Open Line Friday–What’s YOUR Choice of Batting

90 responses to “Open Line Friday–What’s YOUR Choice of Batting”

1. Lori thank you so much for all the info that is helping me, and all who read your blog, to be better quilters! The Clover chalk wheel is great. I’ve used it several times to mark the “rail”. Also appreciate the info on needle and thread size. It has helped so much!
   Thanks again!

   1. My fav is wool. Only wish it could be quilted farther apart sometimes.

2. I absolutely love washable wool batting, both Quilter’s Dream and Hobbs. It drapes beautifully, and in my opinion shows off your quilting like none other. The needle just glides through like butter and it’s warmer but still lightweight.

   Now then, If only I knew what marking pencils to use. I’ve tried pounce and don’t like the mess it makes or the smearing. Frixtion pens used on dark fabric leaves a “line” that will not come out. I will take your advice and try the Dritz cartridge set.

   Thank you for these FABULOUS tutorials. I look forward to them every day.

3. I never thought of using the chalk wheel with stencil – that could be a life changer! I rely a lot on my frixions and an old white pencil with “Singer” on the side that seems to work best on black fabrics. Right now I use 100% cotton because I got a GREAT deal on a bolt of it (which makes it really convenient), but I’d like to try playing with wool.

4. Thanks for all the great info on marking tools. I have the ceramic pencil, but will try the chalk set shown. I don’t mark often, preferring to just do allover designs, but once in a while, marking can’t be avoided.

   I really like Quilter’s Dream Batting. I used up the last of my 70/30 roll of batting last spring and decided to try the 80/20, which is a little thinner and easier for FMQ at home. At first I was worried that it would be too thin, but it’s still at least as warm as Warm and Natural, and I’ve been using a lot of Minky and Cuddle for the backs of quilts, so the thinner batting keeps them from getting too heavy.

5. Lori, Thanks for asking!! I am going to be using wool batting for the first time. So far I adore the feel of the Quilter’s Dream. Most of the time I prefer a 100% cotton for the lovely way it crinkles up after a good wash and dry. 🙂
   For marking I use the same Dritz Chalk marker. I also use the Sewline mechanical pencil, graphite mechanical pencils, rolling markers, Frixion pens and whatever else is around. I have tried the Crayola Superwash markers but, in my test on solid colored cotton, they didn’t wash out of fabric completely. I agree about testing everything. 🙂
   Happy creating and love your blog!! :)))

   1. Oh, I almost forgot, I adore my Sewline Air Erasable marker. The marks stay well for about a day. And my blueline water-erasable marker. Clearly, I have a passion for markers…. along with everything else. 🙂

6. Looking forward to the recommendations. Joanne’s has sale on batting until Sunday. I am planning a quilt as you go project. The design will be disappearing hourglass, with a border. I am hoping to do some creative stitching without the bulk. It’s going to be my Christmas quilt… some day!

7. I use either Hobbs Wool or Hobbs Heirloom batting. I like the loft and hand of both. Have also used Warm and Natural when I run out of my favs.

8. You mentioned that some chalk markers have wax in them. I’m interested in which ones those are so I can avoid using them.

9. All I’ve ever used is Warm and Natural. It’s all cotton. I have a package of 100% polyester batting in my closet, but haven’t tried it yet. I also love the Fons and Porter mechanical pencil. It works very well for a fine line and is easy to remove.

10. I like to use Flexion pens that can be purchased at any office supply store. The color disappears when it is heated slightly. I have been told that even though the color disappears there is a residue on the fabric. And that if you put the fabric in the freezer the color will come back. I don’t put my quilts in the freezer and I can’t see the residue.

    1. What? You don’t put quilts in the freezer! Love your wit!

       1. If you transport a quilt in cold weather the markings will come back. Mailing a quilt during the winter as a gift or to a quilt show???…be careful the markings might reappear.

    2. I only use the Frixion pens when marking a quilt that will be laundered once it is finished. A was on gentle cycle with soap has permanently removed all the marks on all the quilts I’ve done. Even in Minnesota winter temps they have not come back when I had them in the car.

       I don’t use them in wall hangings unless I plan to launder them.

       I live very close to Lori and our temps are way colder then anybody’s freezer so it’s a good place to test.

       1. Questions, Sue, what type “soap” did you use? I have soaked, starched, and soaked block pieces, dried in air, and sewn and then ironed to remove the Frixion marks. Water alone never interfered with my process. If the right soap would do it, I could skip the ironing/heating step. Or was yours washed with warm or hot water? Thanks…Living in south GA, we had a very hot Summer this year but we do have freezing temps in Winter.

    3. I have been using the Flexion pens on an embroidered quilt I am just finishing up. I LOVE them, however I did do an experiment and ironed it off a scrap, then put it in the freezer and the markings did come back. A hot iron removes them again. It was still worth it to mark the embroidery lines. I will use the suggestion about washing the quilt when it’s all done.

       I also have a “Sewline Fabric Pencil, Japanese Selection”, that I like very much for lighter markings. It’s a mechanical pencil and bought extra white and pink ‘leads’ for it. It comes off easily and there’s a fabric eraser on the top end. I did not know about some pencils having wax in them, the package says nothing about what the ‘leads’ are made of.

11. NATURE-FIL BAMBOO BLEND BATTING by Fairfield had been my go to batting for bed quilts but have had difficulty sourcing.
    Just ordered /received Quilter’s Dream Angel for a baby quilt. Love the feel and quality. Also ordered their wool batting, but haven’t opened it yet!

12. Thank you for this infiormatoon!! I have always hated using chalk, because I could never get it out. I must’ve had a chalk pencil with wax in it. I will buy the ones that you suggest.

13. I like the Quilters Dream wool batting and also their cotton batting. Has anyone tried using them together in the same quilt? I was just thinking about that this morning.
    I use a variety of marking tools, the drizzle chalk is one of my favorites.

14. My favorite batting Warm and Natural

15. I love to use Warm ‘n Natural Batting……I make tons of quilts and of quilts with that exclusively. As for marking the tops for my frame quilting work, I’ve just added Frixion pens to the Clover chalk pen I usually use. (In past, I have used the air erasable pens also but I live in FL and they disappear pretty quickly! lol)

16. I Love, Love, Love wool! Also, I love the fact that both wool and poly do not form creases when a quilt or runner have been folded. My go-to batting is Quilter’s dream wool or Quilter’s dream poly.

17. I use mostly Warm and Natural, or Warm and White, both from the Warm Company. They are a local employer with a warehouse not too far from me, so I like to support them. I have a wool batt that I’ll be using for the first time, and I am told that I’ll love it, so I can’t wait to try it.

18. My favorite is Quilters Dream blend, so soft and drapes nicely. I also like Quilters Dream wool. I do machine quilting at a local quilt shop. Quite a few of my customers now are requesting blend for their quilts.

19. I really love to quilt using Dream Cotton Select (100% cotton) and Dream Wool. Dream Cotton is a little more stable: It holds on to the top and backing, which makes quilting on a domestic machine easier. The Select shows the hills and valleys of the quilting. Dream Wool is not quite as stable as the cotton, but not too bad. It poofs up more than cotton, shows the hills and valleys more than cotton and very warm. (My cat prefers the wool batting: she claims every quilt with wool batting as Hers!) I’ve also used 100% bamboo batting. It was on a roll at the quilt store so I don’t know the brand. Bamboo quilts up very flat, not showing the hills and valleys. However to the touch it’s very soft and luxurious. It drapes beautifully. I have to work harder while quilting because it isn’t as stable as wool or cotton. I’ve used and liked all three of the above battings. It just depends what I want for a particular quilt.

20. I’ve been using Hobb’s Heirloom almost exclusively for a number of years, though I’ve also used wool and loved it. At the moment, I’ve both bamboo and silk battings waiting for me to finish piecing the projects I have planned for them.

    But I still think my favorite batting will always be Quilter’s Dream.

21. I use Hobbs 80/20 exclusively. Never beards.

22. Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 almost exclusively. Soft, drapes nicely, quilts beautifully with more loft than 100% cotton, and washes beautifully. I know wool looks & feels great, but how do you wash and dry it? Especially the drying part? Love your blog & tutorials! I’m working my way through your first Craftsy class right now.

    1. Wash in machine and dry in the dryer–it gets to butter softness with use and abuse!

23. This is a great topic for me because I’m new to quilting…just finished piecing my 1st
    large wall quilt. I also want to make pot holders but don’t want to use the batting that
    has that crinkle noise…what would y’all recommend?

    1. For pot holders. NO POLY, it will melt, transfer the heat. Wool is nicer for your tabletop, if it gets used as a pad under a hot dish. The moisture doesn’t go thru.

    2. Although the crinkle makes some noise, it saves your fingers from getting burned. I’ve tried all other batting and once the oven temp is above 325 deg, you will feel the heat straight through. I’ve done it enough times to learn my lesson. Besides, I don’t want to send pot holders as gifts and have to explain that these can only be used as table warmer or find out later, someone burned themselves. Also note, I have burned a mark on my wood table using a “table warmer” only pot holder because it did not have the “crinkle” noise binding. It is designed to transfer the heat; less about moisture. No one will hear the noise except you for the short time you are transferring food from oven. It’s worth it to me. I’ve been burned way too many times especially around christmas baking time and it hurts!

24. For flat quilts, I like the Hobbs 80/20 batting. Even though the quilt is flat, the texture of the quilting shows up nicely. But, I use all types of batting, depending on the desired outcome of the quilt. I also use the chalk pencil, and when using a stencil, I like a pounce pad (but you really just wipe it across the stencil).

25. It depends on what I am quilting and for whom. Children’s quilts, I like poly batt for the extra loft, they love cuddly. For adults quilts either W&N or Hobbs 80/20.

26. just to suggest additional lines of thought….I usually use warm & natural, easy to work with, and for charity quilting the 10″ space between lines of stitching is a real plus, also like the USA made, however it holds creases too.

27. My batting of choice is and 80/20 purchased from Marshall Dry Goods by the roll. My Bernina loves it! For a more puffy look I go to the Soft and Bright polyester sold at JoAnn’s. Finally, one of the safest markers I use is a sliver of soap – I just save the Zest bar when it gets too small for the shower.

28. I did a summer double gauze with silk batting. Love how light and lovely it feels.

    1. Barb-
       I hope that you see this question.
       I have seen the gauze in my local quilt shop. I like the way it looks, but didn’t know that it could be quilted. How do you go about making a quilt with it?

       1. Anyone?? I really dont know about gauze quilting. Do you have any photos?

29. I am a fan of Quilter’s Dream, too. I often use cotton but love to use wool, it’s so warm without adding weight. Also, I have some silk batting that I haven’t used yet (Hobbs) – it’s 90% silk, 10% poly. I’d like to hear if anyone has used silk batting, what they think of it, and if there are any special tricks or hints to using it. About the cotton + wool comment – I know that a lot of very accomplished longarm quilters use both, with the wool on top because of its loftiness – yet it goes very flat when quilted densely. I’ve heard a lot of positive things about using those two layers together.

30. I usually use wool batting but would like to try the silk one of these days. I did get a great deal on a bolt of cotton batting so have been using that from time to time. It really depends on the look, loft and feel I am going for. I love my chalk wheel, both in blue and white. I also use the water erasable felt marker. I have a few friction pens but have run into the problem of them not erasing completely. Also you can use soap slivers to mark dark fabric

31. I don’t use wool due to the cruelty of the wool industry but I can say that cotton is my favourite and have also had quite good results with poly and better ones with Cotton/Poly blends. When the result is not so good is when I’ve used the poly very high loft. That is better left for hand quilting which I’m now not able to do. Then to be completely honest…….if the results are not so good, it’s cause my quilting sucks ? As my recuperation is taking it’s dandy time I still haven’t been able to put your wise knowledge from your craftsy classes into real practice but soon hopefully I won’t have to blame the batting for my shortcomings cause I’ll be a quilting genius ??✌?️?

    1. Good for you for using the power of your consumer spending to promote or oppose issues that are important to you!

       1. Thank you Linda, you’re very kind. I usually expect nasty or harsh comments in response, so thank you for that! ?❤️️

32. This last year I changed from Hobbs to Quilters Dream washable wool… I love it!! The loft, the lightness, the warmth and its a dream to quilt through. I make bed size quilts mostly and it is wonderful in them. Very very little shrinking . It’s also very consistent in its thicknesses and so soft!
    I also like warm and natural cotton for flater (is that a word ?) items. I’ve used it in a ton of baby blankets too. It gets pretty heavy in a queen or king quilt. But I do love the warmth. Just my opinion! 🙂

33. I am allergic to wool, so my favorite batting for quilts is Quilters Dream Orient, it has a little more loft and is lighter and 100% cotton. I use Warm and Natural for wall hangings.

    1. Judi, I too am allergic to wool, but as long as I’m not touching it I have no problem. I love my Woolie-Bees pillows and my wool blanket, and have purchased wool batts to use in quilts for my bed, though I have not tried them yet. I love the warmth and breathability of wool. I cannot wear nor sleep under polyester; it quickly makes me unpleasantly hot and sweaty, no matter the temperature.

34. I too love wool ….but you have to baste very closely as the puffiness has t be controlled when quilting….it’s warm and so lightweight….
    For less warmth I love quilters dream and the new company quilters select- Harder to find
    I have a silk batting waiting for the top I’m making now
    I use sewline select chalk pen almost exclusively….I’m able to control the marking
    And it comes out in the washing
    Thanks everyone for the input !!

35. Thanks for the review of the various marking options. On your advice, I bought a ceramic pencil a few weeks ago, but haven’t had occasion to use it yet.

    As to batting, I use 100% cotton for most projects. I also tried the bamboo batting a while back and really liked it’s qualities, but only plan to use it when I particularly want those qualities in a quilt. Most of my quilts in the past few years have been made for children, and I’ve opted for durability over other qualities for those.

    1. Ooh bamboo, I’ve not tried that! Thanks for the heads-up! My guess is it won’t be easy to find here in Spain so UK is my best bet. Got to make the most of the low pound LOL cause knowing the English they’ll be back on track in no time. ?

36. Would you go over the how to load chalk, replace chalk sticks and advance the chalk) because mine came without instructions and when I attempt to change chalk, advance it, load it etc it breaks. Thank you.

    1. Sure

37. Hi everyone!, I have recently started FMQ a large (108″ x 108″ quilt that I pieced I’m using rulers for some stabilization, my problem that I keep facing is little nest on the back side, everything seems to be going fine, I see and hear like it’s skipping a stitch or not picking up the bottom thread, sometimes it messes up the top thread and it starts to fray and then breaks, I’m working with a new JUKI 2010 and I love the machine, I just wish I could establish better stitches on the back side with no nest forming or thread breaking. hope someone that knows much more than me that can help me out it would be so much appreciated.
    thank you
    Glenda,

    1. Could be thread is spinning in your bobbin. I get that occasionally with 40 wt poly thread. I use bobbin washers with the shiny thread, or wind a bobbin of matching aurifil.

    2. I had the same problem with my Juki. It only happened when I was quilting away from myself slightly to the left. I think it was because of the thread going into the needle left to right. The needle puncher’ s the thread (and I think fray’s it.) before going into the quilt. I just got used to not quilting in that direction and had a lot less trouble.

       1. I had this problem with a Viking and took it to shop several times..no help in long run. On advice, I eventually Googled, How to fix nesting under seam or some such..Learned to keep machine very cleaned out and to put in new needle when that happened.. (Save old needles for other purposes..), Following that protocol has relieved the nesting problems from continuing.
          Doesn’t mean other things can’t cause it. but it fixed it for me.
          OH, one other thing, make sure top and bobbin thread are held
          out of the way, from being taken up, when first beginning a seam.

38. I tend to use Warm & Natural and Warm & White since I buy them by the roll. Quilter’s Dream and Hobbs are what I look for if I need to buy a smaller piece. As for marking, I use a variety of tools, it all depends on the piece I need to mark. I love the Frixion pens, but they do leave a mark on darker fabrics. My number one “go-tos” are Roxanne’s white and sliver pencils. They show up and wash out nicely. As much as I like chalk rollers, I can’t use them with my Bernina stitch regulator – the dust mucks up the eye and the BSR won’t work properly.

39. I only use cotton. Many are allergic to wool and polyester battings. I would like to try wool blend at some point. I also get hot with polyester battings.

40. I have mostly used Warm and Natural or Warm and White because it is all cotton. To me, it seems to be getting thinner. I was really pleased when I found a thicker version at a Joanns in Anchorage, AK. I can’t get it where I live in Juneau though. I tried several types of batting at a quilt class and really liked the wool batting for the way the quilting looked in the finished product, but I found it difficult and expensive to obtain in Alaska. I have tried some of the new bamboo products and once Joanns seemed to be selling off an all-cotton product that was thicker than Warm and natural. It quilted nicely. I’ll have to look at the package.

41. Hmm… so many comments include Frixion experience. I am going to get in touch with the company and ask questions. Then do some experiments. With allergies and also arthritis in hands and finger joints, the pens have worked very well for me…so far! Probably will be another Friday before I return with results of inquiry/experiments.
    I had not known wool batting existed until I learned about it on The Jaunt. Looking forward to trying it, especially for those utilizing FMQ.
    For our guild CASA donations, I have used white cotton flannel as a batting. They are meant to be a “comfort” quilt, not for a bed. They fold up nicely and fit in an automobile or other type situations (as in court case). I have made them
    for our own grands too. Actually, my husband has done me the great compliment of using the sofa quilt I made for him on his bed too. It has flannel also in the pieced cover with a high quality muslin for the backing. He says it is the warmest quilt he ever slept under and is flexible around his body. “Ever” includes the goose down he grew up with. It was very easy to quilt on my sewing machine.

42. A comment on the Frixion Pens…here is a link to a great article that was written: http://quiltskipper.com/2015/08/frixion-pens-all-you-need-to-know/
    by Jenny Lyon. She contacted the Pilot Co which makes the pens. In summary, the pens are a combo of gel ink, and thermo ink which makes the gel ink disappear with heat. But there is still ink left in the fabric which can come back if exposed to cold (think quilt in suitcase, shipped to someone…). As the pens were never designed for fabric, an ink remover must be used (two are mentioned in the article) to thoroughly remove either the gel ink or thermo ink (which can cause “ghosting”) from your fabric. I’ve never used them, but I do have a friend who used them regularly. She shipped it off as a gift and some of the marks came back and she had ghosting problems as well.

    1. Thank you, Nancy and Jenny!!

43. I love Quilter’s Dream Wool which I usually use for my personal quilts. But their 100% collon in Select or the thinest Request is what i use in my customer’s quilts.

44. I typically gravitate toward cotton batting (warm & natural or warm & plush), but that’s merely based on familiarity. I like to wait for a 60% off coupon and buy a king-size which I cut up for smaller quilts to make it most economical. I may have to experiment with wool….

    As for marking, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these air-soluble markers:
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182HZZ02
    They don’t last really long, but long enough to quilt my design.

    I also like ceramic pencils, but haven’t had much luck with them lasting (mechanics broke).

45. I love wool, but sometimes the cost is prohibited, so my next favorite and used the most is Hobb’s 80/20. It’s mostly cotton so it feels good, but has just enough poly in it to give it some loft. A great compromise. However, I don’t particularly like the packaged ones. They need a lot of airing out to get it fluffy. I buy it on the roll and it’s wonderful. It come in natural, black, and bleached white.

    Also my favorite marker is miracle chalk because it comes out with an iron. I actually have removed the chalk from the “chalk-o-liner” wheel and replaced it with the miracle chalk. So great!! It is hard to see on white or light fabrics, so often will use the wash out blue pen lightly on those. Thanks for your blog. I’ve learned a lot!

46. Use cotton mostly, have tried wool on a small quilt. Really like it, so will try it on a larger quilt. Have also used a poly on a wall hanging, which turned out rather nice.
    Marking is still a work in process, have tried the ceramic pencil, guess l press to hard because it keeps breaking . Lol. Right now have been working with a blue gel pen. When l finish tree skirt will let you know how it washes out. Lol !

47. Hands Down…Dream Batting. Longarmer for 20+ years. I have tried most all of them and quality remains consistently good with Dream. Mostly use Request or Select weight. Recently tried their new 80/20 and it’s also nice and softer than some others. I also like Dream Wool but here in the desert, not much call for it! Nancy

48. I use Warm & Natural almost exclusively (buy it on the bolt when I can get it at 60% off!). I do have a queen size Quilter’s Dream 80/20 waiting to be used. I’d like to try the wool batting.

49. I have been making bed quilts since 1968 (although do more wall quilts now). I still like Mountain Mist regular weight poly batting for bed quilts. The cotton brands seem to be too heavy to sleep under. I have used all the name brand battings in projects and have been happy with them all.

50. All battings have problems and all of us could find reasons not to use one or another. Wool — cruelty to sheep. Polyester — petroleum product. Cotton — any idea how much fuel and pesticides are used to produce this? Bamboo — if it’s processed chemically is very harmful to the environment. And then there are questions of safety from flammability, etc. What’s a quilter to do? We could all use old blankets… Yet that isn’t very practical either, is it?

    All that said, my preference is usually polyester, Warm Company’s Soft & Bright. I like it because it is very washable, it doesn’t crease easily, and it has nice loft for stitch definition. And it is substantially less expensive than cotton and wool. I have used wool several times and have found the thickness/loft to be too variable to trust. I’ve had wool batts that were thick and luxurious and others that were too thin to hold up under the weight of the top. ALL FROM THE SAME COMPANY, Hobbs. Same product, supposedly. Not happy with the quality control, though I like the thicker loft for how beautifully it quilts.

    1. It would be nice if we could have access to organic cotton and bamboo! I think I might just write to the companies I know and find out how they produce their cotton and bamboo. Thank you for the heads up. I find that in life, meaning food, clothes and entertainment I have no problems living my vegan lifestyle, but when it comes to crafts we’re so much more limited. But you learn something new everyday. Thank you! ?