My sister and I always go in together on a full box (40 yds) of Warm and Natural. We each take 20 yards and it lasts several years. We get a great deal on the price and it is delivered right to the door.

I liked buying the Hobbs mini roll but haven't found it recently at my JAF.

As I live in a small town with limited access I order my batting thru my fabric store in a town about 7 miles out. I order a roll at a time and have hung it on a large dowel rod over my cutting table so it doesn't take up room. Then when I'm ready to cut a piece, I just pull the end down over the cutting table, measure the size I need and cut. I use batting tape to iron my extra cutoffs together for a future quilt. All my quilt tops, backings and battings are hung on a rod until I'm ready to finish them. On a sheet, I write down the size of the quilt, size of the body and borders. Also add what size for the batting and backing I need as well as the binding. Once I have these cut to size, I check mark it so I know its done. I've cut twice in the past and don't want to do that again. When I have the quilting layout figured out, I print it out and pin it to the quilt top too. I guess I'm anal about keeping organized but I seem to be forgetting things these days.

Anyway back to the subject at hand, when I see I'm getting low on batting I put in another order to my fabric store.

I most often buy it by the yard, and keep an eagle eye on my Hancock flyer. I don't buy a whole roll, as it is just too bulky for me to handle, but most often will get 10 to 15 yards at a time. I like to be able to just cut what I need. I do buy "specialty" batting in packages, like black or wool.

What's best is what works best for you. I bought a bolt at Joanns when there was a big sale. It was only 55" wide or so, about the right width for baby quilts. That year I made a lot of baby quilts and used almost all of it up. Other than baby quilts, I was making mostly queen to king size quilts, quilting with a package of batting, but I can no longer handle that size and quilt it on a DSM, so piecing batting isn't such a big thing to me. I plan to start some QAYG, and piece the batting. I've also been doing some table runners as Christmas gifts, and I'll be making some boxes. Those take small pieces of batting.

I buy my batting by the roll, on the pieces that are cut off, I set aside and use, either in rag quilts, runners, or I sew large sections together until I get a size I can use in a quilt.

I don't have much space in my sewing area, so I buy it prepackaged, on sale, at Connecting Threads, or Honey Be Good. Then, I store the packages under the bed until I need them.

~ C

I use flannel scraps and batting scraps to make rag quilts. I don't have much waste batting wise. Husband also uses it for insulation when he finds little cracks in the house that need insulated, that is for the smallest bits.
I used to buy it by the bolt but it got too expensive so now I buy a couple of bags at a time.

I have bought it both ways and have used little scraps for small projects - like Christmas ornaments and kid placemats.
But I have read on this site about people who piece together larger scraps for a bed size quilt.
I'd like feedback on that subject too, and how to do it nicely so there are no gaps or lumps.

I buy Hobbs 80/20 by the roll, and it lasts a long time. I also buy other batting by smaller rolls. And I buy anything I like by the package at garage and estate sales. That's where the wool batts and other interesting ones show up, and the price is usually wonderful.