(bat house... LOL)

I often use 100% cotton. It does shrink a bit but I like that slightly puckered look along the quilting; it gives the quilt an authentic look I guess.

I've used a very lightweight wool on a couple quilts and the drape just can't be equaled. It's wonderful but I think it's too warm for Florida so I don't use it in quilts I'm making for us here.

Bamboo is nice but it hasn't been around long enough for me to know if I'll like it in the long run. And it can be expensive! I've used it in a couple baby quilts because I thought the mothers would like the environmentally friendlyness of it.

I recently had a quilt for our own bed batted with a blend, on the recommendation of the long arm quilter. I was skeptical but others on this forum recommended it. I may be a convert to this batting because the drape is really nice and soft, the quilt is lightweight and comfy, even in this weather and the quilting looks very pretty with just the right loft.

That's probably more than you wanted to know! Batting is mostly a matter of preference so you may have to give a couple different types a try before you know what you want to regularly use, but after years of using Warm & Natural cotton batting, I think I'll be using the 80/20 for most of my quilts.

Kate

I like thin batting for our North Carolina climate and have been using more and more the Warm and Natural. For many years I used only Hobb's Heirloom, but I finely decided it was too thick, IMO, and switched to the W&N or the Warm and White.

Teresa

I prefer Warm and Natural, but really it depends on what I want the quilt for and have used all types of batting. I just am finishing up on a Blueridge Beauty design and went with a high loft poly, something I usually dislike but I wanted simple SITD type quilting on it and the loft and poof and light weight (king sized) made the pattern and material pop. So, I don't get locked in.

If I am hand quilting I prefer all cotton. If I am machine quilting I prefer all cotton lol!!! It clings to the cotton fabric better than poly.

We have a warm climate too, but I sometimes use high loft for smaller quilts, depending on what the pattern is.

I tried the bamboo and loved it but I agree with Kate about it being so new.

Some people say cotton is harder to hand quilt but I have never had a prob. Use some of the coupons and try different ones on small quilts to see what you prefer.
Rosa

All you southern ladies and your light weight quilts... I'm up here in Minnesota where the warmer, the better, although I have to admit it was 76 today.

I've been asking a lot of questions at local quilt shops, and the answer for the quilts that I will have machine quilted by professionals seems to be that each quilter will have her own requirements as to batting. Evidently, many of them actually provide their own. So I guess I will find a quilter and then decide on a batting. Thank you for all your suggestions. You can learn so much on this forum.

Northland! If you go with a very light weight wool I think you'll love it, but the 80/20 would be a good choice too.