I have one grandmother's quilt from the coal mines of West Virginia and one great-grandmother's feed sack quilt created in the 1930's-1940's from the family cotton farm in North Carolina. Both are quilted with string from the grocery packages that were wrapped on their purchases at the farm/coal store. They are well loved. The one from the cotton farm has cotton balls right from the field as the batting. Told never to wash it. So it has been laid out on the lawn in the sun but still have never been used in my home, just on display. Not sure of the batting of the one from the grandmother whose husband worked in the coal mine. They are worn but treasured.