Back before we had fleece by the bolt, a friend of mine would buy inexpensive blankets and use them instead of batting. My grandmother back in the 30's and 40's would encase a wornout quilt and tie it to extend the use. She has been gone since 1972 (at age 90). Her husband was a farmer and they never had much money, so she used everything. The only quilts I ever saw her work on were scrappy quilts. I was born in 1937 so I really don't know what she did in her younger days. But she quilted a lot and started me piecing at about age 13 or 14 on a 9 Patch.