Yes, I'm crazy about batiks but it's hard to say exactly why. I think the colors are richer, deeper and the subtle patterns are more interesting.

I think batiks have their place. They aren't near as flexible in their use as many other fabrics. They aren't really a solid but they aren't a print. It makes them hard to fit into a traditional quilt and for it to feel right.
I love a quilt done out of all batiks but try mixing batiks in with some fabrics and it can end up as a recipe for failure and a very ugly quilt.

I love batiks. I use them in my hand applique in small patches, so the mottled colors work good for flowers and leaves. And I like the tighter weave for hand applique. Looser weave ravels too much for me. There is a lady that works at my LQS and she also dislikes batiks, but she also doesn't do hand work.

Robbi

I think batiks have their place. I love the bright colors and love to applique with them because of the tight weave like Robbi. But, I also agree that mixing them with plaids or calico just doesn't look right. But not everyone likes Civil War repro or 30s either. So I guess it is just what catches your eye.

I do use batiks some, even in really scrappy quilts. But I don't like the "hand" of batik fabric - sometimes too stiff and too tightly woven. (I don't do hand applique.)If I were to take an inventory, the batiks would not be the most plentiful.The TOT prints and neutrals/background would be a larger amount in my stash.

All batik quilts are some of my favorites....go figure.

Teresa

Ah, I haven't tried them for hand applique. And I could see where the color changes would give you lots of variation for leaves or flower petals. I'll have to try it! (Love, love, love doing hand applique BTW!)

Donna

Batiks have made it into most of my quilts. I just love the random colors and the movement they give the patterns.

I like batiks for the same reason as Fran stated. I have a stash of blues waiting for the right pattern to come along. My LQS owner does not like batiks or oriental fabrics but of course she will stock them for her customers. She lets her daughter do the ordering for the small amount that she does stock. She does have a huge wall of civil war repos and another wall of 30's that she does love. I have a civil war quilt in (stalled) progress. I am just not excited about it.

Rebecca

I like the watercolor type batiks but don't particularly care for those that are patterned.

SharonG/FL

I'm with Sharon. I love the watercolor batiks, but not necessarily the patterned ones.

Here's one of my watercolor batik quilts from 4 or 5 years ago.

I have never used batiks and they really don't catch my eye. Maybe someday...
Theresa

Pretty quilt Mary. I love Batiks - probably because of the uniqueness of the colors & patterns.

I like batiks but am not 'over the moon' for them. I made a quilt for a friend that came in a kit with all batik fabric. She needed some swatches to match up colors with and told me that they looked like things she saw through her microscope in her nursing classes! Made me laugh! I assured her it would look much better in a quilt than a slide specimen!
Karlene

Mary, that's a really pretty quilt! Love the blues!

I made a sailboat baby quilt recently and used a blue batik as the background fabric for it. It helped lend the impression that the water was moving and it was soft enough for a baby quilt. And it was an easy fabric to work with to machine applique and to hand quilt.

Best to you,
Sandra

I like batiks but then I like most fabrics in their place. Batiks have such rich and useful colors and I think they work with other fabrics fine, but like anything they need to "fit". When I put fabric together I audition them and don't judge them by type. In reality I think an all batik quilt can be a little boring if the choices aren't diverse enough.

I am absolutely enchanted by batiks and prefer them above all other fabrics. The colors are so saturated and rich that I just can't get enough. I like the watercolors & marbles but really prefer the patterns. I'm sure there's a batik out there that I don't like, but I haven't seen it yet.

Yes, the weave can be tight and initially a bit stiff but with one washing that stiffness goes away. I love the smooth feel of the fabric.

Kate

I didn't care for batiks until I started making graduation quilts for grandsons. It is difficult to choose fabric for a college bound guy without it looking "old fashioned". Batiks give a modern guy-on-the-go look. Of course, you cannot mix batiks with regular fabrics or the look is not right.