wool batting

[Hannelore N.]

I am planning to hand quilt my 2009 BOM and use wool batting. My local quilt store owner suggested using Hobbs. Our dilema is whether to use the TUSCANY or the HEIRLOOM. the Tuscany we can order by size and the Heirloom on a roll for which there is very limited space in her small store.
Do these two have same loft and qualities?? any suggestions?
thanks
Jeanine in cold Nova Scotia

[Cheryl K.]

I have had both. They both handle beautifully, though from my layman's experience, the Tuscany feels feather light and the Heirloom feels a bit more dense. I don't know if the Tuscany is spun any finer but I seem to prefer it and try to order a king size of Tuscany when I need it and cut it to my size needed. I piece odds and ends together and have not noticed any down side to pieces quilted with the scraps.

I even use the real small pieces to put into a pantyhose for felting. Nothing goes to waste with this batting.

The advantage for the customer is that you can purchase just the yardage that you need, providing it is 90" or less.

There is also a Hobbes Heirloom, packaged in sizes, that are rolled up into a tighter bag. I am using up an order of 6 of those and I really prefer the Tuscany over those. The tight folding process seems to create a bot of thick & thin places in the batting.

Tuscany RULES!

[Cheryl K.]

Thanks for the info!

[Jo H.]

Oh man this is such a timely discussion for me too! I'm looking for batting for my quilt now and have been stumped on which to choose. Thanks for the information.

JoJo

[Jo H.]

I wanted to use wool bat for my 2009 BOM but couldn't find it around here and didn't want to wait until April and the IQF to get some so I bought polyester and I wonder if that is some of the reason I am having the problem with pleats on the back of my quilt. I usually use cotton and spray adhesive and never have any problems. The only thing I do know is that I having to do way too much "unsewing".

[Jo H.]

I wanted to use wool bat for my 2009 BOM but couldn't find it around here and didn't want to wait until April and the IQF to get some so I bought polyester and I wonder if that is some of the reason I am having the problem with pleats on the back of my quilt. I usually use cotton and spray adhesive and never have any problems. The only thing I do know is that I having to do way too much "unsewing".

Oh darn... I'm sorry that you are having issues with the quilting on your beautiful quilt. I, personally, do not like polyester batts but I know others who swear by it. I recently ordered samples of several batts of different batts offered by Quilters Dream. I did not like the feel of the poly one when I was sampling needling it. I think I must be a batt snob though! :lol:

I'm on the hunt now for the Tuscany so I can try it before making a batt decision on my newest quilt, but here are ones that I just received on Saturday.

Quilters Dream Orient: Silk, bamboo, tencel, and cotton
very soft and easy to work with. It's a mid-loft

Quilters Dream Wool: blend of fine domestic and merino wool
can be washed and dried with no shrinkage (according to the package--I have not washed my sample)

very light and airy

Quilters Dream Cotton
was a little difficult for me to needle but I think would machine quilt well

[Eileen K.]

I wanted to use wool bat for my 2009 BOM but couldn't find it around here and didn't want to wait until April and the IQF to get some so I bought polyester and I wonder if that is some of the reason I am having the problem with pleats on the back of my quilt. I usually use cotton and spray adhesive and never have any problems. The only thing I do know is that I having to do way too much "unsewing".

What about ordering from an online shop like Hancock's of Paducah?
I haven't used poly for batting since I was told it doesn't breathe. I have enough trouble with my "personal summers" without adding a quilt on top of it.
eileenkny

[Eileen K.]

What about ordering from an online shop like Hancock's of Paducah?
I haven't used poly for batting since I was told it doesn't breathe. I have enough trouble with my "personal summers" without adding a quilt on top of it.
eileenkny[/quote]

What a lovely phrase! 'personal summer', one I shall now use often, sounds much better than 'sweaty'!!!

On the subject of batting, I have used poly, cotton and wool. My favourite is wool, lovely to quilt, the cotton was good too, I have only used the poly for one quilt and it was ok ish! I always machine quilt so have no experience of hand quilting, but assume the JoJo would be right, the cotton is firmer so might be difficult!
PS. JoJo, when are we going to be getting the new video! waiting with bated breath!!!

Lynn

[Sue R.]

Here's place for good batting prices I have bookmarked:

http://www.batt-mart.com[url]

They do have Heirloom, Tuscany and the Quilters' Dream wool.

Isn't wool just lovely for a batting ?

[Sue R.]

Aha, I do like a good batting discussion :lol: . Hobbs Tuscany vs Hobbs Heirloom Wool - my personal preference is the Tuscany, it is softer and has slightly more body to it than the Heirloom, but it does need hand washing rather than machine washing (according to Hobbs). It's beautiful for machine or hand quilting. The Quilters Dream wool is also gorgeous, it has a higher loft than the Hobbs, but it can be machine washed (according to QD).

Quilters Dream Orient (which was also mentioned on this post) is an extremely dense and flat batting, the roll of it weighs a ton, compared to some of the other battings. I haven't used this one, but would imagine it would be good for a wall hanging or anything else you wanted nice and flat.

Polyesters are some and some, at the end of the day you get what you pay for. I like Hobbs Polydown which is nice and light and soft. Quilters Dream polyesters are more felted and firmer, they give a nice finish for a wall hanging. I've used it in a bed quilt recently and it seems a little stiff, but I'm going to wash it soon and see if it softens up any. It was nice to work with and all the layers kept pretty stable.

I'm a 505 spray adhesive fan, I use it for all my quilt layering, be it hand or machine, though if your hand project is big and is going to take a long time you might want to consider tacking as well, as the glue will lose its stick and disappear over time (you'll be fine for a few months though).

Cotton battings have their pro's and cons as well, I usually advise not to use cotton if it's a quilt that's going to be folded up for a lot of its life, as cotton holds the creases much more than wool or poly. It's also heavy, so stitching and washing a large piece can be very hard work. However, it does give a nice flat finish, my particular favourite is the Quilters Dream cotton Select (mid loft).

There's a great resource on the web on battings, I'll try to find the magazine it was mentioned in and get back to you all.

[Shirley M.]

I'm finishing up a lap size string quilt that has muslin foundation blocks. Because of the extra fabric layer and seams, I can't decide what type of batting and quilting to use. Does anyone have any advice? What would be thin enough? I even thought about using something like a prewashed fleece or flannel.

Is wool batting washable and is it thin?

Hugs for your help...Shirley

[Cheryl K.]

Thanks, Ladyquilter, for other quilt batting and washing info.
I washed one quilt where I used the Hobbes Heirloom (rolled up in the package). I basically soaked it in my top loading washing machine in cool water and hand moved it around to wash, then I spun it in the perm press cycle. This did shrink but not to the point that it was warped or like a "little sweater". But the shrinkage was significant...at least 5%. (Why didn't I measure it? :roll: ) I layed it out on a spare bed to dry and only straightened the corners and edges. I did not try to pull out any crinkles, then fluffed it on air cyle when it was dry. The quilt is still light in weight and has a yummy drape. I gave it to my brother with instructions on how to wash it in the future. I need to wash some of my other quilts to see about this.

[Cheryl K.]

Great info ladies!!! We have ordered Tuscany....

[Cheryl K.]

I am currently working through my Gran's and Nanny's old blankets for batting for bed quilts, definately wool and most definately pre-shrunk! :lol:
However I have just received a sample pack of different batting ( thanks Alison of Asding) and I have been surprised at how thin quite a few of them feel. Previous to this I have only encountered the 2oz and 4oz polyester and they are in a class by themselves. It is going to be interesting to try them out and see how they handle. It has been good to find this thread and find out from others, their opinion of the different batts.

Yours in the cause

Rosemary

[Cheryl K.]

I've never tried the Hobb's wool, but the Quilter's Dream wool is fabulous! It's fluffy, drapes very nicely and is so soft! It washes and dries beautifully. I use it in most of my personal quilts.

Created by CJ