Originally Posted by
AnnEliz
When I first started quilting my LQS recommended Hobbs 100% polyester. I like the unwrinkled look of my quilts after laundering --they still look new. However, I do find it now comes out of the package more wrinkled than it was originally and is not as soft as the original. I still buy it at Connecting Threads when it goes on sale and it is less than $10 then for a queen sized quilt. I still have very good results with it. For table runners and placemats, wall hangings, etc. I use warm and natural which I buy as remnants from my LQS at excellent prices. I buy the biggest pieces I can find and cut them when I need them. Also, I have wonderful luck with Pellons iron on (fusible) batting in two different weights which I use for hand bags, etc. I think batting is very expensisve for some reason. Long Arm Quilters like to sell you the expensive kind, but will use the Hobbs 100% polyester also and do not complain about it.
Most of us that long arm quilt will sell the customer a bat that works for what the customer wants and also works well in our machine. For example, if a customer wants a poly bat, I'd use that, even though that is not what I'd choose for my own quilts most times. The one exception is if a customer wants an all poly in a crib quilt, I will point out that it's highly flammable. As far as what works in our machines--most of us find that some bats seem particularly linty and prefer not to use them due to wear/tear on machine. that being said, while we may not stock them, we typically will use what a customer brings us--the exception is a fused batting which can cause real havoc with a machine going as fast as a long arm does!