Great to know I'm not the only one who uses old blankets for batting. I have even pulled the wires out of old, non-working electric blankets and used them. I have also used thin fleece as batting. No thin spots. I have taken a top to a machine quilter before. My mom cross-stitched it (found at a yard sale. lady started it. was ordered as a kit. Baltimore Wedding Album pattern), so I didn't want to damage the x's in my frame (pvc pipe). I gave it to my gdaughter for Christmas last year. It was almost a queen size and she only charged me $40.00! It was beautiful! I made my twin gsons a quilt a piece also and tied one of them. It was a patriotic quilt, so I used a verigated red, beige, and blue yarn to tie it. The other was a quilt-as-go that the same lady as above had started also for the other gson. Never will do a qayg quilt again. I did not like doing that one. But he said he wanted me to finish that one for him three years ago. Yes, I am slow, but I knocked all three quilts in less than six months. So tie those quilts up!!!