Also referred to as filling or wadding, batting is a layer of material (usually cotton, polyester, and/or wool) that is used as insulation between the top and bottom layers of a quilt. It comes in a variety of weights, from low loft to high loft, and sizes. Most batting is natural (undyed) but it is aslo available in black. The batting is secured to the top and bottom using quilting stitches that go through all three layers of the quilt sandwich. The type of batting used depends on the nature of the project.