I believe they used the newspaper in the old days for foundations then just kept them in for added warmth. I'd hesitate to use todays newspapers though because of the ink bleeding into the fabric.

Yes, I can remember my grandmother talking of her mother using newspaper as batting in quilts. And years ago, my brother and I were given a summer job of tearing down the old, old farm house on my grandfathers's homestead. We found newspaper, bottles, jars, worn out shoes and clothing, all used as insulation between the wall boards.

It has been interesting reading through the replies. I have heard from my mother about the use of newspaper in quilts, when times were bad. It is eye-opening to learn how people made it through when problems come.

As to the feathers - I also am allergic, not only to them, but to wool. So when my cousin gave me a comforter she had made filled with wool from her prize sheep, I could not use it. (But how could I tell her that?)

My mother used newspaper for foundations. Never left them in a quilt. BUT - I do have an old tied quilt that has a hole in it and I can see what appears to be burlap bags used for batting. It's really heavy.

Oh my yes....not only heard of but my first large size quilt was made this way. My dear MIL Emma taught me. The newspaper was not batting but foundation paper. It is the old sew and flip thing. The newspaper was left in during the whole process, batting added, quilting etc. Then the quilt is washed and the newspaper melts away. Back then we used salvaged flannel from old clothes, pieces sewn together as a flat batt, before sandwiching...good cotton batt was not available and so was a polyester batt. We lived out no the ranch and the local shopping area had no fabric store per SE, just a craft general store that sold flats. We would scrounge white elephant sales and the thrift shops for old wool blankets and good condition sheets to make our backs and battings. I won a blue ribbon at the fair with that old quilt that was loved to death and it's self became the batt in a couple of baby quilts. I think Alex Anderson did a show on using newspaper for foundation on her old show on the Home and Garden network. You might find it archived there.

Please help! just a little bit ago someone posted about a Toilet in TX made of one way glass Yes I know its not Quilts But I'am I nuts? want to find it again and can't have I really lost IT!LOL

I have a small quilt made in the late 1800's that was never finished and the batting is old news papers. My mom wanted me to finish it but instead I had DH put it in a frame with the batting showing. I keep it in my sewing room. I love it, because it is so frugal. I also have about 10 all different sized blocks from the same GGM done in the early 1900's that DH is getting ready to put in frames for me.

I made a Crazy Patch using news paper as foundation, they use to call them Chronicle Quilts. I saw a show on tv many years ago about it. I think I posted it in my pictures here when I joined.

The first time I read about newspapers used as filler it referred to a Massachusetts quilt made in the 1700s, so paper, as you say, was probably recycled rags.

I wonder, since that was originally rag material, if the newspaper became soft when it was laundered??? Just wondering.