Well, I Tried.....
 

Howdy y'all 😊

Ok...so I tried doing a search on here for "quilts without batting", but all I found were posts about finished tops or 'flimsies'. So my question is, can you make a quilt with just the top and the backing so it will be cooler? My husband keeps bugging me to make a quilt for our bed, but I'm so hot natured that I just can't see me actually sleeping under one that has batting in it at all. Any and all comments and/or suggestions would be very much appreciated! 😄

Donna

People sometimes call them summer quilts. Of course you can. You do still need to quilt it so the two layers will stay together. We have two in Florida and one here in North Carolina, abd I still kick them off.

You can do what ever you want to do. (Said with enthusiasm). I have several quilts with no batting. They are Sunbonnet Sue and are tied. I believe they were called " summer quilts" during the time period they were made, during the 1940-50's. So make yourself a quilt just like you want, no batting, lots of big fluffy batting or in between. There are no strict rules, quilting is an art to be enjoyed, not a task to be regulated.

Carolyn

I just made one with flannel on the front and a fleece backing. Since I didn't want it to be too warm, I didn't add anything else. I wondered if it would feel "empty", but it's fine.

Now I think I'll just add a back to the top that I want to use as a tablecloth but have been stalling on finishing because I was worried about glasses tipping over when they hit quilting.

If you are feeling adventurous you could try a Cathedral Window quilt - a lot of fabric involved if it is going to be a large size quilt but they are typically without batting and without backing.

I have made several without batting. They work out really well. I quilted them on my HQ16. It is HOT in Phoenix much of the year.

There are no quilt police....it's your fabric and your effort.....you can do whatever you want.....but i would "quilt" it or tie it, as i think this would keep the fabrics more stable and allow for less "wear" from the constant movement / friction of fabric against fabric.

Silk batting is your friend! Cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Naturally hypo-allergenic also. Dust mites will not live in silk - isn't that great! I love my silk batted quilts. I also have "heat" issues:)

That is good to know, Melanie! I have perpetual hot flashes and this might be just the thing I need to know! :).

As I type this, there are 4 beds in my house with "summer quilts" that I've made. None of them have batting. As described before, they are just tops and backs which were quilted to keep them together. They are the perfect weight for summer, I could not stand anything heavier.

I have a bunch of old quilts in my attic that were made by my mother and her contemporaries in the 1940's. None of them have any batting either. In fact none of them have the bindings that are typical now either. They all have the backs wrapped around to the front. That's the only type of binding that I use, by choice.