I have a couple of older quilts that were made when my parents were young, from bits and pieces of everyone's clothes. Not everything was cotton, and a lot of it was different weights. It was cut into diamonds which were formed into stars and appliqued onto a background, and very minimally quilted. We actually mended a thin spot in the background cotton and discovered the whole thing had been tacked onto an even older quilt that was worn so thin it was basically backing.
This quilt was probably made circa 1960-1965, and some of the fabrics are significantly older. It is not a daily use quilt, but we have had it 20+ years and it is still going strong.
Another thing to consider might be english paper piecing. It's a lot of work, but the seams are held fast to the foundation when you sew them together; no messing with different fabrics reacting different ways under the presser foot.