Batting: Which is the best batting to use for your project?

When you go to pick out batting, there are so many different kinds and

different lofts of thickness it can be really confusing. In the old days, the women were more concerned about warmth and comfort and often would choose wool blankets, old clothes, or raw cotton from the fields to line their quilts. They didn't have the choices we have today. There is 100% cotton, 100% wool, 80/20 which is 80% cotton and 20% polyester, or 100% polyester. Then you have the added confusion of the low, medium and high loft. There is also now bamboo which I haven't tried yet but would like to order some just to try it. I checked JoAnn fabrics and they carry a fusible batting made of 50% natural fiber and 50% bamboo. Hancock Fabrics doesn't carry it at all but it can be bought on line. Even if you don't quilt your quilt top yourself, picking out the right batting can make a real difference on how you project feels when its done. For instance if you make a wall hanging and you use polyester batting, it will stretch after a time. For wall hangings, 100% cotton is the best choice. For table runners and place matts, 100% cotton will lay flat better than polyester. I've made quilts with 80/20 which is 80% cotton and 20 % polyester and more recently have used polyester low loft and a high loft. It you are going to be doing a lot of top stitching then you may want to choose an 80/20 or a polyester low loft. My last project I used a  high loft which is more suitable for tying a quilt than machine or hand quilting. I have found that while I like 80/20, the quilts feel heavier than with the 100% polyester. I intend to make a sample booklet to keep in my sewing room of the different kinds of batting sandwiched between two layers of fabric to get the real feel for the battings effect. Don't forget to look in our quilt collection and see my latest creation. I call it Peace, Love and Tranquility. It is the quilt I made for my son. I even took a picture of the back. The grandsons held the quilt up for me and the back is showing sideways.