A question for all...
 

Has anyone ever used a blanket for batting? I have had our king sized top all ready to be sandwiched for over a month, but never seem to have the money to buy it. I have a thin blanket that is large enough to use, but I'm afraid of messing up our quilt... I really need to get it done soon... It's starting to get really cold here now, and all we have on our bed is a queen sized comforter laying sideways... Any suggestions would be very welcome and appreciated!

Thank you all in advance!
Jona

Of course you can use a blanket for your quilt batting! It would be best to use a light design, like outline the major elements of the block design. A small stipple design will make the whole thing rather stiff. My daughter still uses the first quilt I made over 30 years ago. Some blocks have totally worn out, but she will not let me fix it. The blanket/batting is still holding up just fine.

Sure it won't be as thick as batting but it will work. People used to use whatever they had available. You'll still have 3 layers of fabric and it will still be warm.

I would caution about using some of the loosely woven cotton blankets.. The texture of the weave is much more apparent than some other blankets. Check your Good Will for velux blankets they make great batting and are really really warm.
I have used some wool blnakets , they are given to me by people who washed/dryed them and now they no longer fit their bed. These are the warmest quilts as the washed/dried blanket is felted wool , very dense !

As long as your blanket is clean and shrunk as much as it's going to shrink, have at it. I'm the self appointed queen of re-purposing-----------------if it works, do it. (also known as being big time cheap!)

I've used plenty of blankets for batting, I've even used mattress covers when the elastic on the "fabric" that keeps it on the mattress is shot. I have a friend that gathered up sweat shirts and pants and cut them in whatever size pieces she could get out of it, then she sewed them together and used that as batting, she was happy with it and so was her brother.

Yes, blankets work very well! I had to chuckle about the mattress protector just now. Just this past week, I ripped of the elastic part of a mattress protector, washed it and now have it in reserve for use as batting when I need it.

My mom always used old blankets for batting. I have used matress pads, they worked great and were very warm ( a bit heavy though). It's your quilt, use whatever works for you!:thumbup:

I agree with the other ladies, yes you sure can use a blankey with the reservations everyone else talked about.

I love buying the batting on sale at connecting threads on line. They they have free shipping after you spend 50 dollars, so I usually buy a few at a time so I get that. I love the Hobbs 80/20 batting and they are my only source now that my fabric store stopped carring it. Besides the price is great when they have it on sale.

That's what we used when I was a kid. Old blankets, tops pieced from old clothes. Only thing new was the crochet thread we used to tie it. I did not even know about "batting" until after I retired and started taking quilting classes. Remember, when people first started quilting there were no fabric/quilt stores. It was all recycling so to speak.

you can use wool blankets for batting too---you just wash & dry the wool blanket first- i would wash & dry any blanket i was going to use- it is a great way to (recycle) old blankets that are no longer used/wanted/are worn- some people shop the thrift shops for old blankets just for that purpose- you can quilt them any way you want- or tie them without worry about them separating like batting- blankets make wonderful batts.

One of my quilting acquaintances used wool blankets. She washed and dried first. Came out fine.

I used an old blanket of my grandma . The only problem I found was the weight. It is very heavy but lovely and warm on very cold nights. Second problem was when I told ' the police' they all said no,laughed and said it would be criticised in a show. Well I got a very good review in theNEC Birmingham 2010 and was very pleased as it was my first show. A tip would be to watch colours in the blanket donot show through the quilt top.

I've used old blankets (vellux is wonderful!), fleece, flannel fabric (like old sheet tops, but not the ones that 'pill'), and I've used a couple of layers of regular fabric that is ugly, for batting. Just make sure it won't show through either side if you have any light fabrics. It's exactly what our ancestors did, too - so we're 'carrying on the tradition'! : )

Jona, by now you see it's more than ok to use/recycle a blanket for your quilt. Most of us don't make quilts to be judged in shows, etc. Prewashing and you're good to go.

Now, be sure to post a picture of your finished quilt.

I use blankets! I go to estate sales just to look for them :) I make lots of place mats and they work great for them also

I hunt for good blankets to use. Yard sales are a great place to find them and so are estate sales. I have been able to find many like this and they quilt wonderfully

I have used both blankets and sheets.........and they have all worked out just fine.

I use blankets in my wall hangings all the time. One thing I've learned though, is to use blankets that are soft and flexible. I've seen some cheap, cheap blankets that feel like a stiff sheet of woven plastic. I once used a blanket that was loosely woven and once quilted and complete, it don't look smooth so I won't do that again.
But think of how durable a blanket batting would be!!
Peggy

I messed up once trying to use a "thermal" weave blanket. Decided real quick that was a mistake. But I use sheets, blankets, comforters, even mattress pads if they are good quality material. The real plastic stuff is OUT!

We use blankets all the time at the charity I participate in. We can get them free or cheap at the resale stores. Make sure they are clean and tie them up. We do not "quilt" our quilts, we tie all of them because cost would be out of site with all the quilts we do. Have used many different innards. Polyester material, washed of course, flanned sheets, make nice batting and not too heavy. Yes, we too are into the recycyle mode there.

best thing I ever used for batting was a mattress pad...it was sew perfect and it looked great. I did use a blanket for a quilt and it was nice and thick.

I have used flat flannel sheets many times. Just make sure you shrink it first. I like using the sheets when I don't need a "puffy" look. However, it can make your quilt too heavy, so check that.

A blanket is OK. If you want a warm top, don't quilt it too heavily.

Blankets have often been used as battting. But be careful, don't use anything that is scratchy, I have my husbands grandmothers quilt here, it wore from the inside out and was just in shreds. I think the bllanket wore out the cotton on the quilt. I ended up cutting it up last xmas and made stocking for his family.

I have used a blanket for batting.. Do not do it often but in a pinch it is fine to do....
I have heard that an old quilt can be used for batting as well....never tried that though.

I agree, using a blanket that has been washed works fine. I have also used plain white cotton hospital blanket for backing.

By all means, use blankets. I had 3 brothers in WWII and my mother used their blankets as batting for years. Also, there may may be a military surplus store near you where you can sometimes get blankets for $5. Check them out. Should you find some wool blankets, be sure to preshrink them several times. They will be warm and cozy and heavier than regular batting. Should one not be large enough, get some of the tape that seals batting edges together and press the edges together until you can get it quilted. Hope this helps.

I've used blankets before with no bad results. Don't know what you'd call them, but not the loose weave thermal type.

Just last week I washed an old mattress pad that has been around for about 30-40 years. LOL The elastic has long since given up, but otherwise it still looks good. I was thinking of putting on new elastic, but it will serve a much better purpose as a batting. We are making a lot of charity quilts, and this will work fine.

For the Veterans Day sale at JoAnns, I bought the packed batt, queen size was 20.00, or you might try flannel, i use that also especially when it goes on sale for 1.99 a yard, but remember to as it first. But using a blanket, I have done that as well.

Of course you can. Remember when the ladies on the prarie were making quilts they used everything they could-but only after it had outlived it original purpose.
I too have used blankets, mattress pads and my favorite is flannel sheets. The sheets keep them light weight which is better here in the south.:)

I had thought about this very subject. My grandmother use to recycle quilts for the batting (many, many years ago). My mom always used blankets for batting to cut down on costs. I still have one she made for me when I was a teenager using the little dutch girl pattern. I found some blankets that are creme colored for $7 for queen size that I plan to purchase to try in future quilts (got to finish what I started first). So, how close for the stitches do I need to quilt when using a blanket for batting?

I have done it and it worked fine.

I love light weight blankets for batting. Choose a tightly woven one.

I used blankets in tied blankets where I sewed squares together and used flannel on the back for my children. we lived in a tiny very cold house at the time and my kids loved them, very warm. Then I did the same thing for my husband out of wool squares. These were my very first quilts. They came out really good, but I tied them i didn't quilt them. And I didn't bind, rather i sewed the edges and turned them right side out. So I'm not much help to you. But a blanket is incredibly warm inside.

One of the first quilts by boys received was a large flannel quilt with a blanket for batting. The blanket was made of the same material as a soft electric blanket without the cords. The backing the quilter used is the heaviest fabric I've ever held. It's cotton and has laundered well over the years, but I have no idea what kind it is, just very, very heavy. My boys loved it. They were so small they shared a bed then. Now that they are much bigger at 8, 10 and 11, my 11 year old loves it as his weighted blanket. He's austistic and he finds great comfort in very heavy blankets. It's laundered very well over the years and it's had all sorts of abuse happen to it as most baby/kids quilts have.

If you are going to use it to sleep under - it may be heavy, which is fine for many of us. My husband doesn't like heavy quilts and the one I have made using fleece is actually heavier than regular batting. On the other hand, I'll bet it will be warm.

I recently changed my ironing board cover and used the old one for batting for pot holders. Worked great! Not a quilt but just an idea for recycling.
Blessings,
Scherrei