This is my question. I have made quite a few quilts and they look very nice but I am not happy with them. I want a quilt that my family would like to cuddle up under on a cold winter night. A soft fluffy quilt to comfort the soul. Do I use flannel as the backing/ And the thickest batting there is? Do I do minimal quilting as that flattens the quilt. I made a beautiful sofa quilt for my daughter and it just sits on the back of the sofa as it it not soft and people friendly. Thanks in advance. Anita

My kids favourite quilt in the house is one with a faux fur backing. It's lovely and soft, very tactile, and just awesome to cuddle up with. I used no batting, and I random quilted in the ditch (it's a random pattern).

My own experience (so don't shoot me) is that the softest and cuddliest ones are hand quilted. I can just lift a quilt blindfolded and tell the difference.

Blue chicken: I'd love to cuddle under that quilt! As for having a quilt that the whole family loves, I believe that flannel is the best. I don't even care if it's tied or quilted, etc. Pretty colors, soft fabric, and having it accessable are the key points.

The softest quilt I've made--and I've made a LOT of them--is a ragged flannel. Flannel on both sides with cotton batting between--you can't beat it. I call them a hug-to-go when I give them as gifts.

Ok, MoonPi, I'm not going to shoot you, LOL, because I am a handquilter. But this has Faux Fur. I think it may beat our handqulting. I would like to cuddle up under it. That is if I wasn't is So. Callifornia.

My favorite batting is "warm and natural" and my favorite quilt is a scrappy cotton that has been washed within an inch of its life. It is so soft from repeated use that it conforms to the body. It is also a cat magnet.

I love flannel too... especially for baby quilts and cats! ;-)

I am working on three baby quilts all made out of flannel. I would cuddle under any of them. They are soooooo soft.

This is just my own opinion but I find that if you tie a quilt instead of quilting the whole thing it makes the quilt more huggable. Also perhaps you could use a blanket/comforter that they like or one simular as the middle of the quilt. Sometimes fleece will help for the backing. I hope these might help or trigger a thought you had not thought of yet.

MissTami :roll:

I know this will go against the grain of what most people think. I use bedsheets from thrift stores for my fabric. And i find that the very softest fabrics are actually bedsheets that arent 100%cotton, but the ones that have that softer feel from a poly blend, and polyblens are not as heavy as cotton either. And i like poly batting because it's so soft and lightweight. The quilt i'm just finishing now i'm finding a little stiff, it's a variation on a log cabin, which has tons of seams, and it seems the more seams, the stiffer the quilt is what i'm finding.

I made my first one for my daughter a year ago and she loves it, as well as everyone else... so.... I made the next for my mom for Mother's Day last year. My DSIL and BF found out she had terminal cancer this past June, so she got the next one and it has been a real comfort to her. I then made my grandson (4 years old) one made with a monster truck print and primary colors for his birthday. Then for Christmas I made three, one for my son, brother, and BIL. I have several more to make to get through the family, but they are fast and forgiving. Every one is used and "well" loved. I am looking forward to making one for myself......... one day :P

What a fun idea for the backing. Though, was it a pain to sew on, Blue?

Our cuddliest quilts have the flannel backing. And I use Walmart's white flannel that is $2.57 a yard. I've spent ALOT of money buying flannels at quilt shops, online, and of course, Joann's. And the quilts that get the most use are the goofy ones with the white walmart flannel. Now the real reason could be that the fabric is white and shows everything hahahhaa. If it is a gift quilt, I will try and buy more expensive flannel, such as the moda marbles. That will definitely last longer.

Thank you all for the great ideas. Can't wait to finish up the quilt I am on now to try your suggestions

I'm chuckling, because there are so many ideas about what is best for cuddling! My grandsons have almost worn out a handquilted drag-around lap quilt that's all cotton with polyester batting, and 2 machine-quilted pieced flannels with fleece instead of batting. Our favorite lap quilt at home is an all cotton with polyester batting - hand quilted.