I made 2 of the rag quilts out of denim jeans that had blocks of the 50 states embroideried on them and cotton fabric for the top and flannel for the back. I also put flannel in the middle instead of batting. I will agree with them being so heavy. Do not try to wash them in your home washer. I took the 2 quilts to the laundromat. I washed them in a washer that does 4 load size. I do not go to the laundromat as a rule, so I really didn't know how these washers work. After my quilts were in the washer for about an hour I decided to ask if my washer was stuck. Not only was it stuck, the drain had stopped up. The lady was really nice about it. She said that she was glad that I didn't try to wash them at home because I would have had a really bad problem. The good part about it was that all that time in the washer really made the seams ravel good.
Good luck Wyvonne