Quilt without batting
 

I fairly new to quilting. I want to make a summer quilt, can I make one without using batting? Thanks in advance for the help. Mary

Well, instead of batting, I have heard of people using flannel for the sandwich. It's very lightweight and would do the trick. Just be sure to wash it once or more before you use it. Flannel is one of those fabrics which will definitely shrink.

There are many, many types and weights of batting. My preference is cotton, and if you want it light, try the weight made for wall hangings. Ask at your local quilt shop, or at JoAnn's or wherever you buy fabrics. Lots of good info on line, as well. You can do whatever you like, and the quilt police won't come to your door. But a bit of something in between top and backing gives your quilt good shape and dimension.

I've thought about making a summer weight quilt with either muslin or a sheet as the batting. It would give it shape and a little weight without making it too warm. May try that this summer

I use flannel, but my mother's friend always used a cotton sheet.

My DMIL gave me a summer quilt that her mom had made. It actually has no batting or backing. I'm amazed that it is so old and the seams are not frayed at all.

Why don't you use theremore, it is supposed to be the thinnest batting

Batting is a modern invention. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers used to quilt the top straight onto the back all the time. I know, because that's how my great-grandmother taught me how to quilt. If they needed batting, they were lucky to be able to use worn out "quilts" (e.g. tops & backings), worn out blankets, feed sacks, old sheets, used burlap -- anything that would trap layers of air. Why do you think we used to sleep under 9 or 10 quilts in the winter??!! Well, we had no central heating, for one thing, and "the girls'" bedroom was on the second floor and thus wasn't heated.

So, yes, you can make a quilt without batting. However, if I were doing a summer-weight quilt, I wouldn't use flannel for the back. That can get warm. What I now use, and I know this sounds a bit strange, but for a summer-weight quilt I have used diaper material. It's very thin, made of cotton, very breathable, very sturdy, and just enough to keep your quilt from being "see through" and give it a tiny bit of heft, but it doesn't add warmth. I'm talking about using a single layer here. It's cheap, and it's sold by the yard right off a bolt just like fabric. Google it on line. If you can't find it cheap, PM me and I'll give you my source. Don't even think you have to buy it from England, although they use a lot of it there because it's good stuff and cheap. (England may come up first on the web.) I know because I used to live there. It's a material that's seriously underused and poorly understood in the States.

So that's my suggestion! Good Luck to you!

I have made many "Summer Quilts" - that's what my grandmother called them. I piece a top, make a backing and quilt the two together - no batting at all. I like to make them for high school seniors at church - they fold smaller than a regular quilt and are perfect for summers here in south Texas. Don't need many quilting lines - just enough to keep it all from shifting when it's washed. Light colored fabrics don't work very well for these - if you can see the backing through the fabric it doesn't look very good.

i get requests for quilts with out batting frequently- they turn out just fine- a couple i have used a layer of muslin in the center- a couple flannel- (which adds weight & warmth- so may not be your preference) the center layer of muslin or othe lightweight (lining) helps keep the seams/threads show through the back and gives a little stability/body to the quilt.