Years ago, probably in the mid 90′s, I fell in love with Hobbs batting. The Heirloom 80/20 was my favorite. It was about all I used in my quilts. I wasn’t making a lot of quilts back then but what I did make, I used only Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 for the batting. For the next 8 – 10 years, that was the only batting I considered. At some point before 2005, I began having problems with Hobbs battings. It seems that lots of people were having problems with them. I was quilting a lot for other folks and going through lots of rolls of batting and it seems that I heard every excuse in the book as to why Hobbs was sending out batting that was not the same as what I had once been getting. The problems I had ranged from finding discernible pieces of something . . which I assumed to be part of the cotton plant (leaves or twigs), to fairly large sections of black fiber mixed in with the ecru fiber (the excuse I was given was that the machine had not been cleaned properly after running black batting). The excuses just didn’t matter to me. If I was quilting a top with a white or off white background and came across a hunk of black batting, that was a big problem for me. At one point, the batting was so rough, I do believe I could have used it to scrub pots. That is when I gave up on Hobbs batting.
There are lots of battings that I like — Warm & Natural, Quilters Dream, Mountain Mist Rose. With the problems I had experience with Hobbs, I gave up being a batting snob and learned to like other battings for other reasons. While I liked these other battings, I never got over loving the old Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 that seemed to have been gone forever.
Six or so years ago, while at quilt market, I was talking with the Hobbs guy. He was a new guy. The man I had previously dealt with was gone. The new guy assured me Hobbs batting was similar to what I had used previously. I gave him an order but then as I thought about the trouble I had experienced, I went back and told him I had changed my mind.
Fast forward to December, 2012. I came across a batting sale and, because I was completely out of the extra wide batting of any brand (120″), I ordered a roll of Hobbs Heirloom 80/20. It’s been standing in the corner now for almost three months, with the plastic still wrapped around it. I would look at that roll of batting and yearn for the old Hobbs Heirloom 80/20. As long as I left the plastic covering over the roll, I couldn’t touch the batting. I didn’t know if it was scratchy and rough, or soft and fluffy. I didn’t want to know. I hoped it was soft and fluffy but I feared it was not.
For Nicole’s New Beginnings quilt, I had to use a wider batting. The quilt finished at 102″ x 102″. 96″ wide batting just wouldn’t work. I opened the roll of Hobbs Heirloom 80/20. It is soft. It is fluffy. It feels exactly like the old batting that I loved. Exactly! I didn’t come across any twigs or leaves or black fiber.
Everything is right in my quilting world again. My very favorite batting is my very favorite batting again! I truly never expected to feel that batting again. I’m not sure what made me decide to order Hobbs when I needed the extra wide roll but I’m surely glad I did.
If you were one of the quilters who experienced the problems with Hobbs products, you may want to give them another try, if you haven’t already.
For anyone who might be wondering, the folks at Hobbs have no idea that I even exist. They don’t know I wrote this. They don’t even know I ordered their batting. This is not an advertisement. I expect nothing from Hobbs in return for this blog post . . except that I expect them to continue making a soft fluffy batting without leaves and twigs and black fiber! 
Thanks for the input! I used it years ago and had similar issues!!!! Will try it again!
I hope you like it again if you try it. I’m real pleased with it and it feels like the old 80/20 that I loved so much.
Thanks! I also used it and loved it.
Great to know it’s back!
I haven’t quilted a lot, but when the bamboo batting came out, I loved the feel of it, (extra soft!!) and bought several packages. When it’s gone, I don’t think I’ll buy anymore, because of all the fuzz that builds up in my machine, and floats through the air when I’m using it. I haven’t tried Hobbs batting, but I may have to do that now, Thanks for the heads-up!
I’ve never used the bamboo so I can’t tell you how it compares to the 80/20.
Glad to hear it is back to being of good quality. We put a lot of work into the piecing so we want the batting to be good also. Thanks for the heads up.
I have used Hobbs for a long time. I love the Heirloom and ordered a lot of it about 10 years ago. I was glad that I got a lot at the time because shipping from Texas to Idaho is horrible and just keeps getting worse! I must have ordered mine before it got ugly. Every once in a while I have come across a little bug in the batting, but none of the problems you describe. Just last week I got some of their Tuscany polyester. If you have never tried it, I highly recommend it. For a poly batt it is amazing and I have never been able to find it in the stores in my area. Thanks for your review!
For the quilts I make, I don’t use a lot of poly but I’ll remember that the Tuscany poly is good when I do need poly. Thanks!
Isn’t the shipping horrible? I understand why but it hurts.
My favorite so far has been the Quilters Dream Orient but it’s expensive and I only use it for special quilts. Otherwise I, typically, use the Quilters Dream 70 cotton/30 poly because that’s what my LQS has. I think I have tried the Hobbs before, about 4 years ago, and I had problems with it. I may or may not try it again if it crosses my path but for now I like the Quilters Dream!
I remember when the Hobbs 80/20 went from soft and fluffy to course and rough and how disappointed I was. That was back in the days when I quilted on a DSM and wanted the cotton to keep things from slipping & sliding. Now I mostly use Hobbs Polydown because I want something lightweight. Even though it’s polyester it’s a very nice batting.
I’m a long time user of Hobbs batting (love it) as well as Quilter’s Dream. I want to use wool in my next quilt that will be hand-quilted. I want to use wool for the added dimension it will give to show off the quilting. Have you used wool and do you have a preference, and if so, why. Thanks!
Ihave not been a batting snob, usually I just get what ever I can from joanns… recently I foudn Hobbs at Michaels w a coupon and I’m quitling with it right now… I love it! It’s not as soft as the Moutain mist Rose (which I thought was very thin and too stretchy) but I love the way it is quilting. needles well.
I’ve used Hobbs’ Heirloom 80/20 exclusively since sometime in the early 1990′s, but I’ve never bought it on the big roll. I haven’t had any problems with the pre-packaged, though. I’ve always been happy with it.
You were very lucky! There were reported problems with the packages too so I’m glad you didn’t have to deal with it.
I love Hobbs 80/20….
Hobbs 80/20 has been my favorite for a loooong time
I have both a 96″ roll of Warm and Natural and a 96″ roll of Hobbs right now, and the Hobbs is so much nicer. I was never a big fan of Warm and Natural — too stiff for my taste — but I do order it when I find a good deal to use for comfort quilts. I only use the Hobbs for my own quilts.
Jeanne
Ha, yes maybe the W + N is a 90″ roll … and I have a couple of 45″ rolls too. Anyway, I store the big rolls in the tub of our guest bathroom.
Jeanne
I love Hobbs 80/20 and experienced the same issues. I’m once again using it. I find it shifts less than some others I’ve used and I love the little bit of extra loft.
I use Hobbs almost exclusively and I also remember when there were problems! The price can’t be beat. To save on shipping, order with a small company that ships USPS. Fedex and UPS have horrendous charges for the batting rolls.
This is wonderful news. 80/20 is the perfect blend, the Goldilocks of the quilting world. The spring of poly coupled with the comfy, old-fashioned look of cotton. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks for the information. I quit using it because of the texture. I am glad to hear that it is nice and soft again. I have been using bamboo that I buy at a LQS, but it is a lot more expensive than the Hobbs batting.
Had the same problem with Hobbs. I use mostly warn and natural noe. W&n is 2 1/2 hrs drive frm me. And I do go that way for other reasons. I love to pick it up. A friend I quilt for loves the Hobbs and brings it to me and yes, I think it is getting better.