I dislike poly because it will tend to shift on you if possible when quilting. Cotton batting loves to stick to cotton fabrics. DO go to your local quilts and DO NOT FEEL embarrassed. We were ALL newbies at one point. We must learn from our mistakes. I would not take the stitching out. But it is always a good idea when quilting on your sewing machine to check the back every two or three rows to make sure everything looks OK.