One illustration I've used for a quilt is an Oreo cookie. Everyone knows that an Oreo has 3 distinct parts, as does a quilt, and the different center thicknesses of said cookie are a whole lot like batting. It's a useful easily understandable illustration without going into too much detail at first. I was giving a series of 3 interactive chats with the same group. I started with that and branched out. Also had cookies as the handout. Helped some of the audience understand the distinct layers in a quilt.