ckcowl

seems like there are people who will say..."cotton is best" and there are those who will tell you "poly is best"...then there are those of us who LOVE the wool batts and the bamboo's...it depends on your personal choices and what you are using them for. I do not believe one is necessarily better than the other; just different. I use them all. I love wool batts and use them for really special quilts (because they are expensive) I ABSOLUTELY LOVE DREAM POLY!!! oh my it is a dream to work with! i use WARM AND NATURAL cotton batting most often...the dream poly is as thick and wonderful as the best warm and natural, biggest difference (2 of them) 1) warm and natural is cream colored; dream poly is white...2) warm and natural shrinks just like all cotton battings; polyester battings do not shrink.
poly's are great to use in kids quilts or any quilt that will be laundered alot; it holds up very well and washes thousands of times without issue.
not all cotton (or any other batting) battings are created equal, some are better for hand quilting than others, some are better for machine quilting; some are ok for machine quilting with a small machine but not so great with a long arm...
i have put together a little (scrap/swatch book) journal if you will...each time i try a new batt on the market i cut a 6" square of it to add to my book, noting the recommended quilting distance, laundering instructions, material content, cost, and then after i've used it i add my critique and general feelings about it. some times it lets me know i never want to use that again,or perhaps i oh so love it and will look all over to find it again.
i do not think anyone should limit themselves just because someone said ... this is the only batting i would ever use in one of my quilts...how sad :(
there is a wide world of quilting out there and you should try as much as you can and make your own decisions what to use and what you don't like.
there is one cotton batting out there i ABSOLUTELY HATE!!! but i have a friend who loves it and would bring it to me with her quilts to be quilted...i kept replacing it (at my own cost) finally when she was over bringing me another quilt we talked about it and i had just finished a quilt for her mother that i did use the hated batting, so i could show her exactly what my issues with it is and why i shudder when she brings in a new quilt to be quilted. she understands my side now and has assured me that neither of them will buy that anymore. (they would bring me a quilt and tell me don't quilt it much, it doesnt' need much...but the batting said quilt every 2"...so i had no choice but to do some heavy quilting...finally she understands; and we had talked about it a number of times but until i could show her...)
anyway. try every batting you can get your hands on and make your own decisions based on what YOU like. (the dream green batting which is green and made from plastic bottles is just like using artic fleece for a batting)

franie

I usually use Warm & Natural but recently have discovered Poly Down. Love how it quilts. Less fuzz in the bobbin.

ckcowl

i have never had a problem with a poly batting melting from my iron, i have never actually ironed a batting without fabric covering it but there has never been a problem and just like with cotton batting not all poly batts are created equal, some pull apart and migrate alot others (like the dream poly) do not. scrim and no scrim also has a bearing on the characteristics of the batting, and you can get either one (cotton & poly) with and without scrim

ckcowl

poly batts are NOT NECESSARILY THIN OR LIGHT it depends on the brand and the loft, you can buy poly with anywhere from 1/8" loft up to 3/4 " which is amazingly lofty! not all batts are created equal, try them all

mayday

Ilike cotton mix too and it's qualities BUT do find that poly gives a wonderful loft snuggly/comforting feel and to me is warmer ,but do not know how it takes lots of wash/wear.

MaryStoaks

I usually use poly batting. My quilts are not heirloom quality, just quilts to be used and washed alot. I would use cotton if I ever made (not likely LOL) a special show quilt.

mayday

very sensible.

Debra Mc

Let me tell you my tale. Made this gorgous spinning star quilt. Lots of bright colors & black background. I used poly & it bearded. Meaning it worked its way up thru the fabric. Broke my heart. King size quilt too. I wiil never use it again. I now only use cotton & on dark quilts I use dark cotton batting. I feel like I wasted my time. This was a hard pattern for me to learn & then have my quilt ruined. Glad I was making it for me. Use it anyway. :XD: :XD: :XD: :thumbdown: :cry:

Shelbie

It really depends on the quilt and its use. I find Polydown is a good polyester batting as it doesn't shrink or beard, is uniform in thickness (seldom has thick or thin places), is easy to unroll (some shred instead of coming apart easily) and can be quilted eight inches apart without any difficulties. It washes well and does not seem to bunch up after repeated washings. Quilts made with Polydown will be a little puffier and won't be quite as flat as those using a cottom bat. I find it a great choice for children's quilts or college quilts that will get a lot of wear and be washed frequently. Polydown is not my bat of choice if I was completing an heirloom wedding quilt for my daughter. I'd try a Polydown bat on a quilt to be used everyday and see what you think. It really is quilter's choice and the $ spent. Polydown will probably be only 1/3rd of the cost (at least in Canada it runs about $5-$6 metre and less if bought in bulk) of a cotton bat. Happy stitching.

TammyD

Thank you all for your replys! You have been most helpful! :D