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Bullshit Hat-trick

For those of you not familiar with cricket lingo, a hat-trick is a positive achievement that occurs three times within a game or short period of time. If a bowler gets three consecutive wickets in a row or a batter hits three sixes in a row that would be called a hat-trick and much celebrating , both of the team and the crowd, would ensue. Hat-tricks are rare and are the stuff sporting legends are made of.

For those of you not familiar with Shay lingo, a bullshit hat-trick is where three "that's bullshit "moments occur within a short time frame. It's most applicable to activities that occur within my sewing room. So for example if my needle breaks three times during a sewing session or I sew the same seam the wrong way three times and have to unpick it - that would be bullshit hat-trick.

Bullhsit  hat-tricks are rare (how many times can you make three mistakes in a row without learning from the experience?) and are usually accompanied by swearing, loud exclamations of "that's bullshit", and resultant head scratching while trying to figure out WTF went wrong.

I had my own little bullshit hat-trick this week. Let me refresh your memories about the first in my series of bullshit hat-tricks. This offender , finished and washed at least twice, then decided for no good reason  to shed it's guts all over the place. I dont know why , I don't know how, and after chucking it in the bin (because it was useless and unfixable unless I wanted to spend hours unpicking all the quilting - which I didn't ) I didn't care. I put it down to Mr. P washing it in hot water, or  a bad batch of batting , or  a freak of nature and simply moved on. Example 2- which I fully admit was my own dumb arse fault. The quilt that decided to shrink a full 8 inches on two sides just over a week ago when I chucked it in the dryer. I think the general opinion was that you shouldn't use wool batting if you're going to chuck a quilt  in a dryer , although there was some difference of opinion about whether that was the cause. I am seriously contemplating turning it into puff quilt pot holders because I cant stand to throw another creation out, but it obviously cant be used as is and certainly can't be given away as planned as donation quilt.

The hat trick of screw ups. Numero Tre. I made this quilt 4 weeks ago as a gift for a girl at work who is having a baby. These are quality fabrics, and I used a new needle, brand new wool 29-bucks-a-metre allegedly pure wool batting and Aurifil thread to piece and quilt it. So why the fudge ( I want to use a stronger word here but some of you might be reading with an 8 year old hanging over your shoulder) is it shedding through the fabric? Not the quilting lines....THROUGH the fabric. This also occurred after the second wash! This has only happened to me since I started using wool batting. That's the only thing I can put it down to. I'm furious. Now I'm  trying to think of what other quilts I might have used it in, and whether this is going to be issue when they are washed a couple of times too. And today I'll be heading down to the shop where I bought the batting for a look at what make this batting is so I don't ever buy it again!

And there endeth my sorry tale of the bullshit hat -trick. Some of my weekend will be spent making a replacement baby quilt, and I 'll be going back to using 100% cotton batting. PS. Seriously contemplating taking up scrap booking at this point....

Posted by Shay at 6:23 AM Labels: having a rant, Sad stories 
I never knew that was what a hat trick was? Thank you professor Shay.
As for you problems, the wool seems to be the culprit, totally crappy. Bin whatever you have left, and complain.

October 24, 2014 at 6:50 AM 
I never had a problem with wool batting and loved quilting with it. The bane of my quilting right now is cotton batting "bearding" through nearly everything I have quilted in the past month. On a light background it would not matter but everything of late has been in dark value Christmas colors. I am just sick about it...especially since I am selling these damned things! I will NEVER by Pellon cotton batting again!!

(Sorry - bit of a tirade but I know you will understand...) :)

October 24, 2014 at 7:03 AM 
I only use cotton batting but I would take lots of snaps and contact the supplier.

October 24, 2014 at 7:33 AM 
Well, to H-E-Double Toothpicks with that batting, eh? What a complete bummer to have put all that energy into such beautiful quilts only to have them wrecked in the washer/dryer. Well, you can always do like me and never wash your quilts. Oh, I suppose their time will come eventually, but I don't do it as a preemptive measure. What's a little bacteria between friends, anyway?

Seriously, though, I'm glad you tried to explain a hat trick to we non-Aussies. Because a cricket around here just means Norm goes into stealth mode with the can of bug spray (or his size elevens).

October 24, 2014 at 7:44 AM 
Oh crap, I'm feeling your pain and thank you for the heads up! Mental note to not bother with the uber expensive wool batting! Hope the issue gets sorted for you!

Rose - NZ

October 24, 2014 at 8:18 AM 
oh boy, thats some hat trick! you know whhat tho, i love the look of the supershrunk one!

October 24, 2014 at 8:43 AM 
Buggar on all three counts !

October 24, 2014 at 9:21 AM 
Oh no, definitely not good! I have had that problem with batting coming through the fabric with poly, my theory is possibly because it builds up static electricity. However 100% wool shouldn't do that! I have to admit that I would be unpicking and replacing the batting before I contemplated the bin :)

Oh and to answer your question "how many times can you make three mistakes in a row without learning from the experience?", the chances increase exponentially dependent on the number of alcoholic drinks consumed :)

October 24, 2014 at 9:37 AM 
I only use cotton batting but I did have that same issue once using Bamboo batting. You are having a run of it aren't you. Hope you can get it sorted x

October 24, 2014 at 10:47 AM 
I have never seen anything like the batting on that triangle quilt, that thing must be growing the batting itself. If you've used the same wadding inside each quilt you need to fire off a complain to the manufacturer as that is really way below standard. I experienced minor bearding with one quilt once but it came off with a de-fluffing brush. I've been using 50/50 cotton/bamboo and love that mix as it reduced the bamboo fibres but still drapes well. Lookout for a new range of batting from Tontine. I saw samples at the AMQF and it looks brilliant. Not sure when it will be out in the shops though. Here's hoping your hat trick days are done.

October 24, 2014 at 11:24 AM 
Oh dear, I really feel for you. I use a cotton batting and haven't had that problem (the batting working it's way through the fabric). Crossing fingers and knocking on wood right now.


October 24, 2014 at 11:25 AM 
Far Out!!! I think you should be finding out who manufactured the batting and let them know how you're feeling. They might have a cotton range that they can replace it with. The amount of money and time spent on quilts shouldn't be thrown away because of faulty batting. Shrinking is one thing but batting coming through the fabric is just crazy!

October 24, 2014 at 3:21 PM 
I have only had a problem with bearding with a quilt I made years ago (probably before you were born!) ..and I used a poly batting in that one....haven't had the problem with wool or cotton batting - let me know what brand it was so I know not to use it! If I send out my tops to be quilted I use the batting recommended by the quilter (I think it was wool in most of the quilts I have had done recently)I hope the next hat trick is a fun one!

October 24, 2014 at 4:18 PM 
Oh Shay! I feel for you, all that hard work ruined. I've never used wool batting, so have no experience with it.

October 24, 2014 at 5:31 PM 
What an absolute bugger! I only use cotton batting and haven't had that issue but we bought a wool continental quilt for the bed at the holiday rental and it sheds just like that. Am always vacuuming up fluff on the floor and have to use the sticky roller thingo on the quilt cover after washing. Drives me mad because the other wool quilts we have don't do it - thought it must have been because it was a cheaper brand.

I agree with discussing your concerns with the quilt shop as there's obviously a problem with that brand and at those prices it shouldn't be happening!!

October 24, 2014 at 8:28 PM 
Oh crap - how about making a doll of someone at the manufacturer and sticking pins in it? Failing that maybe a letter of complain? If you don't get a satisfactory response, you should name names, so that we can all avoid them!

October 24, 2014 at 9:02 PM Elita@Busy Needle Quilting said...

Oh, Shay, what a pity all that beautiful work is ruined by crap batting! I have used & sold Quilter's Dream for years now and swear by it. Certainly worth checking with the shop & show them what happened too. Not that they will do anything but they should know so they can give feedback to the manufacturer. That's terrible for business! I'm a new follower and your posts are having me in stitches. Thanks!! :-)

October 24, 2014 at 9:07 PM 
holy crap ... I've never used wool - I'm stuck on cotton .... that would tick me off.

here in the land of Hockey -- 3 goals by one player = HT. Some of the nutcases here in the tundra actually embrace the cold ....

October 24, 2014 at 10:51 PM 
Only had bearding once and it was years ago and on a black quilt have to admit don't use pure wool usual have it mixed 80/20 and have been using bamboo lately and not noticed any bearding but you probably wash your quilts more than me so maybe it's the dirt that stops them from bearding.

October 25, 2014 at 6:56 AM 
Lucky me, I can't afford the wool, heck I can't afford the cotton. I've really never had troubles with the batting bearding in any quilt I've made, or washed. I guess cheap has it's advantages. I have had the BS hattricks though. Paper piecing - need I say more? You need patience and determination - or you need to be crazy. I guess I fit that one.
Sorry for your troubles, but wool batting is just wool roving... same thing you use to make felt. Motion and soap are part of making felt... so is shrinking.

October 25, 2014 at 7:17 AM 
Oh C#$@*P! I must say I had some wool wadding beard earlier in the year, but I brought it from a store I dont normally frequent so I thought it might have been a cheaper blend/poor quality. I generally use wool...but I dont ever pre wash my quilts before giving them away. All my quilts that have been washed multiple times I have not had a problem with - but I always use wool wash cycle in the machine and never ever tumble dry. Mind you I have accidently washed a few wool tops and yes they shrunk and were unwearable. But after going to all the effort to make a quilt that is really frustrating. Please let us know the brand!

October 25, 2014 at 7:38 AM 
Oh Bugga!
Your projects are all lovely, not fair your wadding isn't up to scratch.
Love the idea of making pot holders from the puff quilt.
Here's to happier tales from the sewing room in the future.

October 25, 2014 at 9:14 AM 
I've had a number of your type of hat tricks sewing blocks, but now I know to never wash a quilt....yikes!

October 25, 2014 at 3:33 PM 
See, now I think #2 could still be useable by you, as it could be snuggly, just not entirely aesthetically pleasing. The batting wandering is just plan weird though! Rather glad of my wool allergy now...

October 26, 2014 at 12:09 AM 
Oh my!!! How in the heck are these shedding? That is seriously annoying. I can't think that wool would normally do this...perhaps it's the brand of wool batting? Yikes!

October 26, 2014 at 10:36 AM 
There's also hat trick in hockey but I have no idea what it means. Probably something like what you described above .. unless that was hockey you were talking about.

I've not used wool batting and now I definitely won't .. but may I ask, am I supposed to wash the quilts 2x before giving them away? I thought once was enough ..

October 26, 2014 at 3:13 PM 
Bummer squared (I guess tripled is more appropriate). I've never used wool batting and probable never will now. I would definitely be contacting the manufacturer.

October 27, 2014 at 4:35 AM 
Bugger, bugger, bugger...what the! All your lovely work :( At $29/m that ain't cheap, the shop needs to be made aware the batting they are stocking isn't up to scratch. I've never had batting beard but I generally use 100% cotton and I've never put a quilt in the dryer. I did once put my very first quilt in the washing machine though (many many years after it was made - don't know what I was thinking with a completely hand stitched quilt that I had always hand washed!) and it has wool batting (back in the dark ages when supplies were hard to come by here and that was all that was available so no choice)and it did the shrinking up thing and while I was able to block it back into almost the right shape, it's a sampler and some of the blocks resemble your postage stamp quilt puffyness wise but I ignore that and it is folded up at the bed end so who can see...back to always hand washing and air drying after that little fiasco! Hope you didn't throw out the postage stamp quilt, even if the dogs have it or it becomes pot holders better than the bin.

October 30, 2014 at 9:34 AM