This fabric makes a huge mess, but that's what vacuum cleaners are for! Also, if you are going to not use batting but do as you suggested, make sure to tie the quilt together so it holds its shape. Either that, or you could just put some whip stitches in it instead so they don't show, and more important, there's nothing for the baby to pull on later. I did this once for my 4 yr old niece - patchwork on the top, and fleece as the back, and I whip-stitched every place the sashing crossed. 81 crosses as it was a full size quilt. But wait, there's more...I then stitched a 1/4" pink ribbon on it and tied a bow, then stitched the bow in place and fray-checked both ends so it stayed in place, and didn't come apart. Eighty - one of these suckers. It was adorable, don't get me wrong, but still...a major pain in the rear!