I have a related question.....on another thread (can't remember which one) they were talking about batting having a scrim and said that on the W&N site they explained and showed it. I couldn't find it anywhere on their site and am wondering if the issue of having a scrim or not is related to this issue. I did check the link to APQS and saved the pics they have there but I gather that it's not as much of an issue on a dm rather than a longarm? Thanks!

Never heard of batting having a right or wrong side. I also have never had a problem with any of my quilts.

You just made me feel so much better! I've been purposely facing the smooth side up also. Never knew there was a right or wrong side, either. Yet another great lessoned learned from the QB! I'll definitely be passing this along to my other quilting friends who might be unsuspecting as well.

It makes sense since the needle punches down, but comes straight up. So whichever side you have facing down (usually the backing) would have the tufts and the other side wouldn't.

Here is the information from Frequently Asked Questions at the warm & natural website:

Is there a top and bottom side to Warm & Natural?
Yes. The side with "flecks" (plant and leaf particles) is the top side. The whiter side is the bottom side. If you iron a quilt or wearable made with Warm & Natural, press with the top side toward the iron and make sure your iron is on a low setting. If you make a white quilt consider quilting with Warm & Natural bottom side up.

http://www.warmcompany.com/images/divider.gif

I have learned another good tip today, thanks so much to all for your input.

Ladies, thanks so much for the thoughts and info. I have used w&n before for smaller things, and just got lucky, I guess. I will be re-pinning the kaleidoscope quilt. it has a dark red backing. =/. It is a gift for a guy that was a (financial) guardian angel for my family, and I don't have any other way of expressing how much I appreciate him, and his associate. At least when I start fmq'ing the second one, I'll know better.

I am definitely having 'pokies' on the kaleidoscope!

I just hope I can pin it as well the second time! lol

thanks again

Learn something new every day. But I just spent days pinning my full size quilt and I am not going to even check to see cause then I would just drive myself nuts . But I will watch out in the future.

Yes, the scrim has everything to do with it. With W&N and W&W, the scrim side should be next to the back of your quilt. It's the flatter, whiter side (even on W&W it's slightly whiter and definitely flatter). 'Bump it up' is what I've always used to remind me which way is up and it DOES make a difference on DSM's, at least for me...possibly because I usually have black backings.

When quilting with the scrim side down, you are duplicating the way the batting was needlepunched and the batting fibers remain secure in the scrim. With the scrim side up, you are actually 'unpunching' the batting fibers and pushing them through the backing fabric.

One other thing to remember if you permanently fuse fabric, like with Wonder-Under, directly to your batting...fusing fabric to the scrim side can result in a permanently 'less than smooth' surface.

I agree, I didn't know that there was a right and a wrong side to batting or wadding as we call it in Great Britain.