Hi Sherry, Welcome to quilting. I too love the look of batic fabrics. As a handquilter I usually steer clear of them for anything I will be handling a lot. The dying process tends to make them stiffer than other fabric and harder to work with, especially by hand.
If your local Walmart still carries fabric they are a good source of reasonably priced material. JoAnns also has some great bargins especially in the clearance area. While I truly love Quilt Shop quality fabrics they are often too expensive for quilts that are not meant to be masterpieces. If you will be giving your work to those who don't know how to care for quality materials or you don't want to have to worry about your feelings getting hurt use the less expensive stuff.
Good luck with your quilting and ENJOY!