Originally Posted by Elsie
i use polyester because that what i can afford and i get it at wal -mart some people say that wal- mart poly is no good in many years after putting it in, it will knot up but some of us can't afford batting that cost a lots i am on a budget even poly getting higher now day
Well, one thing you can do to help avert the problem of bumpy, bunching batting is to make sure to quilt closely so that the batting just doesn't have much room to shift around.
The Mennonite ladies I knew told me that the quilting lines should be no more than a thumb's width apart in any direction except for decorative motifs (like feathers, hearts, etc) and more was better. When I look at my Mennonite quilts, I notice that shapes larger than about three inches are filled in (cross hatching, echoes, whatever). Even things like leaves got vein lines when they got larger.
When I measure my thumb, it's about an inch wide and being attached to me, it makes a handy guide. (I apologise, I could not resist)
And it may never be a problem. The first (and to date, only) quilt I made 30+ years ago had polyester batting, which was all that was readily available in my area at the time. That quilt has been in continuous use since then and the batting hasn't lumped up in any perceptible way. It has been regularly machine washed and dried, no problem.
I imagine that batting technology, even at the level of Wal-Mart quality, has probably improved since then.