Okay, so I laid out my first quilt for my sandwich and was very disappointed in the batting. It was paper thin in some places, but I went ahead and made my sandwhich and have spent hours handquilting on a couple of the squares. I thought "when it is washed it will probably fluff up". Now I am doubting myself. I paid close to $40 for the batting at JoAnn's, so I figured it was fine. What do y'all think? Should I rip it apart and start over?

I have added a picture of the batting bag. I didn't think about telling what kind it was. 100% cotton, loft height <1/4", no scrim, unbleached, bonded.

What is the brand name of the batting? And any other info on the batting wrapper would be helpful too.

I bought a brand other than warm and natural at Joannes once and it did okay because it was a flannel quilt. I would never buy it again because it was very thin. I'm not sure what you should do next. But this is a great place for quilting assistance.

if I was going to the time to hand quilt it I would be sure I had a good batting, even if that means taking it out and starting over. You may be right, it may fluff up but what if it doesn't? how important is the project?

It is for my inlaws as a thank-you for an all expense paid vacation this summer!!!

If it has bare spots now, it will most likely have bare spots after it is washed.... They may even become more noticable after washing :(

I would take out the quilting and bring the batting back to JoAnn's. If they don't make good on it, then write a letter to Fairfield Processing and see if they will do something about it. I've never used this batting, but it shouldn't have thick and thin spots in it.

I wouldn't spend the time hand quilting a king-size project feeling unsure if the batting will hold up.

I wouldn't use it either!
It most likely will get worse!

If the batting doesn't feel right now it most likely won't feel right when it is washed. I would tear it out and return that batting.

Okay, that is a very traditional batting -- the type that antique quilts were made with. When you wash the quilt, the whole quilt will softly crinkle. This is the look you get with traditional batting. I personally love this look.

This type of batting is going to be thin (package says 1/4" loft, which is thin) and look as if it has thick and thin spots. There is nothing wrong with the batting; this is traditional batting. The "cotton classic" in the name indicates this. Fairfield is a reputable brand.

How hard is it to hand quilt? The batting I usually use is Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon cotton batting, which is a traditional batting similar to the one you purchased (but *much* less expensive, I think!). It was hard to hand quilt because there is so much drag on the needle. Quilters Dream Request is supposed to be much easier to hand needle; not sure if it crinkles up the same way when washed, though, as I haven't used it. Quilters Dream is a newer manufacturer of batting, and theirs is needlepunched. Fairfield and Mountain Mist have been in business for many decades; their "classic" battings are traditional battings.

If you prefer a high-loft, more modern, comforter type look, the batting you are using will not give you that.

Personally, I would just finish hand quilting with this batting and then wash the quilt. I love the way a quilt looks with traditional batting.

Next time, if you want more fluffiness, try Hobbs Heirloom 80/20. This is a little thicker than a traditional batting, probably easier to hand-needle, and probably closer to the look you were expecting. Most of us are very accustomed to the polyester comforter look these days; the bed coverings we buy from the store are invariably high-loft polyester. Hobb 80/20 is sort of a middle ground between the traditional 100% cotton look and the modern, store-bought 100% polyester look.