Blue Denim Quilt
 

My son gave me a load of worn blue jeans. Made a beautiful lap robe size quilt (looks like cathedral windows), but it is so heavy, can't imagine anyone using it with ease. That pattern has layers, plus I placed a small piece of W&N batting into each block.

Have decided to make another, different pattern, with 10 inch squares of denim, it's flat, no layers. Now I'm trying to decide whether I want batting or not. I'll back it with flannel. Anyone have experience with denim and flannel? Would this be too heavy too?

Remainder of jeans will be given to Goodwill, I've had enough of blue denim.

I think the flannel would be okay, if it is a light weight flannel. You have discovered the problem with denim quilts--the weight. I have made a couple for the car. Just used denim only and stitched the seams together on the front like a rag quilt, i.e., no backing or batting.

I made a rag quilt with old jeans and flannel on the back. I did not put batting in it and it was very heavy. My grown son loves it.

My mother-in-law made twin-sized denim covers for our two boys when they were young--just a whole bunch of 6" squares, with a backing of navy cotton.

She stitched in the ditch at each intersection (about 2" long) to hold the two layers together.

Although not much for warmth, they were great for those rough and tumble years. They've held together amazingly well (one is now on a college dorm bed, the other in an Army barracks).

Some people like the weight of a heavy quilt.

When I was growing up, I slept under a pile of blankets in the winter - it was cold upstairs!

I made a couple for the boys next door when they graduated high school. I told them to throw them into their cars. Their mom says these quilts have been to football and hockey games, on picnics, on the ground when a tire needed fixing, to the beach and, most importantly, are part of their winter survival kit.

When you live in the boonies, every autumn, you pack a box with a couple of candles and matches, some chocolate bars, a flashlight, extra gloves and warm hat, and some sort of blanket or sleeping bag. That goes beside the snow shovel and the bag of kitty litter (non clumping :) ) in your car's trunk. We cannot always count on cell phone service or help being around the next corner.

I made a lap quilt with denim and flannel but did not put any batting between the layers. I wish I had �� Keep in mind I use this in North Idaho so it may work better in a milder climate, but if I had it to do over I would definitely use it! Next time.......

I've made severasl denium quilts and only denium and flannel. No need to add weight to a very quilt.

I made a denim rag quilt with only two layers for each block, no batting. It is lap size and heavy. It is used mostly for sitting upon and when I need the weight on my tired legs. We don't have many cold days in this area so the extra warmth of batting is not necessary.

In Bonnie Hunter's books Scraps & Shirttails, she says: "...and I do put batting in denim quilts because the batting cushions the feel of the bulky seams against the back of the quilt. A thin batting doesn't weigh very much so it won't add much weight to the already heavy quilt top, but it does make it a lot more comfortable to be wrapped in!"

Just something to think about.

Daffy