What batting do you use?
 

What is your favorite batting to use?

I really do like Warm & Natural but seems to be getting pricey. As an alternative, especially for kids quilts, I've been using a good flannel when it is on sale at Joanns ... I just be sure to launder it first cuz it does shrink, but it has a nice 'hand' and is soft and cozy.

Hobbs Hierloom 80/20 (80% cotton/20% polyester) or Hobbs Wool.

My favorite is Tuscany wool and Tuscany silk if I'm fmqing. I use Hobbs 80/20 for big utility quilts. I have a bolt of Warm and Natural to use for projects and wallhangings. I like to try different battings and buy a package of new to me types to try. If a LA is quilting my quilt I always ask what batting will be used and ask for a sample. There are many good battings available. Fairfield traditional is one I started with and still use from time to time.

I have tried many different types and even have a personal review of various types on my blog. Having said that, I really like Hobbs 80/20. I am not a big fan of polyster batts and recently did 4 charity quilts using Morning Glory 100 percent polyster and I do not think I will use it again.

I have not used that many different battings...I just used a Fairfield 80/20 for the first time a bit back for something. I can't even think what. I can see liking it if I had a long arm, but I got the quilt started, then something happened that it set for a while puddled under my machine and I swear it seemed to get fluffier. Still, I did like it after it was done.

I have used Warm and Natural and Warm and white, and like both. A lot.

So far, though, my love is Quilter's Dream Cotton. Something about the way it softly drapes...even after quite a bit of quilting.

Oh, and I have used that cheap polyester batting from Joann's. I have used it and only tied it and it stayed in place really nice. It has a scrim. I have also quilted one quilt on the machine using it and it did fairly good.

Quilters Dream , and Hobbs 80/20.

My favorite batting so far is still Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon 100% cotton. This is a very traditional batting, used for generations, and needs to be quilted at least every 2 inches. I love the way it crinkles after washing and how soft and thin it is -- perfect for wrapping up. It is also light in weight (because it is so thin). With proper quilting, it lasts forever. The next one I might try is Quilter's Dream Cotton, which I'm thinking may be similar but would have the advantage of being needlepunched (which makes it more stable).

I recently used Pellon's Nature's Touch, which is very similar in weight and handling to Warm and Natural. It was fine for the quilt I used it on, but this is a much heavier batting. Some people like heavy battings, but I just don't. For large quilts I find the end result is just way too heavy; for smaller quilts, I notice that they are not as soft for wrapping around a body (because the drape is stiffer).

Another batting I want to try is Hobbs Polydown, which is supposed to be nice for children's quilts because it dries so fast (and kids' quilts take more trips through the washer and dryer).

I have used Hobbs 80/20 a lot and find that this is a very good batting to start with, for either machine or hand quilting. It has good loft, good drape, good weight, and is easy to quilt with lines moderately apart. It's really my best comparison to other battings. In my case, I find I like the thinness and softness of MMBR a little better. If I had to choose between Hobbs 80/20 and W&N, the Hobbs would always win -- except if I needed to tie the quilt or keep quilting lines 10 inches apart, in which case W&N would win.

I love Quilter's Dream Cotton when I do hand quilting but I use Warm & Natural most of the time for machine quilting. I buy it on a roll at Joann's when it is 50% off.

I have several others to try but seem to go back to the old favorites.

Carso, Where on your blog is the comparison of the batting? Would love to read that.
21quilter, I was wondering why you use quilter's dream cotton when hand quilting, and Warm and Natural when machine quilting. Thanks for helping me learn the differences between these different battings.
Thanks ladies for all your input.

I have probably 5 or 6 different battings in my stash at any one time. I like the properties of each for different projects. So depending on what criteria you have for the project , your choices will be different.

any of the Dream Batts---dream poly, dream cotton, dream orient, dream wool, dream green, dream bamboo
Hobbs batts- heirloom , 80/20, wool,
some of the mountain mist's
pretty much warm & natural is at the very bottom of my list- as my least favorite to work with.

I got 30 yrds on sale at Joann's and it is pellon Nature's touch. I have not use it yet. It was suppose to be warm and natural but they were substituting the Pellon.

I LOVE Quilters Dream Cotton!!! I love the way it washes up and crinkles up. It's lightweight and easy to handle. I have used Warm & Natural, but i do like the lighter-weight drapability of the Dream Cotton.

I've always used Warm & Natural but I decided to try a few other bats. The last quilt I did I used Legacy bamboo/cotton blend and I pre-washed it. It came out very soft and silky, was very nice to quilt on, no bearding, nice and supple. I liked it better than W&N overall.

I've got a few other bats to try and I'm really looking forward to trying the wool batting that I got on sale!!

Still haven't settled on a favorite. I definitely prefer cotton or mostly cotton batting. I tend to use Warm & Natural or Warm & White, but also like Hobbs Heirloom 80/20, Mountain Mist Cream Rose or White Rose. There are still so many out there I want to try!

Warm and Natural or Warm and White are my favorites. Easy to quilt, nice weight and drape. I love 100% cotton.

Hobbs 80/20 ...buy it from Connecting Threads 30% off!

We keep bolts of both W&N and Hobbs 80/20 (white and black) in stock, as customers do have a preference. If they let us choose, we usually use the Hobbs. Do love using anything from Quilter's Dream, though just don't keep it in stock enough (yet anyway!)

Christine

Warm and Natural isn't actually 100% cotton. It's needle punched through a poly scrim. http://www.warmcompany.com/wnpage.html

So far, I've used W&N in cream and white, and various polyesters. Hated the polyesters with a fiery passion, due to the bearding. I like the loft for a tied quilt, but I dislike intensely the bearding the pulls through nearly every time. I just ordered a piece of the Dream Wool for my newest quilt, it's for DD#2, who is thrilled to bits to be getting a quilt with wool batting, the girls is ALWAYS cold.

I have some polyester quilt batts that I've had kicking around forever (while I went through a divorce, and getting my life back on track). Any problems with using them in a cotton quilt, aside from the "bearding"?

I used to buy W& N by the bolt, but bought Hobbs 80/20 and like it better, but my fav is Dream Wool. Just washing my finished Chunky Churndash[ATTACH=CONFIG]396357[/ATTACH] I love it.

Warm and Natural. I like how it quilts.

I've always used the Quilters Dream because that's what my LQS carries. Recently, I've been using Warm and Natural Cotton. I like it so far. I got some Mountain Mist on sale at JoAnns. I did not like it at all. It was patchy and scrawny! I actually bought a king sized batting and planned to use it on several baby sized quilts, but ended up using the rest of it for a non quilting project because I disliked it so much.

I purchased some Hobbs Wool and am looking forward to trying it. I'd originally planned to buy a roll once I knew what I liked, but maybe I will just keep buying batting to fit the size of each quilt. I did not think batting would take so much thought!

I try to get whatever is on sale, but I just bought some prepackaged batting from Joann's for 1/2 off and didn't like it at all. I had to pick out 5 places where it looked like there was a teeny tiny rock and it left so much lint in my machine that I had to clean it every time I changed the bobbin. It was called Sew Perfect. First & last time I will buy that brand.

Your Chunky Churndash is beautiful & colorful...a happy quilt.

Quilters Dream. Wonderful for hand quilting and nice drape. This summer I used the bright white, light weight Pellon cotton batting that comes on a roll at Joann's. Specifically purchased it to drape nicely and be used on a cotton lawn quilt top I finished. Loved it and was able to quilt the tiniest stitches ever. Don't know if it would be substantial/warm enough to use on most quilts here in the northeast though.

Love Hobbs 100 per cent cotton batting. It's all I use. Although at some point I am going to try wool batting, and probably silk, and maybe bamboo.

I haven't tried very many different battings. However I did get a really good buy on fleece awhile back and have been doing "cheater" backing/batting all in one on the back of my last few throws. Everyone who has gotten one has commented on how soft and snuggly they are.

I like Hobbs 80/20 if it is for a special quilt. Most of the quilts I make will be heavily used and washed so I use Hobbs Polydown. It handles well, does not beard or pull through, washes and dries well and is very easy to quilt. Even our best hand quilter in our guild likes this batting. It is also affordable for someone who is giving a lot of quilts away.

I also like warm and natural buy it when it is on sale

Quilter's Dream cotton for sure. it is absolutely wonderful. same thickness thru out, just an awesome batting

low or med loft and whatever is on sale.

Pellon is one of my favorites..... I long arm and warm and natural it great, but pellon is relatively cheap when on sale, and of very similar quality... I like the dense poly too ESP for kids quilts that get laundered a lot...I hate mountain mist it is just lousy even the cotton blend...

I love Dream wool the most but use their bamboo as well. I just got some of their poly for skinny quilts, it feels wonderful, but I haven't used it yet.