Product Review: Buying Batting from Linda’s

Product Review
Written By HollyAnne Knight

Batting is absolutely essential for finishing your quilts, but with the notable absence of a certain big box retailer, and the limited selection offered by most quilt shops, where is the best place to buy batting online, and how do you know if I’m getting the good stuff?

(This post contains affiliate links)

 
 

Great question, Rockstar! Shopping for batting can be an unnecessary friction point for many quilters, especially if you’re new to finishing your own projects. Not too long ago, I would have advised that you take a coupon down to Ye Olde Big Box Store and look for something 100% cotton, but with the closure of a certain retailer, that’s a lot harder. Plus, cotton isn’t the best choice for every quilter or every project.

I order my batting online from Linda’s (FKA Linda’s Electric Quilter’s), and I’m excited to share with you about them and some of my favorite battings. Yes, we carry a limited amount of batting at String & Story, but I understand that most folks need a source for more options and sizes.

(Use code STRINGSTORY10AP for 10% off)

What is Linda’s?

Linda’s is a wonderful online quilt shop based in Texas. I’ve been friends with Chief Quilter and Quilt Bestie Corey for years now, and I deeply admire his commitment to community building and education. Full disclosure, I’m an affiliate for Linda’s so I will earn a commission on any purchases you make through my links.

Linda’s offers a wide variety of quilting, sewing, and embroidery supplies, but my favorite thing is that they have the widest variety of batting around, including Hobbs (my fave), Quilter’s Dream, The Warm Company, and more. You can buy batting by the roll, package, or even in big bundles of multiple rolls and packages!

(Use code STRINGSTORY10AP for 10% off)

What Batting Should You Buy?

Fiber Content

Common batting fibers include cotton, wool, polyester, and bamboo. 100% cotton and “80/20” (80% cotton and 20% poly blend) are the most common battings. Personally, I reach for 100% cotton as often as possible because I don’t need more plastic in my life, and a cooler batting is perfect for our Georgia climate. 80/20 batting is slightly more durable and won’t wrinkle as badly when folded, so you may prefer it as your go-to batting.

Wool is a great choice if you live in a very cold place or if you want some extra “fluff” (loft) to show off your quilting. It also works better for hand-quilting because it is not as dense as cotton.

Bamboo has a drape that imitates silk but is more sustainable. It will create a thinner but very luxurious feeling quilt.

Project Size or Frequency

How big your quilts are and how many you make will also affect what batting you buy. If you only make a few quilts a year, then buying battings one at a time makes a lot of sense. It may also make sense to buy your battings one at a time if you frequently change the brand or fiber of batting you’re using from quilt to quilt.

But what if you make a whole lotta quilts?

If you make bunches of quilts that are all more or less the same size (like for charities like Quilts for Kids or Quilts of Valor), then it might make sense to buy a bundle or case of pre-packaged batting. You can save a bit by buying in bulk, but you don’t have to lug out a whole roll every time you need batting.

If, however, you make a whole bunch of quilts of all kinds of sizes or you want the most bang for your buck, then you need a ROLL, Rockstar. You can get about 15 quilts out of a 30 yard roll (assuming 2 yards per quilt), so its a lot but not an impossible number to achieve in a year or two.

Affordability

The final thing to consider as you choose fiber content, brand, and packaging is the cost. Polyester is the most affordable batting, though I’ll almost never recommend a 100% poly batting. Of the battings I use regularly, 80/20 is the most affordable, followed by cotton. Specialty fibers like wool, bamboo, and silk cost more.

(Use code STRINGSTORY10AP for 10% off)

My Favorite Batting

I’m a huge fan of Hobbs Batting. As y’all know, quality is important to me when recommending a brand, but so are the brand values. Hobbs was very generous when I was starting String & Story and made sure that I got to try lots of different battings so I could understand how they work and quilt up when I’m making recommendations to y’all. To this day, Stephanie is one of my favorite familiar faces at quilt shows. It’s even better that Hobbs is consistently my very favorite batting.

I use the Hobbs Tuscany 100% Cotton, Tuscany Supreme Cotton (it’s slightly thicker than the regular cotton), and Heirloom 80/20 all the time. If you’re looking for a starting place to find your favorite go-to battings, these are the ones I recommend.

(Use code STRINGSTORY10AP for 10% off)

Final Thoughts

We try to keep some basic battings available in the shop (which we wholesale from Linda’s), but I know that many quilters want and need more options. I love all the options that Linda’s keeps in stock, along with their quick shipping and great customer support!

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HollyAnne Knight
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