Batting: How Do I Choose?

Picking the correct batting for your quilt or sewing project may seem overwhelming if you aren't quite sure what you're looking for. In this blog post we'll break down the different materials, weights, and sizes so that you can make the right decisions for your creations! 

Materials and Their Properties
Many different batting companies use either a single material or various blends of materials to make up their batting. The most common materials are 100% cotton, polyester and cotton blends, wool. There are also some types of batting that use additional synthetics to protect surfaces from heat.   

How Do I Choose?
100% cotton is a classic choice due to its breathability and generally thin thickness. Choosing this material ensures that your finished quilted blanket will have a nice drape when held and keep you warm. 

If you're going to be making a quilt that will be washed frequently and loved, such as a baby or children's quilt, consider using a cotton and polyester blend. The added polyester adds strength and durability that will really benefit your quilt as it gets used. 

Wool is also a classic choice when it comes to quilt batting. It can tend to be thicker and/or loftier than cotton batting but still provides breathability and warmth. Sometimes we want our quilts or sewing projects to feel a little more poofy and lofty wool batting can provide that extra thickness and softness to our pieces. 

If you're creating something like a table runner or a pot warmer that you will be placing dishes on, make sure to use a batting that has a protective heat barrier in the middle of the batting. This ensures that when you're putting a hot dish on your table runner, you won't be damaging your fabric or your table. 

Loft and Weight
A lot of these materials mentioned above also come in various lofts and weights. The loft of a piece of batting just means how thick or thin the batting is. Thicker batting tends to be taller but can feel more cloud-like, with there being more air and space between the fibers. Low loft batting tends to be more dense and thin. 

Batting and Blanket Sizes
Most sewists follow a general size guide for different quilt sizes. For example, baby/toddler quilts have a somewhat standard size. The same goes for queen sized quilts, lap quilts, etc. Below is a small guide to give you an idea of typical quilt sizes. 

You can use the above information as a guide, but feel free to tweak your sizes depending on your needs and desired finished quilt size. 

If you're sewing a garment, decor, or other accessories it may be best to look for baby/toddler sized pre-cut packages of batting so that you have less waste once you finish your project. You can always save your scraps to use on future sewing projects! 

Cost and Value
Some battings will be more expensive than others. Cost is determined by the quality of the batting, the materials, and its specific uses. Here at Marietta's we carry pre-packaged batting that you can find in-store and online. The price for these pre-packaged cuts ranges from $11.50 to $53.00. Additionally, we also carry Nine Acres Quilting batting by the yard that we can cut in 1/8 yard increments for your needs. The price for these bolt battings range between $12.60 and $42.00 per yard. As always, prices are subject to change and are based on April 2026 pricing. These prices may not be reflected at later dates in-store or online. 

Come and chat with us if you are unsure of your batting selection and your needs. We're always happy to help you!