Hi! This is Eula and though I am at the shop on Wednesdays I spend most of my work time at home quilting for many of you on my Gammill Longarm machine. I thought I would talk a little today about batting. Quilting Bits & Pieces carries mainly Quilters Dream products, we have been happy with the selection, quality and service this "Made in the USA" company provides. They have a wide variety of batting options, let me tell you about a few of my personal favorites.Dream Orient--This is a blend of cotton, bamboo and silk and has become one of my very favorite battings. It has a wonderful soft hand and good drape. But my favorite feature of Dream Orient is the appearance it gives to a machine quilted quilt. Your quilt remains soft, flat and drapes nicely but the quilting really shows up with this batting, if you plan on fancy quilting this is my choice as the best batt to show it off. It is a bit more expensive than cotton but for a special prized quilt this is worth considering!
Dream Angel--This a a fire retardant fiber, not a fire retardant coating that can wash away like many sleepwear fabrics have. When this batt came out several years ago I was excited about the possibility of using it, especially for crib quilts and for those who are wheelchair bound. I took a piece of it out to the alley behind the store and proceeded to try to set it on fire. When I held the flame directly to it, it charrred just a bit and EXTINGUISHED the flame. I was impressed! (and I don't impress easily!)
Dream Blend--70% cotton and 30% polyester. Now I must tell you I am really a natural fiber fan so in most cases I prefer 100% cotton but I have found that the addition of the poly in this batt makes it very stable. The good part of that you ask? If your quilt is going to be hanging or is all on the bias and really needs to be stabilized, this batt is a great choice.
Dream Wool--Soft, strong, gives more of a "puffy" look to your quilt while still using a natural fiber, this batt makes a very warm quilt. My favorite part of this batt is that though I am allergic to wool (it makes me itch and sneeze) this is the one brand of wool batting that doesn't require me to take allergy pills followed by a shower when quilting with it!
Dream Cotton--we stock two weights--request and select--heavier weights are available by special order. These batts have been my standard for years. The Request weight is thinnest and my recommendation for hand quilting or for a very lightweight quilt. Select is a bit heavier and I prefer it for machine quilting. Both weights come in both white and natural. I recommend using white for white or very light pastel quilts or bright colors, it keeps your colors their sharpest.
I hope these thoughts help you out as you select batting for future quilts.
Eula
