I saw a program a few years ago,(might have been w/Alex Anderson, but don't quote me on that!) that discussed some historic quilts that were found in Montana, perhaps in Helena. They were made way before the depression era, using homespun wool, I believe. Don't remember much, but realized that the wool was the warmth, not the paper batting, and was never washed or dried in a machine, so the paper survived. If I remember correctly, they were called paper quilts.
My grandparents all homesteaded in Montana, so the program caught my eye and reminded me how the old wool quilts were apt to become batting when they were worn out. Again, they were not washed by machine and were hung on the line to dry. Usually the outside was made of flour sacks. My grandmother also told me that quilts and blankets were rarely washed. They were hung out to "air". The tops were carefully covered when you folded the top sheet over them to keep them clean as well. I have a piece of crazy quilt she had made in the 1890's. A loose muslin was used as the base of it. Not sure what the quilt backing was -- only a small piece of cotton was left on the outside seam.