Old Mattress pad for the middle of a Quilt?
 

Has anyone ever used a mattress pad for the batting in a quilt? I was going thru my storage and found three mattress pads that aren't being used. I wondered if I cut off the edges of the pad that maybe it would work in the middle of a quilt. What do you experienced quilters think? I am on my 2nd quilt ever. Just thought this might be a way of recycling.

i used one for a charity quilt. the mattress pad had a polyester filling. i don't think i'd use one that has a cotton filling... it might be too heavy and hard to quilt through.

Interesting! I don't know but I'd love to hear what the more experienced ladies think!

I have used mattress pads instead of batting, but I tied it, so don't have any actual "quilting" experience with that.

I've used them for place mats and wall hangings.

yes they work up nicely I used them for my quilts in my car for emgency

oma66, aren't those sheet blankets simply heavy flannel sheets? I know we had them as kids but can't for the life of me remember what weight they were. I found one at a garage sale not so long ago and used it in a couple of kids quilts. It was pretty heavy duty flannel and I just used it on a couple of darker quilts. :)

Vermont Country Store sells sheet blankets, all sizes.

I have used old matress pads for potholder stuffing and quilted through it no problem.

I've also use them for smaller quilts and a wall hanging quilt. Worked great, since they have been washed before they won't make the quilt look really crinkly like cotton batting. Use them

I use them all the time when I can find them...the cotton ones make a really heavy quilt.

Would flannel sheets work as well as sheet blankets?

I use them often and plenty. I've never purchased batting. Seems counter productive to my recycling ways. Never had any problems. I say use what you got and make it work!

I freq use mattress pad for batting..... never a problem and they work up nice...

I recycle everything I can!!

Yes, i have used for batting and worked fine.

Yes, I use them in my charity quilts and they work fine. I find them a bit heavier so I just don't put as much quilting on them to keep them soft.

I remember sheet blankets - we always had one on the bed in the summer. My SIL uses a flannel flat sheet as her summer cover.

Yes, if it's in good shape

Yes, if it's a fabric that will hold up. (I've run across a couple that were some weird stuff that melted in dryer!)

i am a scrap quilter and find that old mattress pads work perfectly in my projects. they are already worn and used like most of my fabrics and they also tend to give better support to the old materials than new battings that pull apart and distort so easily. i can pick them up at yardsales and thrift stores for $1... can't beat that with a stick!

I googled sheet blankets, and lo and behold. you can buy them at BB & B. Sears, Kmart, Vermont country store, etc.

My mother (she is 91) tells me that my grandmother would sometimes cut up old wool coats to use as quilt batting!!! My grandmother's quilts, that she gave to me when I got married, are still going strong after 40 yrs and I sleep with one every night in the wintertime. I'm not sure what is inside but it's heavy...lol.

Old mattress pads are what I use for dog crate pads. I had someone at a yard sale give them to me when he found out what I wanted them for. They were the puffy quilted ones. Cut flannel for one side, cotton , one piece or pieced, for the other serge the edges and I have a crate pad.:) I have used the thinner ones for potholders etc.

My mother has some sheet blankets she was going to get rid of (throw away). I told her no way...they could be used instead of batting. I like the sheet blankets way better than batting, anyway. :-)

I prefer to use mattress pads plus a layer of batting. But of course I don't fancy quilt anything. I think my version is called a comforter. I sew the quilt in channels starting at the middle. I use the stitch in the ditch method so it does not show in the pattern. My family prefers the heavier quilt. Thanks to the new batting and the mattress pad I don't have to worry about anything shifting.

I too have used them in potholders, table runners, small quilts, etc. used them for lap quilts but never for a large quilt but may try that. I love to find them at yard sales, etc & get them for a song. Just wash & dry. I did buy a new one for a bed recently & it didn't seem to be made as well as the older ones

sounds like a good idea to me. I think it would work. Will have to give it a try, if just for a small throw.

Char, I remember the sheet blankets that you are talking about. When I first started quilting, I looked for them in the stores, but was unable to find them. I do remember when Wally World sold them at one time. I have googled them and the only thing I see is over-priced flannel sheets. Flannel does work and is cheaper if you can catch it on sale. A friend of mine uses flannel as batting, but you have to remember to wash and dry it a couple of times to allow for shrinkage.

I have used a many of one for batting,They work great and very soft also.

Yes they work well, I have used old blankets for levi quilts, they work very well. Good Luck.

My quilting grandmother never used anything else.

I have used them when I make a "Game Quilt"
2 pieces of flannel (flannel sheets from thrift store) with the pad between. Tied.
The kids luvum and take them everywhere.

I have used old mattress covers as batting frequently. They make a very warm, heavy quilt. Since the usable part is the size of the top of the mattress, the quilt will not be large enough to use on a bed. They make excellent throws or cuddle quilts for older children and adults or floor throws for babies. I have machine quilted them, but it's not necessary. I prefer to tie them. It only takes a few ties, as the mattress cover is already quilted.

i am so glad that you asked this question. i was wondering myself if they would work.

One of the very first quilts I made was a cheater panel my sister gave me for my daughter who wanted a play quilt. You can say that not only was I a novice, I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing. Sooo I took an old mattress pad, and used it with a layer of poly batting and another layer of mattress pad. I know, but amazingly my Kenmore loved heavy fabric, so although I just machine quilted SID around the squares in the panel, I managed to finish the quilt, bound it and gave it to my daughter who used it to play with her Barbie dolls outside on the lawn. At least I knew that the rocks, sticks, whatever wouldn't poke through the quilt. Yes it was quite heavy, but she loved it and it was a great play quilt. Would I do that again - NEVER, but I might use one layer of mattress pad without extra batting.LOL

While on vacation in Texas, I just used one to make a bed ruffle for my granddaughters bed. Sure turn out great does not move , stays pretty much in place since it goes under mattress.

Aren't those the white blankets that are used in hospitals? I have bought mattress pads and used them for charity quilts...worked great for me.

I did it once, but you need to be careful that it is not the kind that the dryer can melt! believe it or not it can get too hot in the dryer. I wouldn't use it unless it was for a animal rescue quilt or some such type. Of, course if it is 100% cotton it would probably be ok quilting on a long arm.

I remember them-my grandma had them on her beds. I think they are just flannel blankets now. Probably not as heavy. But they did make great quilts.

I have a king size pad washed and ready to go but it is pretty heavy. I will have to use it in quilt for my hubby or sil. They are both always cold.