What is the best kind of batting to use in your quily?
cotton, ploy, what?

depends on the quilt, who it is for and how much I want to spend :-)

I like Hobbs 80/20 really well. If it is a really special quilt, I'll spring for wool.

I like all cotton or combo Bright and White from Joann's

In a perfect world where money isn't a concern I love Hobbs 80/20 (80% cotton, 20% poly). More often my budget prefers Warm and Natural or Warm and White...on sale or with a coupon from Jo Anns. Lol* ;) Low loft cotton is currently the trend in quilting, but I like poly for machine trapunto effects. ;)

My favorite batting is Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon 100% cotton, but this is a very traditional batting and not for everyone. I like it because it gets softer with every washing. Antique quilts were made with this type of batting -- no needlepunching, no scrim, no polyester. I hand quilted this exactly once; there are better battings for hand quilting, believe me! It is great for machine quilting, though.

My second favorite is Hobbs 80/20. It is a little puffier than the MMBR and is good for hand quilting as well as machine quilting.

I used to use Warm & Natural, but the needlepunching through scrim gives it a slightly stiffer drape that I don't like.

I only use Warm and Natural.

Would you use a poly for a nursing home quilt? I'm guessing it would be washed in hot water.
Thanks!

i like warm & natural because i can buy it by the yard and get less waste depending on the project.

This is another one of those "it depends" questions. I like warm and natural or warm and white. Have tried Hobbs 80/20 and it is OK. I still need to do a whole quilt with the Hobbs to form a more informed opinion.

There are so many options, I think you need to try a few and see what works best for you. Also, it is sometimes desirable to change the batting up depending on the purpose of the quilt, whether it will be hand-quilted or machine quilted, whether it is used in the frozen NOrth or the balmy South.......

Like I said: It depends.....