batting, whats good and why?
 

I hear everyone say warm and natural but I want to know why that is? Considering the price of W&N I wont spend that much just cause people say its the best. Whenever I make my tote bags I have noticed that the batting seems to thin out and it doesnt have that puffy look it used to. So what kind do I need to buy to have it stay puffy. I am quilting about one inch squares.

i made my first quilt way back in 1976---so i've made alot of them- and personally i very seldom choose warm & natural---just not one of my favorites- i have customers who love it though.
i do not recommend a specific batt---i feel there are so many wonderful batts on the market- and each has it's place- i choose the batt by the project-
some of the batts i love are:
all of the batts from the Dream company---Dream Wool, Dream Orient, Dream Bamboo, Dream Green, Dream Cotton---all of them- they are expensive though (i have to say dream wool is my favorite batt-but reserved for special quilts) the reason i like them so much is they are all very soft, easy to needle- work nicely for hand and machine quilting, have beautiful drape
others i use alot of are the Hobbs batts- Heirloom, 80/20, hobbs wool, - a bit more affordable than the Dream Batts-
they again have wonderful drape- a selection in lofts, hold up well- are easy to needle.

i am a person who recommends to people to read the packaging---make sure the batt you are considering is a good choice for the project- some can be quilted up to 10" between quilting lines (like w&n) others need to be quilted every 2"---and everything in between- some are good for tied quilts- others are not
take into consideration if it's going to be washed alot (a kids quilt or utility quilt) or if it may only get laundered a couple times in your life time---
and take advantage of all the choices out there-
try out a different batt when ever you have the opportunity & it will work for your project & keep a (batting journal)
in mine i cut a 6" square from each new batt i'm trying out- i note the name of it- the fiber content- the quilting recommendations, the care instructions- where i got it & how much it cost- then after i use it i note my experience with it- then if i am on line shopping or something & someone is having a sale i can look back & see---oh i used that one 6 years ago and hated it! and know to not buy it again- or i also know- oh...i loved that one...
don't restrict yourself to one persons preference---try them all & see what YOU like!

Have never used W & N. Use Hobbs 80/20 for cotton, and whatever is on sale for poly.

I get w&n from joanns on sale or with a coupon. I won't waste money paying full price for most things.

I like W & N & get mine with a coupon, too. I also like Hobbs 80/20 & am wild about wool.

I like Quilters Dream for hand quilting as it is like going through butter, W&N is so stiff.

Leah Day has a great page on batting info:
http://www.daystyledesigns.com/batting.htm

For another interesting topic on batting, this article talks about testing various battings for what happens if the battings catch fire. Especially important to think about for baby/children's quilts, and quilts for invalids.
http://www.imqa.org/media/uploads/20...Fall2011_1.pdf

I've used W&N and liked it, at the moment I'm using Quilters Dream Cotton. The QD seems thicker than the W&N - but I notice that it's leaving a lot of fabric dander on my quilt AS I quilt it. I wouldn't exactly call it bearding, and it is highly possible that the only reason I notice is because parts of my quilt are black.

When I can find it I am desperate to try wool.

Well for bags I like fusible fleece over batting. If you use the floriani fleece it makes it really puffy but is pricier than pellon

Thank you so much for this question and for the answers, especially for the websites. I was getting ready to put a cotton/polyester batting in a quilt for a child. Thank you, thank you for this information. I will now choose a safe batting to put in this quilt, and in other children's quilts that I make.

I mostly use Hobbs Heirloom batting for quilts and Pellon fusible fleece for purses and bags. (Those brands are what we sell at the LQS where I work.) I like the drape of the Hobbs, more soft and fluid than some of the other batts I have used in the past. I did buy a black batting once, I think it may have been Quilter's Dream, that worked very well for a very dark quilt. I hate, hate, hate polyester because it makes quilts too stiff and unnatural, it beards and mooshes down over time. I used a wool batt once and loved it because of the easy way it needled. But, it can be pretty expensive.
The fusible fleece gives purses and bags body, makes them stand up on their own better than batting, I think because it's denser, and I'm sure because of it's being fused to the fabric.

For handbags, try Inn-Control batting.

Thank you LindaM! Those were great sites and very helpful info. Im so excited to start my DG's quilt.

I am a long arm quilter and only handle Quilter's Dream batting on a roll for my clients. I love the way all of their batting quilts up.

It is interesting that we are having another batting discussion here on the board. On Saturday I will have the opportunity to attend a lecture by Larry Hobbs at the Ranching Heritage Museum in Lubbock. He is a contributing sponsor for the quilt exhibit currently on display at the museum. I am hoping to ask all of my batting questions on Saturday!

Dayle

I have a review of many different types of battings and my experiences on my blog.

http://californiaquilting.blogspot.com/

I love Hobbs 80/20 fusible batting. It makes sandwiching and machine quilting easy and stress-free. It has been one of the things in the last year that have seriously improved my quilting life.

wow great to read about the whole batting issue. I am glad that even though the topic may have come up times before that it circles around again. I am not on this site often enough to catch everything. Thank you to those who posted and for the one to ask the question. I love learning.

great advice ckcowl! one cannot be afraid to test available products to see what works best for them.

"What's best" can also vary from project to project! It really is a good idea to try out different battings on smaller projects so you can see how they look and perform.

that's correct scissor queen. i have several different battings and i have fusible fleece because you never know what type you will need for a project undertaking.:thumbup: