Frequently Asked Questions

• Do you accept custom quilt orders?
• How do I wash my quilt?
• What are the parts to a quilt? Batting? Binding? Backing?
• Why do you use only 100% cotton fabric?
• Is the batting 100% cotton?
• Why do you pre-wash your fabrics?
• Why do you not make overstuffed, pillow quilts?
• Why don't you use buttons and embellishments on your baby quilts?
• Why are all the bindings on your quilts hand sewn and not machine stitched?
• Why are all your quilts machine quilted and not tied?
• What kind of thread do you use?

Yes, Baby's Breath Quilts accepts custom orders. Browse our Handmade Quilt Gallery for ideas for your custom order quilts. Estimated time needed to complete a custom order quilt depends upon several things: the pattern chosen, the availability of fabric, and the size of the quilt. Baby quilts take less time to complete, averaging 2-3 weeks, whereas queen or king sized ones can take 6-8 weeks. All quilts are completed on a first-come, first-served basis. Sale prices do not apply to custom orders and additional charges apply for all fabrics purchased retail and not in our inventory. Back to Top

All of Baby's Breath Quilts are machine washable. We recommend washing them in cold water with a regular detergent. Tumble dry low. Do not use bleach as this weakens the cotton fibers and could ruin the colors of your quilt. For larger quilts, you may need to have them professionally cleaned as they may be too big to fit into your washing machine. We prefer using a front loading washing machine, as they are more gentle and do not have an agitator which can potentially damage fabrics. Back to Top

There are four parts to any quilt. There is the top, the batting, the backing and the binding. The top is the pieced design that is usually placed facing up on a bed - what most people think of as the "pretty" side. The batting is the layer of the quilt that you do not see. It lies between the top and the backing materials and gives a quilt its thickness, or loft. The backing is the material on the back, or underside, of the quilt. Oftentimes people think of it as less attractive, but it can really be quite beautiful. The backing can allow you to see all of the quilting in detail without the distraction of the top. Finally, the fourth part to a quilt is the binding. This is a strip of material that goes around the edge of the quilt to give it a clean, finished look and cover any raw edges of material. Most quilts have a binding, but not all. It depends upon how the quilter finishes it. Baby's Breath Quilts binds all quilts (unless otherwise requested by a customer) using a 2-layer binding fabric. Two layers of material around the edge give your quilt added strength and longevity as the edge is typically the spot that shows the most amount of wear. Back to Top

100% cotton is the ideal quilting fabric. There are thousands of different designer colors and styles to choose from made specifically for quilting. Babies and children have extremely sensitive skin and cotton is the ideal choice for anything that will be next to their skin. Children are unlikely to have any reactions to cotton and, if they do, usually it is because of the detergent it was washed in, not the cotton itself. Back to Top

Cotton batting is made specifically for quilting and is the traditional choice for batting. It is low loft, yielding a thinner quilt that is still exceptionally warm. But to maintain its shape and give added durability, there is a small amount of polypropylene (a man-made fiber) added to it. We use the Warm & Natural® natural cotton batting which is 87.5% cotton and 12.5% polypropylene. We find it is very durable for machine washing and we like that the cotton is all natural and not chemically treated. Back to Top

All fabrics used in our quilts are pre-washed using perfume and dye free detergent. This helps remove any chemicals or residues left behind from when the fabric was made. Pre-washing also helps make the fabric color-fast and prevents "bleeding" of colors when the quilt is washed. Finally, pre-washing helps prevent shrinking of the quilt when it is washed, helping Baby's Breath Quilts quilts maintain their shape throughout their lifetime. Back to Top

There are three reasons why we do not make overstuffed, pillow quilts. One, they require the use of polyester high-loft batting. Baby's Breath Quilts uses only natural cotton batting. Second, they require tying rather than machine or hand quilting. Baby's Breath Quilts uses only machine quilting for added durability. And third, it is Baby's Breath Quilts opinion that overstuffed quilts are less safe to use for a baby's blanket than a regular quilt. Please consult your physician or read the American Academy of Pediatrics literature on child-safe bedding for further information. Back to Top

Baby's Breath Quilts promises to NEVER use any buttons or other embellishments on our baby quilts as they can fall off and be harmful if swallowed. Back to Top

Baby's Breath Quilts offers only the finest baby and children's quilts to our customers. Hand sewing the binding is a small detail that adds a lot of beauty. By hand sewing the binding, you get a beautiful, smooth finish to the quilt without any of the wavy, inconsistent edges that machine quilting can give you. This is just one example of the attention to detail in each of our quilts. Back to Top

Machine quilting does several things for your quilt. First, and most importantly, it adds strength and durability. Machine quilting adds so much strength that it allows a quilt to be machine washed repeatedly without worry. Second, machine quilting adds beauty to your quilt. The stitching can accentuate the overall design of the quilt and add interest in any of the blank or negative spaces. Third, it allows the use of beautiful threads with metallic colors, variegated colors or even glow-in-the-dark to add interest and beauty to your quilt.

Tied quilts tend to develop problems over their lifetime. When washed, the batting shifts and bunches, making the quilt "lumpy". The ties can wear out and look "fuzzy" and knotted, or even break. Overall, tied quilts are good for display only, not quilts that will see repeated use and washings. It is Baby's Breath Quilts policy to not recommend tied quilts to our customers. Back to Top

For most piecing of quilt tops, we use 100% cotton threads. For machine quilting, we use a variety of threads including 100% cotton, polyester, and even nylon. Threads come in a variety of colors and styles such as metallic, variegated, glow-in-the-dark, neon, and solid colors. The threads for each quilt are specifically chosen to add beauty to the quilt and enhance the overall design. For baby quilts, we try to avoid any threads that might be "scratchy" or irritating to a baby's skin. Also, we do not recommend invisible thread for any quilts that will be repeatedly washed as it tends to break over time. Back to Top