I have made quite a few lap quilts using a pieced top and fleece backing. I usually do not use batting. I sew and birth it, then sew around the entire outside about 5/8" from the edge. This gives it more stability and looks nice. Then using my walking foot I machine quilt it using a cross hatch pattern. I put the fleece side down toward the feed dogs and have had no problems with it stretching or bunching. I am currently making pet donation quilts using this method. Some have quilters cotton tops and other have flannel tops. My tops range in size from 30"x30" up to 48"x60". I tied one but did not think it was nearly as nice or sturdy as the machine quilted ones, so now I just mcahine quilt them. A few of the smaller pet quilts I am making for my vets office do have batting because it makes them softer (more padded) for the pets to lay on. The larger ones do not, so they are more pliable to wrap the sick animal in.