Looking for advice
 

Hello everyone

I am going to make a few quilts for camping this summer, and to sit by the fire, however what I am wondering is

Will cotton be durable enough or should I use a thicker/denser fabric? If anyone can give me some advice on this, I would really appreciate it.

TheDoze

personally, I prefer cotton and you can find some great cotton fabrics that are heavier than in years past. Kona Cotton solids are a great choice and actually cost less than most quilters cottons. If you purchase at JoAnn fabrics, you can also get them at 40% off with coupon. I buy most of mine at Hobby Lobby, usually 30% off and with a wider variety of colors to choose from than my local Joanns. Shop around to see the colors you like, there's a rainbow to choose from and if you don't have any nearby, they're still relatively inexpensive online. Your batting will make a difference, too....poly might be good choice for lift & warmth.

My sister and I have made camping quilts by picking up used wool army blankets and using those for the batting. They are snuggly warm in the fall, winter, and spring seasons of camping. We use scraps for the tops and old sheets for the backing as they will get soiled easily and end up with campfire smoke and we prefer not spending alot on these quilts. For summer camping, we layer the quilts with old blankets instead of spending the money on batting. Perfect picnic blankets/quilts also.

I don't camp but I spend alot of time on sports fields. I throw a quilt down and sit on that at the games. I made a scrap quilt and used black fabric for the back and cotton batting. It has stood up very well. Back does not show stains, the batting has held up well and it has been washed alot.

Before my DH passed away we used to go camping. I made our quilts for camping with denim on the top and flannel on the back. They are nice and warm and never wear out.

I made a rag quilt for my grandkids for camping, using old levis. It turned out nice and is durable and you can make it any size you want. Have fun!

I've used rag quilts (made of flannel) for camping and while sitting on the side lines for sporting events. They go together quickly, and assuming you've washed and dried them sufficiently, they'll be done shedding by summer time. I've washed and dried them at home. Make sure if you do this too, that you stop your dryer every 5 minutes to clean out the lint trap. No, I'm not kidding. Set a timer and clean it out that often the first bunch of times you dry it. Rag quilts shed like crazy, but if you wash and dry it a bunch of times, then most of the shedding will be in your washer/dryer. Good luck.

If you get the flannel from JoAnn's, then you can use coupons. Keep in mind there are cheaper flannels and then there's quilter's flannel. You get what you pay for. I've used both for rag quilts. All depends on what your budget is. If you decide to make a rag quilt, feel free to drop me a line and let me know how that worked out for you.