wadding Archives - Marent Crafts Haberdashery

Posted on April 24, 2023January 23, 2024 by xanda — Leave a comment

Earth Day 2023 – Sustainability Everyday

At Marent Crafts, we don’t just think about sustainability once a year. For us, we think about this every day!

Here at Marent Craft our absolute top priority is sustainability for the betterment of this beautiful planet that we share. We would go so far as to say that we value sustainability over profit. Way above.

Lets explain…

Whilst other companies in the industry may go to farther and stranger shores to find bargains for their ware, we stay as close to home as possible, and only buy directly from the source. We won’t just buy any old thing either. We only supply the best quality products, and only if that product is the most sustainable version.

The brands we carry Must share our ethos, otherwise we simply cannot promote that brand.

Thankfully, all our suppliers, manufacturers, and brand owners are most definitely in line with us.

Whether it be recycled fibres for the wadding and interfacing from Freudenberg, the elimination of cellophane from Coats and Gutermann, the 100% eco friendly detergent from Soak, the bamboo range from Prym, or all the other eco friendly products, we won’t sacrifice our message in the name of profit.

We hope that you share our passion for Planet Earth, and we hope that, like us, you’re willing to spend a little bit more on not only a superior product, but on a product that is designed with sustainability in mind.

Our Partners

Here’s what some of the brands we work with do for Earth!

The brands that we work with really do have sustainability at the core of what they do and we align ourselves with brands that have values as we do.

Freudenberg Performance Materials recycles around 7 million PET bottles per day and around 2.5 billion PET bottles per year in its European plants. The length of these bottles taken together would reach 15 times around the earth.

Soak’s bottles, caps and labels have always been recyclable and printed with water-based inks. And as of 2013, all our bottles have been made from post-consumer resin, which means they’ve already been recycled once.

From bamboo knitting needles to buttons, our growing range of Prym sustainable quality products are affordable and provide you peace of mind that you’re helping the environment. No matter the type of knitting, crocheting, or materials you’re working with, Prym 1530 is the choice for you.

Posted on April 1, 2021April 14, 2021 by bonnix

Learn more about sewing with an Easy Informative Guide To Sewing Products [2021 Edition]

Sewing is a very popular pastime, but it is quite technical and can be a bit daunting for beginners. It’s a very therapeutic activity though and is well worth spending some time finding your way around all the different items you might need when completing a sewing project. We don’t have time to do a full A-Z here. But let’s demystify some of the sewing products that are commonly used.

What is wadding?

Wadding, also known as batting in the US, is often made from polyester fibres and is used as a layer of insulation between fabrics. Polyester wadding is often used in quilt making and helps you to produce a quilt that is soft, comfortable and warm. Quilt wadding may also be made from natural fibres such as bamboo, silk or cotton. These tend to flatten more than made-made fibres such as polyester. Natural fibres are more breathable whereas man-made tend to wash better. Bamboo wadding is becoming more popular as an eco-friendly alternative for quilting.

Wadding is sold in different weights, commonly 2oz, 4oz and 6oz and can usually be purchased by the metre or half-metre. It may come scrim-coated which means there is a light net-like covering which holds the fibres together. As well as prevents the wadding from being pulled apart. Wadding without scrim-coating is softer, but not as durable. Marent crafts also offers a Fire-Retardant wadding in 5 different weights.

What is interfacing and interlining?

The terms interlining and interfacing are often used interchangeably in sewing. The primary function of interfacing is to provide strength, shape and stability around different parts of a garment such as collars, cuffs and buttonholes. Interlining comes in a variety of weights and may be sew-on or fusible (that is they stick to the outer fabric by heating). As these products are non-woven fabric, they will not fray so you can trim them after sewing. This includes bonding if necessary. The trade name in the UK is Vilene/Vliesilene. The weight you require depends on exactly where you are using the interlining in your garment. Bondaweb is another fusible interfacing which is suitable for fancy appliques and repairs.

9 Steps to Becoming a Sewing Master

We’ve even been kind enough to create a video which showcase 9 top sewing skills you need to be a master so be sure to check it out below!

What is bias binding tape?

Bias binding tape, or sometimes known as bias tape or simply bias binding, is used for binding seams, creating piping. For example on the edges of cushions or for finishing raw edges and detail on garments. Such as across pocket tops or around armholes or the neckline. It comes in a variety of colours and is may also be used to create button loops or drawstrings for bags. Bias binding is a highly versatile product and Marent Crafts offers a choice of 10 colours in a 12.5mm width.

What is Texacro?

You’ve most likely heard of Velcro which is an adhesive product that uses a repositionable hook and loop system to enable you to stick two pieces of fabric together. It’s also used to fasten and undo the Velcro many times over the lifetime of the product. Texacro is also made by Velcro, but is a lower quality, less expensive version which lasts for around 1,000 cycles of put together-pull apart. Compared to the premium Velcro product which lasts up to 10,000 cycles on average.

Velcro and Texacro are made from nylon and polyester. They come either black or white and in a range of widths to suit a variety of projects. Velcro is often used instead of zips, buttons or laces. It was made famous by NASA in the 1960s when it was used to fasten down pens and other items during Apollo missions. Here at Marent we offer both Velcro and its less expensive cousin Texacro.

So, there are you have it, a quick tour around some commonly used sewing products. We recommend Stitchless TV, a YouTube channel which takes you right from the basics of learning how to sew.

Next time, we’ll take a look at the wonderful world of sewing machines and how to create fancy stitches.

Make sure to follow us on Social Media for all our latest updates!

Here is one of our client reviews.

Posted on March 30, 2021January 23, 2024 by bonnix

The Different Types of Wadding

Are you a crafter that likes to get creative? Or perhaps you are a retailer that requires wadding in bulk to meet the demands of your customers. Whether it’s your next sewing and quilting venture or if you’re simply meeting the demand, we have a wide range of wadding that you can choose from. There are numerous different types of wadding that we will explore in this post.

What is wadding?

Wadding is used as a layer of insulation between fabrics – typically used in quilt making. Essentially what it does is fill the quilts enabling them to keep you warm.

Different types of wadding include cotton, polyester, wool, cotton/poly blends and even fusible batting.

How should I choose a wadding?

It’s important to choose wadding based on:

Loft – the weight and thickness of the wadding. If you want your wadding to have a flat finish, it’s best to choose a low loft. For a quilt, it’s best to choose wadding with a higher loft.
Warmth – if the wadding is designed for a quilt, it would be best to choose a wadding with good thermal properties.
Colour – if your project is dark in colour, it would make sense to select a black wadding, so it is not highly visible through the fabric once it is made.
Time – if time is an issue for you, we recommend selecting a wadding that is not overly time-consuming.

Now, let’s dive into the benefits of each one!

100% Cotton Wadding

Cotton is the most traditional choice for quilting due to its natural form. It is preferred for its soft, breathable texture and overall comfort. Cotton remains ideal for machine quilting and is also a natural fibre, meaning it is more flame resistant than synthetic products. Remember to wash and thoroughly dry a cotton wadding first, as it will shrink slightly after washing!

Polyester Wadding

Polyester is a more cost effective alternative and has brilliant washable properties. It holds its shape and provides a thicker finish but without any added weight. It is easier to be sewn by hand, and therefore ideal for hand-quilting.

Wool Wadding

Wool is typically known for its amazing insulation properties. Due to its warmth, it best lends itself to bed covers and lap quilts but also remains ideal for hand, machine and tied quilting.

Cotton/Poly Blend Wadding

There are a wide variety of blends available that are designed to combine the best properties of the different fibres, for example, a cotton/poly blend allows the durability of the polyester, but also provides the loft and ease of the cotton.

Fusible Wadding

Fusible wadding is double-sided and iron-on which means it is perfect for craft projects or children’s quilts where frequent washing is required. When making bags, we recommend using fusible wadding as it adds stability to the bag structure and keeps the layers together because it effectively eliminates the need for pin or spray-basting and is a huge time-saver.

Need more advice or recommendations? Give us a call 0204 513 2222 or follow up on socials for our latest tips!

Posted on March 29, 2021April 13, 2021 by bonnix — Leave a comment

How to Make a Child’s Quilt in 15 easy steps

If you are new to quilting, then you’ll want to tackle a small project for your first one. What better than making a child’s quilt for a toddler bed? You can create a design using pre-cut squares of fabric, especially for quilting or you could even use old clothes or fabric found in a charity shop to keep the costs down.

Materials you will need:

Your chosen fabric – this design uses fat quarters

Backing fabric

Bias binding

Wadding

Equipment you will need

Sewing machine

Scissors or rotary cutter

Patchwork Quilt Ruler

Coordinating Moon Coats thread

Cutting mat/board

Quilting Pins

How to make the child’s quilt

Lay out the fabric squares in your desired pattern
Cut out some simple shapes from any spare fabric to applique to the quilt
Sew the shapes onto the fabric squares
Sew the squares together in rows on the right side, using a ½ inch seam allowance
Press the seams flat
Sew the rows of squares together on the right side, again using a ½ inch seam allowance
Press all the seams flat again
Lay out the backing fabric and the wadding on a flat surface
Lay the quilt squares on top of the backing and wadding
Pin all three layers together
Sew the layers together including stitching along the seams where the squares are joined to create the quilted look
Cut the bias binding long enough to go around all sides of the quilt
Unfold the bias binding and pin it to the back of the quilt
Sew the binding onto the back of the quilt as close to edge as possible
Fold the bias binding over the edge of the quilt and sew to the front, tucking the raw edge under to create the perfect finished product.

Safety

Ensure that you use only fire retardant wadding which comes in a range of weights from 2oz to 14oz. For a child’s quilt, use lightweight wadding at 2oz to create a low tog rating. It is not recommended by the Lullaby Trust to use quilts for children under the age of one.

20 other things you can do with wadding

Fabric coasters
Christmas tree decorations
Quilted hearts for a loved one
A Quilted purse
Quilted makeup bag
Padded photo album cover
Pin cushion
Stuffed toys
Wrapping up delicate items to post
Padded camera case
Padded spectacles case
Quilted mobile phone case
Padded keyring
Small padded bags for storing jewellery
Padded rice bag for easing aches and pains
Padded table protector for hot pots/teapot etc
A Padded table runner
Make a Padded tablet cover
Quilted cushion cover
Quilted pillowcase

Get in contact for information about which wadding/batting to use for your project. As ever, if you have any pictures of your projects that have used wadding, we would love to see them.

Posted on January 10, 2021February 4, 2021 by bonnix — Leave a comment

How To Use Polyester Wadding – 5 Simple Christmas Projects

Polyester wadding is a product which might not be at the forefront of your mind when you think about sewing. We tend to focus on the beautiful fabrics, trims and buttons – the elements that are on display. However, without the polyester wadding, sometimes also known as batting, there are quite a few projects which could not be completed. Here are just 4 simple projects that use this unsung product.

Coaster or Placemats

You can protect your surfaces from marking from hot cups or dishes by making coasters or pot rests which contain a layer of heat resistant polyester wadding. Why not get some festive fabric and create a whole set of coasters as a Christmas gift? We found a simple DIY pattern to make 4 coasters using just a few materials or make a larger oblong to create padded table placemats to brighten up your festive table.

Padded Table Runner

Nothing sets a dinner table off better than a beautiful table runner – your Christmas Dinner table wouldn’t look the same without one. As you may be resting warm dishes on the runner, it’s a good idea to use a layer of wadding inside the runner. If you have a spare afternoon, you can create a bold and bright runner or something a little more subdued depending on your festive theme. Polyester wadding, as long as it is heat resistant would be a good option as it’s less expensive than cotton wadding.

Padded Christmas Tree Decorations

Wadding can also be used to create padded Christmas tree decorations using felt squares or fat quarters which come in a wide range of designs. This upcycling design uses old jeans material, festive fabric and batting to create a different look for your tree.

Children’s quilt for Christmas Eve

If a child in your life is reluctant to go to bed on Christmas Eve, perhaps this sweet little project will encourage them. How exciting to have a quilt that only goes on the bed once a year! We go into more detail on our other blog on how to make a child’s quilt – you can choose some Christmassy fabric or even have the child choose their favourite festive fabric.

Padded Christmas Stocking

No blog on Christmas sewing projects using wadding would be complete without a padded Christmas stocking to hang on the mantlepiece in anticipation of a visit from Santa. Check out this simple Christmas stocking pattern which you can complete in a morning. If you have time, why not make one for every member of the family?

Whatever your project, whether large or small, you can be certain that at Marent Crafts we will have wadding to suit most needs.
We’d love to see example of projects you’ve made that use our wadding, so please do send us your pictures. If you are into your Christmas sewing projects, why not also have a read of our other blog which gives you 14 more fun, yet straightforward suggestions.

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