I use blankets for batting in all kid quilts. That way they can be washed often, and no batting to be messed up.

:D :D :D

Mom made those and made denim or corderoy(sp?) tops. They weighed about 50 lbs I think, :lol: , but they sure kept us warm in that old farm house. Momma also backed one of my quilts by piecing together all my receiving blankets. 50+ years later I still have that one although it's better days have long since passed.

raptureready--
What a wonderful idea!
I think I'll do that too for my kids and grandkids.
Thanks for posting that.

I've also used old electric blankets. They are cheap, cheep in yard
sales and thrift stores!! Also for kid camping, kids who love to lie
on the floor to play, car camping, anything that I don't want my
good stuff to be ruined when used freely. Plus, as an emergency
blanket for the car trunk in bad weather....

When I was young and it was new it was okay and I liked it. Now that I'm old and we're both worn out I wouldn't trade it for a million dollars.

Those old mattress pads are also perfect to practice your quilting on!! I bought several from a thrift store and cut them up into big squares. Perfect size and weight to practice on!!

Ditter

That's a good idea too!
Since reading these posts I realize I'm not as clever as I thought...lol...

My mom and grandma made a lot of quilts and I also do not remember them buying new fabric, although mom did make quite a few quilts with fabric scraps she got from a coat factory. Not sure if she bought it or it was free. They both made most all of mine and my sisters clothes, so there was plenty of scraps to use for quilts.

Grandma always used found stuff for batting, instead of real batting. In fact my sister and I just took apart a quilt she had that had been a gift from grandma, probably 30 years ago. Grandma had used a wool blanket inside of it. So when it was washed it got very, very small and crinkly. Sis just put it in a box and stored it. We untied it and took off the binding and washed the top. I brought it home with me to iron and repair in a few spots and then figure out how to turn it back into a quilt. Not sure what the pattern is, but it has lots of little triangles.

Grandma used to give all of us quilts for our 16th birthday or when we got married or both. One of my daughters didn't get a grandma quilt because grandma passed away before she turned 16, so when I get this quilt restored it will be going to her. I just hope I can do it justice. Grandma tied all her quilts, so I will probably do that, but I did notice that tying seemed to leave some holes so I will be doing some sort of quilting as well.

So just a warning, I guess. I am new to quilt making, but have already learned that wool blankets do not make a good lining. You would think that would be just common sense, but you never know.

I used an old blanket a number of years ago. If you're old enough to remember, it was one of those blankets made of foam and when new had nice soft fibers somehow embedded. But as it was washed the fibers came out so I was left with this giant foam blanket. I made a picnic quilt using the legs of DH's Dickies work pants. (He always wore through the knees but the rest of the pants were in good shape.) Nothing fancy, just stitched the pieces together. With a flannel backing this was a very heavy quilt and perfect for throwing on the ground at picnics, etc. Over the years it somehow disappeared. I'm blaming one of my kids cause I surely wouldn't leave behind one of my creations, even if it wasn't fancy. ;)