I guess I am not a purist....for the most part I do use cotton everything ...but I will use minky for some backings....wool in some quilts for battings ...but for the most part I do use cotton thread..I just like cotton thread the best. I don't have any material for my tops except cotton...only because I live in a small town with a local quilt shop...if I had a shop that offered otehr textiles I would probably experiment more.