Questions on batting, asking your opinion

[WendyJ]

Dear all,

I'm inquiring different kinds of batting because one of my goals is to become a real batting expert. One of the brands I came across is Matilda's own. I've received samples of this bat and it feels very nice but I was wondering how it behaves on the machine. Perhaps Australian collegues could pop in?

Another question? Yesterday Linda R. told us about that 'lovely' client of hers (is the quilt finished?) and the Fairfield bat she brought. What about it? It puckers too much or what?

Please give me some reactions. I hold your opinion very high!

Have a nice day,

[Quilting Heidi]

Wendy,

I don't know anything about Matilda's own. I can tell you that I got one Fairfield batt and will never use it again! It tears very easily and is not even. It folds up on itself very easily and you have to be so particular about advancing with it. Not intended for our use and not worth the time!

[Bonnie]

I have a friend in Australia that uses Matilda...and she loves it. In fact next time she pops over she plans to bring me a batt so I can use it. She loves the way it draps as well as quilt on the machine. If I remember correctly she uses it pretty much exclusively.

Fairfield batts have issues...they aren't all the same and you have to be careful to get one that is for machine quilting....I have recently been given a batt by Fairfield called "machine 60/40" and LOVED it...it was a great batting and drapped wonderfully and when washed it antiqued to what I like and it will last years in the babyquilt I made with it. The other batting that I have recently learned to love from Fairfield is their Bamboo batting, its a blend of 50% bamboo viscose fibers and 50% organic cotton..and it also it is a great drap, but its a bit thinner than I usually like, but its a very nice warm spring and fall quilt on the bed.

Now on the other hand their Quilter's 80/20 blend of 80% cotton and 205 poly I don't really care for, it tears and has thin spots in it...also in quilting you need to get pretty dense and as we all know the more dense the stiffer the quilt. I will use it if a customer brings it, but its not a favorite and its not something I buy for my personal use.

As well a their poly-fil batts....both are unpredicable they have thin spots, and if you need to put any tension on the batting to pull it straight or get a wrinkle out of the sandwich it does tear pretty easily...and if you look on the package its states that its for hand quilting as well as machine quilting...but I really don't think they had longarm quilting in mind here, more the pin based DSM or hoop hand quilting... However if you do successfully get it into a quilt, it does wash up well, and it does wear, but the hassle is more than I want to contend with.

[sspingler]

I refuse to use Fairfield because it is permanently wrinkled and stretches something awful and tears easily......best left for the hand quilters.

Mountain Mist has changed drastically from my hand quilting days. It used to be the same as Fairfield and bearded horribly.

I use Soft n Brite by the Warm Co almost exclusively but a lot of my customers use Warm and Natural.

There is also another one I love from Checker Dist called Simplicity Easy Pro Air Lite that has a scrim on both sides........no stretching or tearing and quilts just like butta.

[doodlebug]

i don't mind what kind of batting it is as long as the cotton/blends have a scrim...and i'm not a fan of the cheap polys either...i have my piecers supply their own...

i personally like (for MY quilts) warm and natural/ warm and white(bleached) both 100% cotton with a scrim/ i lik Dream Blend from dream quilters....it has a scrim/ and i like the bamboo already mentioned...i like that it comes in what they call 'generous' sizes. the generous queen is 110 x 116...keeps from wasting a king sheet on a large queen/small king quilt....i also like the soft blend from warm company.

i have quilted Matilda's wool. one of the LQS carries it. it didn't do anything worth remembering good or bad...but i have senstivie skin so i was itchy for a couple days...i DO rememeber that

i don't like hobbs. it's not the quality i remember....it stretches and pulls apart with even the gentlest of handling and it feels 'crunchy'...i feel the same about dream cotton, especially the request loft....i will not accept it for customer's quilts....life's too short.

now as far as shrinkage when washing....that's a whole 'nother ball of worms.

[quiltlover03]

I love and stock 100% washable Tuscany Wool very similar to Mathilda's Wool , Quilters 70/30, soft loft poly, Bamboo/cotton blend, and Quilters select cotton. I love the feel of the wool, it quilts nice, has a nice loft and washes like a charm. It also drapes very nice. Great for Bed Quilts. My nexrt favorite is the Bamboo Cotton Blend, gorgeous drape, doesn't shrink as much as the others, great for prewashed fabrics, and then the select Cotton for that heirloom look. I don't like the Warm n Natural brands, find them stiff.

[quiltmonkey]

There are two types of Fairfield batting --

---the kind you all are mentioning that tears easily. This is 80/20 blend and is for HAND quilting.

---the other kind is the 60/40 blend and it is for MACHINE quilting. I've used both the 80/20 and the 60/40 on my longarm. The 80/20 is very delicate so if you choose to use it be careful. The 60/40 is much much more durable and very similar in texture to Hobbs.

I really like the Fairfield 60/40. It handles nicely. No tears, no fluffy stuff,,,

Just remember not to confuse the two. There is a Big difference!!

[WendyJ]

Thank you ladies for your expert opinions. I'm going to bed now (it is 23.55 over here) but I know that in Australia its already morning. So wathever is appropriate: Good morning, Good afternoon of good evening to you!