Batting fabric is a soft, lightweight fabric that is often used in quilts and other craft projects. It is made of cotton, wool, or synthetic fibers. Batting is sandwiched between layers of fabric and stitched together, and is usually used for insulation and dimension. The weight and thickness of batting is measured by its loft, with low loft meaning thin and high loft meaning thick. Batting with a scrim, which is a thin layer of polyester, is great for machine quilting, but it is not recommended for hand-quilting because of its density. There are different types of batting available, including cotton, polyester, wool, and fusible batting. The type of batting you choose for your project can depend on what type of quilt you are making, the climate you will be using the quilt in, and how you want your overall quilt to look. For example, wool batting provides the most warmth as it has better thermal qualities than other materials, while polyester batting is fluffier and higher loft than most other types of batting, making it great for puffy quilts or tied quilts. Batting is also used as a padding material and to change the dimension of a fabric surface.