Batting is also known as wadding.  Batting is made from a variety of different materials, readily available from quilting stockists.

What should you consider when choosing batting for your quilt

Loft - the thickness of your batting.

Low loft batting makes a thinner quilt.

High loft batting  makes a thicker quilt

Fibre - the material that the batting is made of.

The three most common types of batting are polyester, 100% cotton and a cotton/ polyester blend. There are natural batting options such as wool and bamboo but are usually more expensive.

Polyester batting:

It is lightweight, durable and more reasonably priced. The low loft versions are good for hand quilting whereas the high loft versions are good for those who want their quilts to really have definition. the polyester batting is warmer with little extra weight.

Cotton Batting:

Cotton is a breathable fibre and is the heaviest weight batting. It can shrink slightly especially if it 100% cotton. It softens over time and performs well over time.

Cotton / polyester blend batting:

This batting is usually 80% cotton and 20% polyester. It's very similar to the cotton batting but is less expensive and doesn't tend to shrink as much.

Wool batting:

Wool batting is a 100% natural fibre and is therefore more expensive. However, it's lovely to hand quilt through, will give definition to your stitches and  is warmer and also lightweight. Note : ensure it is pre shrunk, otherwise it can shrink.

Bamboo batting:

Bamboo batting is made from a natural, eco-friendly fibre. It is also often blended with cotton which makes it breathable. It gives great texture to your quilting but can be more expensive.

Fusible batting:

This batting is made with a fusible coating on both sides. It allows you to baste your quilt together, by ironing the three layers together.

Batting tip

Save your batting scraps. You can either whip stitch scraps together or use fusible batting tape to join smaller pieces together.

Alternatively you can use strips of batting to make projects like placemats / table runners which use strips of fabric or you can use those scraps to make mini quilt sandwiches to practice your quilting on.