I gave one of my very first quilts to my younger sister. It was a tied scrap quilt. I think the pattern was a pinwheel variation. Anyway, my sister used it for a long time, until it wore out. I then use it for some stuffed animals - cats and bears. I didn't find the batting too bulky, but it was pretty thin.
I think it is a good idea to make fabric from the pine patch blocks. Using a muslim backing on the blocks and may be machine quilting them in the ditch would make a sturdy fabric.