting, and because it is a natural fiber, it is also very breathable, perfect for summer beddings.
Overall, bamboo batting is a great alternative to cotton, although it can be more expensive. Caring for bamboo is also quite simple, similar to caring for cotton battings.
- Cotton Blends
A lot of battings that you can find on the market are cotton blends – either cotton/polyester blend or cotton/bamboo blends.
Cotton blends are highly popular because they are quite affordable while having all the benefits of their part: soft, lightweight, breathable while being quite easy to take care of. Long-arm quilters especially love working with cotton blends.
If you want to use batting with scrim, then you can easily find scrim-backed batting that is made from cotton-blend fibers.
7. Aftercare
Aftercare is another big consideration when it comes to choosing the right batting for your quilt.
A lot of natural materials, like wool or silk, require a lot of effort to launder. This may not be suitable for things like baby quilts that require washing very often.
While natural fibers like cotton or bamboo are easy to take care of, they can shrink in the wash, so pay attention to the degree of shrinkage if you’d like to work with this type of batting.
If you plan on washing your quilt regularly, as in the case of baby quilts, the best option would be to use fusible batting since it will hold up very well after being laundered.
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