These are the 2 fabrics.
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The striped one is described as Terry Loop Backed Cotton Jersey.  It does have a looped back but a fairly loose knit.  I was expecting the loop back to be more like towelling.  It has a fair bit of stretch both ways.
The blue one is described as French Terry Jersey.  It does not have a looped back and has very little stretch in either direction.  They are both 100% cotton and said to be ideal for sweatshirts.
The weight of both fabrics is pretty much the same - If I had bought a budget dishcloth the weight might just about be satisfactory.
I don't dislike either of them, I just need to have a rethink about what I will use them for.  I can see curly hems being an issue.  I have used Fabric Godmother many times and had some lovely fabrics from there.  I think this is a case of my erroneous expectations having never come across Terry in the flesh before.

Bottom for me too.

I said I needed a reason to make a quilt so I'm in.

I love your teddy Lowena.  How did you find the needle felting to do?.  My mum is 89 and still sews, knits and crafts.  Her eyesight isn't brilliant at the moment but hopefully she will be having treatment for at least one of her cataracts soon.  Even though she still manages quite fiddly stuff like little Jean Greenhow toys.  I was thinking of getting a needle felting kit for her to have a go at as she's always up for trying something new but don't really know what it entails (apart from stabbing stuff with a big needle).
Glad to here you are returning to the dark side with new found enthusiasm.

I can't remember when I last bought a sewing needle.  I acquired my grandmother's sewing box many years before she died and she has been gone for 25 years.  In it was an elastoplast tin containing hundreds of needles.  I'm now finding it difficult to find a suitable sized needle from the tin especially one with an eye that I can actually see to thread.  Quite a few have a bit of rust on them.  A large number of the remaining needles are just 1 1/8" or 1 3/8" long with eyes almost invisible to the naked eye.  I can only think they were used with silk thread for mending stockings.

So I think the time has come to buy some needles but I don't really know what sizes to get.  I don't do embroidery.  I would mainly use them for basting and hand finishing in dressmaking / tailoring and for stitching quilt bindings.  What would people say are the most useful sizes?

I've picked out some fabrics (from the stash I didn't realise I had) but looking for a background fabric.

Iminei, you have the patience of a saint.  Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.