I've been saving my used dryer sheets for some time and using them.  They don't add any weight because they're paper thin after use, plus they still have a little bit of smell left in them.  But.....my blocks were 5" - they wouldn't work for the larger blocks.

LindaPutt said:

I've been saving my used dryer sheets

That wouldn't work for me as I use liquid softener.  Also I usually do 8 or 10 inch blocks.

I have been making string quilts for years and I do not put any foundation on them as I go. I did a block swap some years ago and the blocks that required foundation are really heavy in the finished top. Paper is tedious to rip off. Early on I tried without and it just came out fine. If you press carefully and don't pull or tug foundation is just an extra step that is not necessary.

But then I am a rebel!

Had to go looking for this thread about what we are working on.....lol!

anywho..... I made myself a work apron.  Since I am continuing to work several days a month, I needed to do something.  Over the holidays one of the other workers made me a holiday apron.  We wear aprons at work so we always have our own phones and ink pen or pencil.

but, we are headed into February.  Thought about another holiday one, but really didn’t want to end up With lots of seasonal ones....so I made a sewing themed one!

cute.  since it is red it still looks valentine-like unless you look close.  YOu need to make a green one too for March

and definitely more fun than masks!

Slowly but surely it's growing.  I think I want to make another dozen or so flower blocks before I call it done - large lap quilt size - this is about 3 x 4 right now.  The blocks pieced so far include 2 background stars but none of the blocks are connected yet so that I can work on the arrangement of the colors. Considering I started this at least 3 years ago I'm happy with the progress.  I do wish I hadn't decided to piece the background stars, I don't mind the petals but those stars are very time consuming and fiddly - they don't lie flat, even after I worked on re-drafting the template.  The wool mat is helping "press them into submission" pretty well.   This process is stressing my "it has to fit perfectly and lay flat" inclination.  I keep thinking quilting this isn't going to be particularly fun either.  But it does look cool.

As long as the pieces are not too wonkey and not flat you could use a double batting and the puff of that extra will likely fix your problem. It is amazing how strategic quilting can fix tops that do lie flat. I had a customer quilt once where I folded parts of really wonkey blocks and did a stitch in the ditch around them and nobody could tell by looking at it that there was something folded over and the final project was flat.

Your photo is tiny but I bet if you did a double batting and then did some pebbles in the flower centers and radiating lines coming out of the flower petals it would lie flat and beautiful.

This past week I have done the binding on two quilts and have a third one that will get done next week. I also finished a dress I was sewing.

Next week I need to quilt two tops and cut out my 3 kits for the retreat. I am making a large bargello (that one was a total squirrel...........saw it on instagram last week and now I need to make it. A wonkey circle impov and a carpenter wheel. The good thing is that the color theme for all three will be the same...........brown, green and blue. I seem to have a huge amount of brown fabrics in my stash and have decided to go with using some of it this year and I love browns with blues and greens so that I what I am gonna go with. The good thing is that as I pull out my fabrics I can cut for all three quilts at the same time which will hopefully make it easier. No way I will finish 3 tops at retreat but I will have options if I get bored with one.

Hi Ami, not sure if you saw my post about the sewing machine applique quilt that puckered up terribly.  I used the left over batting from what I sent you.  I'm a little nervous now about you using it.  It really shrank A LOT, though I did put it in the dryer.  I'm wishing now I sent you warm & natural as you suggested instead of the pellon brand.  What do you think, will it be ok with the double batting?

I will have a look at the batting when I get it and maybe do a wash test myself on it. How do you usually wash your quilts? 

For my quilts I always dry in a tub and do not agitate them much. Then I air dry them flat. I will put utility quilts (bed and throw quilts) in the washer but also dry those flat as well. 

When you lie quilts flat it is easy to kinda block them into shape if they need it.

I guess I will call you once I see what the batting is and know what I am planning on doing with the quilting as well.

I guess the bottom line for me is that my batting never gets put in a dryer when I wash quilts so have never had to deal with shrinkage from batting except for just the water part.