Originally Posted by diannemc
What is the bst batting? I know nothing about it..I like the old quilt look..Where is the best place to buy on line??
Also I am going to do some premiee quilts for the hospital...these don't need to be thick..is there a thin batting out there? Thanks
If you like the old quilt look, I would use traditional 100% cotton batting. One reason many people don't use it anymore is that it must be quilted much more closely than newer types of bat -- every 2 inches at least.
Years ago I made two children's quilts -- one from traditional cotton batting and one from a polyester batting. The cotton was thin; the polyester was fluffy. It happened that years later I visited the children's house and saw the quilts. They had clearly both gotten tons of use, and the mother had tossed them in the washer and dryer many times. The cotton batting quilt was very soft and had that well-loved old-time look, despite some fading of the fabric and very worn out binding. The one with polyester batting was lumpy and did not have any of that old-timey look. I have prefered cotton batts ever since. (80% cotton 20% polyester delivers much the same look with some advantages, but I still like 100% cotton for that old-time look!)
I haven't quilted with it lately so maybe it has changed, but I found that Warm and Natural batting, even though it is 100% cotton, does not give that old-timey look. It is needle-punched through a scrim, and this gives it a very different drape and a much stiffer look. I don't think it gets really soft either, the way the traditional 100% batting did. I also don't think it shrinks as much as the 100% batting. Much of that old-timey look is due to the shrinkage of the batting after the quilt is washed, causing a slightly "crinkly" look.
If you can quilt it closely enough, I'd say go with 100% cotton batting if you can find it. I can't remember offhand the brand I used, but it said Blue Ribbon on it. I had heard that Fairfield had a similar batting, but I never used it.
Polyester battings are fluffier and more reminiscent of the comforters we have become used to these days. Traditional 100% cotton batts are thin. It is washing that makes traditional quilts soft and crinkled.
Batts are very much a matter of personal taste. I prefer traditional 100% cotton or 80/20 for quilts that will get used a lot, polyester or warm and natural for wall hangings depending on the look I want.