Comparing Hobbs and Pellon 80/20 Batting

While I had the two quilting batts out today I decided to take some photos to show you the differences between the two types of batting.  

Thickness of batting.  This was a surprise to me.  I always have thought the Pellon was a thicker batting.  After seeing some complaints online that Pellon is thinner I started to be concerned about the consistency of the Pellon quality although the two 10 yd batts I have used were the same.

Here is a photo which clearly shows that the Pellon (on top) is actually thinner than the Hobbs:

Thickness comparison.  Pellon on top; Hobbs on bottom

However, the Pellon is a denser batting making it less transparent.  Here are two photos showing the transparency of the battings.  I photographed them on top of a set of purple/lime green/ and bright pink fabrics.  The photo on the left shows a band of thickness going from upper left to center bottom.  The Hobbs has a more irregular surface.  

Hobbs transparency

Pellon transparency

Both battings are off white/cream and have small flecks of cotton husks.  It looked like they were very similar in colour with a similar content of flecks:

Pellon brown flecks

Hobbs brown flecks

      

 

The surface texture of these two battings are completely different.  The Hobbs has a loftier, courser feel.  The Pellon has a smoother, silkier feel. Hobbs batting has an irregular surface while the Pellon is very uniform across its surface.  The Hobbs looks more like a web; the Pellon is more like felt.

Hobbs surface texture

       

Pellon surface texture

 

Marybeth has used a bleached 100% cotton batting lately which looks very similar to the Pellon but is without the flecks and is a bright white.  It looks like a very nice batting and I hope that Marybeth will give us a report on how it is to quilt it.