I'm making a queen sized quilt as a gift (very important!) and I'm looking for thoughts/advice on the batting to use. I have some time before I need to make a decision so it's not like I'm crunched for time, which is good!

The things I know for sure are:

~I want a lower loft. I don't want the quilt to be too puffy, and in any event it's going to be spread over a down comforter so I don't need anything high at all. It doesn't have to be paper thin, just not thick...yeah I'm sure that was perfectly descriptive :mrgreen:

~Bamboo is a no-go because dust mites love it, apparently, and the person who will be under this quilt is allergic to dust mites!

~Washability would be excellent, but not 100% required if everything else is just how I'd like it.

~Works well with machine quilting on a regular sewing machine and not a long-arm and not by hand (another reason to go low-loft!).

~Can be very closely quilted, like you would with stippling or McTavishing.

~Price is not an issue. Thus far the most expensive batting I've seen for the size I need is less than $70, and I'd spend more than that for just the right batting.

Right now I'm leaning towards a wool batting or a silk batting. Of course that being said, I haven't worked with either!

Comments, suggestions, advice? Lay it on me! :lol:

if the person receiving the quilt has allergies, you may want to go with a polyester batting....washes great, doesn't shrink and won't be an attractant to dust mites!

Wool or silk batting is my choice for special gift quilts.

Dream Wool is a wonderful batt- needles beautifully- really gives a quilt a beautiful finish-
Hobbs heirloom is a really good choice- you can find it in 100% cotton or an 80/20 blend (80% cotton/20% poly)
both are good batts- need to be quilted every 2-4" so it meets that requirement for you-
there are a number of Hobbs batts- they do not have scrim so are very soft- nice to quilt-
and all of them are washable-
the dream wool washes up very nice- my quilt with wool batting is a year round quilt- it is light weight- gives warmth in the winter- and breaths- is lightweight and cool in the summer

Have you ruled out Warm & Natural? It's low-loft, 100% cotton, washable, preferred by those I know who quilt on their home sewing machines, and can take pretty close quilting (I think - others can correct me if I'm wrong).

While price isn't an issue in this case, I bought some at Hancock Fabric this afternoon and was able to use my 40% off coupon.

Having read the Quilting Board for about a year now, it seems that a plurality (and maybe a majority) of us prefer W&N to other batts for most projects.

I haven't ruled anything out yet! I would really just love to hear what people love and why.

I use W&N but I also hand quilt. Most people think the W&N is just too dense for hand quilting but I have no issue with it. It's very low loft, 100% cotton and very warm. Reguires quilting 8-10 in. but I've quilted it more densely than that and not had an issue. I've also machine quilted it for charity quilts and have had no issues.

I'd love to try a silk batt one day. Fondled some at Lancaster a couple of years ago and it is divine. You'd have to do some searching for how it machine quilts if that is your plan.

If allergies and frequent washing are involved I would definitely go with a low loft poly. Any natural fiber will be prone to dust and other things that would irritate allergies. I have been through all this with my DH. I only use poly for him. And poly can be washed thousands of times and still look great. You can quilt it as close as you want.

I personally like warm and natural and/or warm and white, Hobbs 80/20 is also a good choice( it holds up the best if I want to preshrink for a flat quilt rather than crinckly look. I like a cotton because it is a natural fiber and is cooler in the summer.
If you do lean toward a poly look for bonded fibers , non- bonded is prone to bearding , thats when the poly fibers work thru to the front of the quilt and pill. This is especially important if there are dark colors in the body of the quilt top. Quilters Dream is probably the best choice for a poly.
SIlk is a wonderful choice if you want to hand quilt, but I do not think its worth the $$ if you are machine quilting. Silk bats are realitvely new to general availability so long term results are still unknown . Regular silk fibers are prone to dry rot .. so I would be reluctant. Silk is one of the most insulating fibers you can purchase ....ounce for ounce silk is warmer.

I love Quilters Dream wool, but while it is very breathable, it's definitely not low loft. I'd opt for Quilters Dream Orient (silk). It meets your requirements perfectly, and is a LOVELY YUMMY batting!