Love them but don't like hand piecing/quilting them. I use them when I'm planning to machine piece/quilt. Like them a lot for wall quilts.

I grew to appreciate them after I found out what the process of dying the batiks is. Most of the work is done by hand with stamps. I like to use batiks for some quilt patters because they do not stretch as much.

My scrap quilts have all sorts of quilting fabrics in them(not flannels). I make flannel quilts too.

I just started to use them I never understood them either
but I did this lighthouse quilt (I am still working on it)
and I like how it resembles water

I did sneak a few, maybe one or two in with my charm apple core quilt I am cutting for now. I am not sure how they will play out once I lay it out. We will see.

You know Margaret, my wallet is much thinner as well, and since joining this board, there are so many things I never knew I liked before either. I'm still on the fence with batiks however.

I love batiks!! The colors, designs are fantastic. I prefer working with them to regular prints. The Bali Pop stips in all different colors make into beautiful quilt tops even when using a basic pattern. Yes, there are some that I don't like, but 90% I love!

I've been quilting for 30+ years and have used everything from cotton blends & old clothes to the nice cottons we now can get. I started stashing batiks after a trip to a Hawaian quilt shop where I learned a lot more about how they are made. Many times the paint has built up as the layers are added which can make them feel heavy or scratchy and bleed when washed. Also, if they are triple dyed (my favorite) the lightest color is added on first, then release (wax) is put on where the next color is not wanted. This can happen several times allowing each color to show through. Of course, if you've ever done any watercolor painting (not on fabric :), you know how washes are created by putting paint on a wet surface so it pools & blends. Then a sprinkle of salt for little dots of more intense color here and there.

It's quite a process -- and does add a density to the fabric. So, the first lesson is to wash 3 times as someone noted in a previous post, and make sure the rinse comes out clear before you stop. Go ahead and dry this fabric -- it has been washed and dried many times while it's on the stretcher and doesn't seem to fray much at all. I've also noted that the grain is straighter so there is less fraying when you work with anything on the bias.

So, in the middle of my closet of frabic is a shelf of loved batiks. My first finished project with them was a purse done in strips. Loads of fun playing with the colors. Hope you try them.

I felt the same way about batiks until I went to this HUGE fabric warehouse in Gastonia, NC. They have rows and rows of different batiks! The way they were lined up by color were so eye-catching! From the hottest yellows and reds to the deepest, coolest purples...in short...I was hooked!

I can't get into batiks either!