my mother used them all the time for baby blankets, they are very warm and cozy, can be quilted farther apart than most battings, and hold up VERY well to repeat washing.

and that ... paper like backing,,, isn't paper, its the same stuff as interfacing used for quilt smart lone stars...it is just a sew in/leave in interfacing just adds stability, washes just fine...
lots of different materials can be used...in the 'old days' quilts were made with what ever could be recycled. it seems like it's only been the past 15 years or so when (some quilters) decided every little piece should be purchased new...the members of the disposable society...they throw their scraps out, purchase new fabric for each project and walk around with their noses so far in the air it's a wonder they don't drown in the rain...
to me...and this is just my opinion...the quilts these type of quilters make look just like the ones you buy from penney's or pottery barn...manufactured, and just like a dozen others...it is re-using/recycling/ improvising and using what we have that makes our quilts ours, special, individual and not just like the ones from walmart. i have used mattress pads, flannel sheets, scraps of batting with results which are just fine...there are those people who would simply shudder at the thought...but when they see the quilt, they have no idea unless you tell on yourself.

ck, I think most on this board would agree with you about recycling and making our own quilts our way. There is nothing wrong with buying new fabric to make a quilt, just hang onto the scraps and use them for something else. And from everything I've read here, that is what everyone seems to be doing. I know that I am trying to find ways to use my leftovers into a pattern that will be pretty, but I must admit, it would be easier to go buy a pattern and new fabric and start from scratch. I am a person who was taught to be very frugal, I saw my mother makeover clothes from one daughter to the next , feedsack dresses, and home canned vegetables and fruit, homemade clothes and homemade bread are what I grew up knowing. I do want to thank you for confirming what I thought about the mattress pad use as batting.

I heard a speaker at my guild the other night who makes scrap bags (really pretty ones). She picks up mattress pads at Goodwill and uses them in her scrap bags. She did not recommend using them in quilts, however. I suppose they'd be okay for wall hangings, but I wouldn't use them on a quilt that will get lots of use.

My matress pad is "washed" every week , my mattress pads are 3 years old and they haven't fallen apart. Think about it a mattress pad is bedding just like a quilt as they are quilted same kind of bating. That person is a speaker she needs to look smart and it is just her opinion with out thinking it thru. If you can afford the cost of batting great for you. If the quilt doesn't last it's not the mattress pads fault it's the sewer. It doesn't matter what a quilt is made of as long as they are sewed in love and warmth!

Great idea. I have saved some of mine for years thinking there must be a use for them. We were raised very frugal too; we didn't throw anything out...lol anyway I experimented with using the batting in potholders and it works great. Also old blankets are good in place of batting and for the potholders. The sides usually wear out first and there I am with a perfectly good mattress pad. I will try using inside a quilt next time. Thanks

I used a mattress pad in the very first quilt I ever made. It's still on my bed and holding up well after 9 years. I don't, however, know what you're talking about as far as "thin" or "paper-like". Mine was thick and almost kind of heavy like really thick batting. It's very warm and it worked great. If you have something 'thin' or 'paper-like' you might want to consider using it for foundation piecing like when you make string blocks. Good luck

Give it a shot, have used many things including thinner, bedspreads, they use to make somthing called a blanket sheet very much like warm and natural, used many of those haven't seen any around in a while, but worked well. Especially for everyday quilt. :)

the light layer is simply woven interfacing, it is fine to use. some of us add light weight woven interfacing to projects on purpose :) it does not change the usability of your quilt. i am assuming it is a washable mattress pad...one that was not washable would need some research, as far as why it is not washable, but i have not run across a mattress pad that could not be thrown in a washer.

I never would of thought a mattress pad okay for batting. Seems there are those of the opinion that it is a great alternative and I'm going to give it a try. Thanks for the idea. All for saving money.