Sounds like the batting was not needle punched. Sometimes there is resin involved also, to keep the batting manageable.
My sister sent me a couple of quilts to quilt for her and included batting for both. The first batting had already been opened, so I used it first. What a nightmare! It is all cotton, but has not been needle punched or whatever they do to make the batting hold together. I managed to get the quilt loaded on the frame okay but the batting stuck to everything that came near it. I will definitely suggest that she let me get the batting in the future.