Dustee Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 I am thinking about setting up a wholesale account with W&N. I have an account with Hobbs. What are your opinions on these two battings? Which one is best? Your input is greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Hi Dustee. I think cotton-to-cotton, there isn't a lot of difference. Warm Co. has a very consistent product where Hobbs can sometimes be iffy (I've had Hobbs be "trashy" and of an inconsistent thickness). If you are planning to sell batting to your customers, purchase what they like. If you are purchasing for your own use, then buy what you like. Different battings for different applications. A word to the wise--you won't make friends at the LQS if you sell batting--especially if you undercut their prices. They won't recommend you to their customers if they consider you competition. I offer a few selections at full retail, simply as a convenience to my customers. Especially those who ship me their tops. And I stock wool, which is hard to find locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Della Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 I keep three battings on hand....Hobbs 80/20, Polydown Low-loft, and Dream Puff. I do this more as a service than for profit although I take regular mark-up on pricing it to my customers. If they bring me batting, that is fine, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustee Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Our one and only LQS closed their doors a few months ago for health reasons. She is a good friend of mine and I would never dream of undercutting her. I sent a lot of clientelle her way. She also offered a longarm quilting service. I sent business her way and she sent business my way. I bought a lot of their stock, at the time I was planning on using it pretty much for personal use and to have as a convenience for my students. I had not intention of selling to the public. But I have quite a few people comeing to me for fabric, thread, notions and batting. I have lots of Hobb's on hand. They carried W&N, that's why I was wondering about it. Our local fabic store doesn't cater to quilters, it is mainly a craft and hobby store. So we are all kind of lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Wow, Dustee! You are in a perfect position to expand and fill a void locally. And if quilters come to you for batting and a bit of fabric, you have a built-in customer base! Lucky lady! It's a golden opportunity to go in many directions--if you have space for classes, you can offer fabric kits, etc, to make it easy on your students and also some profit for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 I personally do not care for Warm and Natural or Warm and White. They are such a flat loft, they show very little quilting, and they are so linty they cause me to practically have an asthma attack when people bring them to me. Every now and then, they beard through the backings of quilts. I would really prefer not to use them. Hobbs can be just awful in those little Heirloom rolled packages. I like Hobbs battings either on the large roll or the Tuscany battings that are folded into a rectangle. They are not stretched, distorted, and inconsistent in thickness. I think a lot of people use W&N because you can get it at a good discount at JoAnn's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaC Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 I, too, don't care for Warm and Natural due to the lint it produces and lack of integrity. I have never had any problems with the Hobbs 80/20 that I purchase on a roll; it's always been great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-Jane Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 I use a lot of different kinds of batting - just depends on how the item will be used. W & N for table runners and wall hangings - it is dense and holds it shape, but not very soft & pliable for a quilt. it gets more dense and stiff after washing. Hobbs cotton or 80/20 by request for our clients - but we did just receive a roll of 80/20 with black fibers we needed to pick out in one section Dream Puff for high definition quilting especially for baby and wall quilts. For my personal bed quilts, I use Dream cotton, Dream wool or Winline bamboo, depending on the quilting definition and weight I want. Bamboo has a lovely drap!!! W & N as well as Legacy batting, I find are very linty. So we have a lot on hand -- But if I had to choose between w & n and Hobbs - I would keep Hobbs on hand -- the clients will bring w & n themselves. Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seakitten Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 I also prefer the Hobbs, and QD, over W&N. I don't mind using the W&N if customers bring it, it actually quilts up nice (although the loft is disappointing), but I am allergic to the sizing they use, so I am sneezing the whole time, so I won't stock it. My customers are fine with that, and happy that I offer more choices than available at the LQS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 I like Hobbs 80/20 and their wool batting. I also have Warm and White for 30's quilts because it is flat and fits the era for quilting (which is what I want). I don't care for QD because it is so stretchy. Everyone has their opinion about what they like and what works best for them and their customers. Sometimes it is a matter of listening to all the information then figuring out what you like best by quilting on all different batts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semedo2000 Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Cheryl I think you are right about Quilter's Dream being stretchy. I think that caused me a problem with running out of batting on the sides of my quilt. I do like the way it quilts though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-Jane Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Just a humorous note, I saved my a-- once because I could stretch the quilters dream--Ha Ha ---Dave Working with the batting's, all have their + & -'s. The more you use them the better you become at adapting to their demands, just like some customers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Quilter's Dream comes in different weights. I have never had it be "stretchy" if you use the Select weight, which is the mid-weight, and intended for machine quilting. Quilters Dream states that Request loft, their lightest weight, is not suitable for longarm quilting. Most LQS's stock Request weight, which is intended for hand quilting. Something to be aware of if you get batting from customers. I have never had any problem at all with any of the Quilter's Dream products, and I use them almost exclusively. Warm and Natural makes a heavy quilt. I do not find that it gets stiff after washing. Quite the opposite...the more you wash it the softer it gets...to the point that it rather "goes away" or disintegrates with frequent washings. If you like the antique, puckered look, Warm and Natural is good for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epprog Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 I love Hobbs 80/20 too. Warm and Natural makes quilts, especially big ones very heavy and the low loft doesn't show off your quilting very well. I do keep some on hand for those that absolutely have to have it but I hate the smell it has to it (Seakitten) called it the sizing, I just didn't know what it was called. For poly I also love Polydown by Hobbs and also quite often quilt with their 6 oz and 9 oz poly for those that just want a less expensive batting with loft. Some longarm quilters around here refuse to use Warm and Natural at all because they feel it is a cheap product and not a good batting for quilts. Cher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 I love warm and natural batting. I like thin quilts though that shrink up when washed/dried. Sometimes I add a cheap polyester batting over the w&n for more quilting definition. It just depends on the quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 I use Warm Bond as my 80/20 because I found Hobbs to be unreliable. Most of my customer buy their batting at a shop where they can handle it which I think it always the best option. Those that post me quilts want me to supply batting and I want them to know exactly what they will get, with Hobbs I can't do that. No two bolts are the same Warm bond is, every time. It is more expensive which means I am not in direct competition with the local shop and that works too. Warm and Natural I keep for my own quilts, I love it and wool Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 The problem is with QD and the stretchiness, is the customers often purchase the cheapest batting of good quality which I do believe is meant for hand quilting. The customer does not often realize that this batting is not meant for machine quilting on a long arm machine because it is very thin. The heavier QD battings work fine, but that isn't what my customers would bring. With the price of fabric going up, the thoughts of saving a penny here and there comes into play and batting is a place to do that. I am thankful that I quilt for myself now because I get to pick and choose which batting I want:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 As a LA quilter, I do not feel obligated to use whatever batting the customer brings. If the batting will be a battle the whole time I am working on the quilt, I refuse it. If they purchased a batting at their LQS that is not intended for LA use...they can return it for a refund or store credit, use it on a hand quilted project, sell it to a friend, or take it to another quilter. I explain to them why I can't use it, and have never had a problem. I shouldn't have to "lose money" battling an inferior batting, while they "save" money on batting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 I use Warm & Natural or Warm & White only for wallhangings. It is good for that, as it keeps it shape while hanging, especially if the quilt doesn't have dense quilting (when the thread alone keeps it from sagging ;-) W&N or W&W has 12% polyester scrim criss-crossed in it to hold it together, which makes it kind of stiff for a 'cuddly' quilt, JMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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