Batiks and hand-dyed fabrics are extremely popular with quilters, especially those who wish to create more artistic, contemporary quilts.  I offer this guide to help in making fabric selections.

There are many different qualities of batiks and hand-dyes available and it's important to be able to distinguish true quality versus a fabric that just looks good.  The difference between top quality batik/hand-dyes versus the chain store variety is huge.  Chain store fabrics may look comparable at first glance, but the base fabric is poorer, the colors are not as bright and the batiking is often sloppy or smudged.  The base cloth is often a muslin, a low thread count cotton. 

High quality batiks and hand-dyes generally have a base cloth of poplin, pima cotton or other high thread-count broadcloths.  This makes a very crisp and beautiful finished product.  The high thread-count absorbs dyes better and allows for more intricate wax batik designs and more vivid colors.

When shopping for batiks and hand-dyes, I recommend choosing the best quality, available at Quilt Shops or eBay Sellers offering quilt shop fabrics.  You put a lot of work into your art, so it's best to use the very best products.