That makes sense. I would guess the batik is mentioned to look more like a wall, kind of offering some texture to the design without a pattern that draws the eye.

I made this one (just the top) and did not use any batiks - just textural looking fabrics. It looks great, but I just do not have the skill yet to quilt it as it deserves.

I have not found batiks to bleed dye more than other fabrics--I always do the white paper test on any highly saturated
color--you rub your fabric hard with a white paper and any color showing means you wash first--and batiks have a tighter weave usually so they may feel thinner but they really aren't.