I've never had a batik stretch out on me like that.

Around here, using quilting or denim needles is preferred for batik.

I prewash my batiks usually, but see no dyes come from them. Some are stiffer than others, some are watercolours that don't use wax, so they're not as dense or stiff.

I hand-sew everything and about 75% of my stash is batiks. I adore them. Some are more difficult to get a needle through, with piecing more than with quilting, but it's a small minority and in some cases I know which manufacturers will be hard work. For instance, the very beautiful and incredibly useful Gradation range by Sew Batik - oddly enough, some of their other fabrics are softer and easier to needle. I wouldn't want to use those fabrics all the time, but I will happily use them mixed in with other fabrics for the odd project.

Definitely prewash, as with all fabrics that won't be damaged by washing (yes, metallics, I'm looking at you). With all but the lightest fabrics, I presoak them in cold water for a bit, then sling them in the washing machine in a mesh bag.

As for the colours being hard to work with, the jewel tones might be more eye-catching, and I admit that overall batiks do tend to be purer, more saturated colours, but there are plenty of more sombre batiks out there. I won twenty half-metres of fabric when I won the UK Hoffman Challenge, and to my disappointment, the only batiks in the pile were a greyish beige. Ah well, I'm sure they'll be useful in a landscape quilt or something.

I tried to quilt one made of batiks....my HQ 16 would not quilt on it!!! Could never get the tension just right after MANY adjustments attempts. Had to pick out what I did attempt....not fun. So now, I just shy away from batiks. I think they are beautiful, though.

I love batik's so much that if I am working on a new pattern and want to use traditional cotton fabric other than batik's, I have to go to a store that doesn't carry batik's. If I go on-line, which is what I do most. I always end up with batik's. You just have to use the proper needle because of the tighter weave. And I haven't had very much running. I just use color catchers and I've only had one really bad running one, but I think that may have been because it was a cheap fabric. I'd have 50 yds. of every single batik there was if I could afford it.