Waddings and battings are an integral part of many fabric craft projects to give an item more body, more depth as well as to provide extra warmth in items such as quilts, jackets and hats. They also provide some comfort in play mats and rugs while offering durability and stability for pieced items.
Because the wadding or batting can't be easily changed once the garment or item is finished careful thought has to go into choosing the right one for the job.
Polyester batting is cheap, not cheerful but is good for craft products where padding out is needed without much wear expected from it. Coarse to feel it washe well but will flatten out in time. Mot ideal for quilts
Polyester wadding:- soft, warm and flexible with little bulk. Easy to handle and sew through. Also washes well and is pretty hard wearing. Good choice for jackets
Cotton wadding:- pretty easy to handle, but can be a little lumpy. Very warm and well behaved when washed.Creamy in appearance. Heavier than the polyester so feels "traditional" Excellent for quilts.
Bamboo wadding:- Ultra soft, adorable to touch. Creamy to look at machine washable.
Interfacings:- these add stability to fabrics, helping them to keep their shape and increases life expectancy of areas where higher wear is likely.
Interlinings:- these help to support fabrics, often to help maintain shape and often provide stiffness or rigidity to fabric items such as collars, cuffs and bags. The heavier the interlining the stiffer the result
