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Old 01-04-2015, 03:55 PM
  #3  
Prism99
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
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I like Hobbs PolyDown when I want a quilt that will dry quickly -- good for children's quilts that will get washed frequently, and sometimes requested for donation quilts that will be shipped out of the country.

I like 100% cotton batting a lot, but stopped using Warm and Natural because this type of batting -- needlepunched through scrim -- has a much stiffer drape than other cottons. All cotton battings, including W&N, soften up with repeated washings but I prefer cotton that is thinner. My personal favorite is Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon cotton batting, but that is a very "old-timey" choice and many modern quilters think it is too thin, plus it requires close quilting (no more than 2" apart). Quilter's Dream cotton offers nice drape with a choice of thinness/thickness, and it is needlepunched (but not through scrim) and therefore has superior stability (which allows quilting lines to be farther apart).

Hobbs wool batting is highly recommended for both machine and hand quilting. My next quilt will have this batting in it so I can compare it to the others I have used. An advantage of wool is that it breathes well, is supposed to be cooler in summer and warmer in winter, and it retains its warmth even when wet.
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