I thought it was a term used in UK much like many other terms vary from terms used in US. I don't use the term but have no objection to its use. I attach no negative connotation to it-it refers to finished top but unfinished as a quilt.

I also think this is the British term for "quilt top". No negative connotations implied. It's like "wadding", the British term for batting.

My dh lived in the UK for over 20 years and still calls the trunk of the car the "boot". He also uses the term "petrol" for gasoline.

I'm with greensleeves and Prism99. I think of it as a British term, nothing negative. I think it is catching on as more people see it used.

Why don't we just call them, UFT, unfinished top, :) sounds good to me

I agree with Joyce888 and sewbizgirl I had not heard the term until recently and did take awhile to learn what they were talking about again in quilting it is all a personal thing but I put a lot of work into my quilt tops I do not want to call them anything else so when I show them I will say this is a quilt top that I recently finished but maybe it is our location too anyway my opinion

I've heard the term "flimsy" used by British quilters.

Fascinating and you could be right that it's British or at least European. Right off hand I can't remember where exactly I had first heard it. My DH's grandmother or my grandmother (who was Irish) perhaps? I personally don't use the expression much just because over the years hearing "quilt top" so many time I've relearned to call them that.

I've only noticed the term in blog land! I'm glad our 'quilting friends' are a global community, so I appreciate having an understanding of others terms. Thanks for asking the question!

I thought flimsy was a summer quilt. Silly me.

I think a lot of you have to get over your cringing from the word "flimsy". It doesn't mean inferior in this use. It is just the finished top before it has batt and backing and binding. When compared to a finished quilt, it IS flimsy.
A lot of words have different meanings in different situations. And we can learn from all of it.