One of the most frequent questions I'm asked is which batting to use for a quilt. I get it! There are a lot of options and each quilt is unique - there are bed quilts, baby quilts, summer quilts, winter quilts, show quilts, wall hangings, table runners, the list goes on.
I was considering writing a series of blog posts on the various options but there's already so much great information out there on this topic. So, instead of writing another piece, I've curated a list of four comprehensive and helpful resources already available.
Note: These are not affiliate links and I don't have a relationship with any of these businesses.
Zahm Co. - Recently, Zahm Co. published a free resource "Beginner's Guide to Quilt Batting". This is a comprehensive document that covers batting vocabulary, types, colours and loft. It delves into the pros and cons for each type of batting (cotton, polyester, wool, bamboo, blends and fusible). It even touches on some of the different brands (Quilters Dream, Hobbs, Pellon, Warm Company, Fairfield and Mountain Mist) as well as care requirements for each type of batting. This is a well organized, easy to read, printable document. Note: you do have to enter your email address to download the document which subscribes you to the Zahm Co. newsletter, Z Insight.
2. Suzy Quilts: How to Choose the Right Batting - a long established blog from expert quilter, pattern and fabric designer, Suzy Williams. This blog summarizes when to use 100% cotton, 80/20 cotton/poly blend, 60/40 cotton/poly blend, wool, and bamboo. There are great photos of Suzy's own quilts with each of the different types of batting. The blog also touches on three commonly used brands: Quilter's Dream, Pellon and Hobbs. While you're on this website, be sure to check out all the other amazing blog posts and beautiful quilt patterns.
3. If you prefer to watch, rather than read, Riley Blake Designs has a great YouTube video that talks about polyester, cotton, wool, blends and how batting is made (bonded or needle punched). The video allows you to see the presenter handle samples of each type of batting. It is nine minutes long and also addresses the benefits of using double batting and when to consider it.
4. If you really want to become an expert in batting, watch this YouTube interview by Karen Brown of Just Get It Done Quilts with Stephanie Hackney - director of sales at Hobbs Batting. I use Hobbs batting but I chose this video because she really goes into depth on the various types of batting and it's incredibly informative despite what brand you are using. She covers what should be used for which projects. This video is 37 minutes with no fluff! You'll learn about needle punching, bearding, scrim, t-shirt quilting, machine vs hand quilting, silk batting, black and bleached batting, There's even some information about how to join your scrap batting together.
In the last video, Stephanie helpfully summarized the five questions that you should ask as you consider which batting to choose for your project:
1. What are you making? (ex: quilt, wall hanging, table runner)
2. What surface finish do you want? (ex: texture)
3...Who is it for? (ex: child, adult, quilt show)
4..What's the use case? (ex: show quilt or utility quilt)
5. How will it be cared for? (ex: hand vs machine wash)
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and it contributed an extra layer to your quilting expertise.
Thank you for reading!
Jody