I'm sure this has come up before but not in the recent months. I just opened a package of 72x90 Hobbs 80/20 - ugghh. So scratchy and stiff!

I used this at least once a few years ago but I went for a while buying W&N by the yard and I really like the feel of Fairfield's cotton. I'm doing one quilt and a table topper. With a scrap of 80/20 I have left over from my LAer (which doesn't feel quite so stiff BTW) I will have enough without getting into to my larger packages of Mountain Mist Cream Rose (which I've not tried yet) or going out to get some poly.

Anyway, do you have a favorite batting? Have you used Mountain Mist products? Hardly ever hear about this brand but there are several varieties at Joann's. Thanks!

I like Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon 100% cotton batting for traditional quilts that are machine quilted. It gets softer with every washing. However, it does need close quilting -- 2" apart.

I use more Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 than anything else. It is scratchy when it comes out of the package but how it preforms after it's in the quilt is the most important. It's nice and soft after it's quilted, even if the quilting is fairly heavy. It also has just enough loft for good quilting definition.

This thread may give you some Food for Thought ....
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-147725-1.htm

I'm hand quilting a queen size right now that I used Hobs 80/20 for. I had used fairfield before and I liked, but had heard that Hobbs 80/20 was better. I don't like it and don't think I will use it again. Though I've heard lots of people love it. It has nubbies in it, which provides more needle resistance when hand quilting. I'll be going back to the Fairfield or the Hobbs Wool for future quilts.

I don't think I'd use Hobbs for hand quilting. For hand quilting I'd use Quilter's Dream cotton or Hobbs wool.

One batting does not fit all. You really need to match the batting to the type of quilting you're doing and the way you want the quilt to look when you're done.

Warm and Natural cotton, Warm and Natural Poly for baby quilt because it seems to hold up with all the washings !

the batts from the dream company are wonderful to work with- they have dream cotton, dream poly, dream wool (my favorite) and dream orient-which is a bamboo-silk blend---very very wonderful but expensive.
when i am not using dream batts i usually choose a hobbs- they also make a wonderful wool batt- a number of different cottons and poly blends in various lofts- with various characteristics. if using a cotton batt i choose one with scrim (or bonded) they work best with the long-arm