here I go with another question
 

I am making a Lotus quilt for my daughter. She lives in CA and first was going to go with just a top and flannel for the backing. Now she is wanting a real flat batting. I have used Tuscany, Quilters Dream...and Warm and Natural, Warm and White, and Hobbs 80/20....in your opinion is there anything flatter than these. She does not want it fluffy at all.

Holy Moley, it doesn't get much flatter than Warm and Natural 100%Cotton. Maybe try one of the bamboo ones.

tim in san jose

I don't know, but I use the Hobbs 80/20, and it says on the package that the closer together your quilting is, the flatter it will be. I don't do all that fancy quilting, I try for the least amt of quilting if I'm doing it myself.

I totally agree the more quilting the flatter it lays, but by the same token the more quilting is done, the stiffer they get! If she were here where we could collaborate, it would be so much better.

Double sided flannel works great as batting...very flat:)

I get a batt at Joanns, it's a white fleece, not polar fleece
it's under the counter and is really thin. I use this for a lot of quilts I make.
it's feather light and I use it for winter quilts too. just one layer of quilts
we use, so it is warm but we use it in the summer too so it breaths too.

it's about $4.95/yd and 45 " wide. I love the stuff

does she want flat and thick(er) or flat and thin(ner) batting.

Some battng brands come in several thicknesses.

you can pre wash the W&N, then it won't pucker after washing... You could also use Thermore, that's pretty thin.

Quilters Dream Request cotton is one of the lowest loft battings on the market even thinner than W&N. Silk is also very flat but you will pay dearly for it. Some of the bamboo ones are pretty low loft as well. Also you can lay a lot of thread down on silk or wool and it won't get stiff like W&N does. So you can go with very densely quilted to get it flat and still have nice drape if you go with wool or silk.

You could always just put a layer of flannel in as batting but your quilting will have pretty much no definition.

The next thing that is flatter than W&N is just plain flannel. Hobbs 80/20 is a bit more fluffier than W&N. Ask her if she wants ANY batting in the quilt. Maybe even rethink the flannel. There are quilts called I think summer quilts with no batting in them at all.

We were at first going to go with no batting and a flannel back...not sure what got her thinking she wanted a batting. It usually gets cool enough at night to need some cover.

I forget which Quilters Dream I have used...but pretty sure it was not the request. Anyway, love Quilter's dream. And have been thinking about flannel for the inner layer.

I just told Feline Fanatic that she had originally been going to just go with no batting. I had told her about one of my friends always makes a summer quilt or two along. For some reason she changed her mind and wants a batting.

Hobbs Thermore is very thin batting.

Can you tell if it shrinks a lot?

I did not know this about wool or silk...the part about it won't get stiff with quilting. Thank you for that bit of info.

I was going to suggest Quilter's Dream cotton also. It's thinner than Warm and Natural, but still very stable because it is needlepunched (but not through scrim).

I use this all the time, and it is very flat.
http://www.joann.com/pellon-siliconi...=false&start=1

Serita

I think there might be a Thermore lite, if there is it would be very light. I use the Thermore in clothing and very light quilts with Organza for the back. Lght enough for tucks, darts and zippers.

Why not just put another layer of flannel in between if she wants it very flat?

Quilter's Dream Cotton Request is the thinnest, flattest batting that I know of. I, also, really like all the Quilter's Dream products.

If she lives in CA maybe she does not need a warm quilt. I am making one for my granddaughter and I am going to use wide muslin to replace the batting. I am going to have it meandered so that it does become stiff with the quilting.

You might want to ask her why she decided on batting after all. If it's because she wants to see the quilting ... that will give you a better idea of what kind of batting to use. As FelineFanatic said, you won't see the quilting definition in most of the flat battings.

If she wants it for a bit more warmth, consider using a wool batting which is NOT 'flat' but it is light weight (compared to W&N), and is actually warmer than W&N in the winter and cooler than W&N in the summer because it breaths more (and is not as dense). I just put a wool quilt on my bed and the temperature is just perfect. In the colder months I add another blanket but thats just because I live in Chicago and sleep with a window open all year!!

use a piece of flannel

I use white fleece.

You can use a sheet for batting. Some of the "old time" summer quilts used them.

Thermore is the flattest that I've found.

I would go with a thin poly batt. You don't have to 'overquilt' and it stays thin, hugs the body, but has no real weight.

I use Warm and Natural, Warm and White, and Warm Blend - all of which are nice and flat. My quilting is not close together but rather stitch in the ditch for the most part. After a few washes, the quilts are flat and they conform to the body. My first quilt (made in the early 90s) is silky-soft by now. Love it!

Thank you to all those who replied...I am thinking we will go with the Quilter's dream request...cotton of course. But still not sure. Still will be a while before I finish the top. It is interrupted to make a baby quilt. Plus I am waiting on fabrics to get here.