QUILT without batting
 

Have you ever just used a sheet for batting??? I do not want the quilt to be heavy I do want to quilt it.

I would think polyester batting produces a quilt that is more lightweight, than a cotton or wool batting. Have you thought about useing a polyester batting?

I've never used a polyester batting, as I always use cotton batting, but perhaps others that do will chime in. I'm not sure a sheet will give you the quilt feeling ?? However, there are no quilt police.

The quilts made without batting are considered summer quilts as described https://sewingiscool.com/what-is-a-summer-quilt/ and probably several other places.

ETA: I didn't read but you might do a search here on QB. Here are two that popped up when I googled. https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f...t-t124602.html and https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f...s-t288079.html
and here is one made at https://www.quiltingboard.com/8524273-post12.html

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
Not affiliated with off-site link(s)

I've made several counterpane quilts without any batting. I originally made them for my dogs, but I like them so much that I made a couple for myself. They are a lot warmer than I expected and a lot less time consuming to make when you don't have to put batting in it. I do stippling on them so that they stay flat without wrinkling a lot.

I've made one with no batting & I love it. Janey (OurWorkbench) linked to my post about it in 2021.
We use it year round on our bed. It was so much easier to quilt without all that bulky batting inside. Hope this helps you & I'd love to see what you decide to make & how you like it.

lhttps://www.quiltingboard.com/8524273-post12.html

Last I heard, technically a quilt is 3 layers. This would only be important if someone is asked to decide if it technically a quilt, ie., quilt show being judged. Otherwise, it’s your quilt, do what you want.

Personally, I like bamboo or cotton. Very tightly woven fabric (thread count >200) will be warmer.

That article was very helpful.

Just fyi for the person who recommended polyester batting. I'm doing some longarm work for a friend who supplied polyester batting - and it's a bitch and a half to work with. So puffy. I'm getting pleats all over the place and it's hard to baste the edges because they keep turning under the foot. I'm in ducking hell. If you quilt it yourself - might want to try just straight lines - walking foot.

Our quit does not have batting. I used a flannel sheet for the back. We just love it. Not too hot for summer months.

Rff1010, what you are experiencing is unusual. Usually all I ever use is poly and I quilt my quilts on a Nolting. I don't ever have these problems. The batting must be a high loft?

I'm not doing a quilt but a bedskirt with body. Using a flannel sheet for the batting with muslin on the backside, will be using piano keys widely across the skirt to adhere all 3 layers.

I’ve made quilts with a flannel sheet inside for batting.
I’ve also used fleece as backing with no batting. Fleece had a diagonal print so I followed the lines to to quilt it.
Both worked out ok.

I have used flannel inside quilts and really like that. Also made quilts with no batting but with a fleece backing. I like them both ways.

For me, flannel works best....BE SURE TO SERGE OR PINK EDGES AND WASH BEFORE USING IN YOUR QUILT SANDWICH.

FYI: NO is a complete sentence. When I did LA, I allowed myself to say NO to projects from #$%^.

I've used flannel for the batting at times. I also made a "queen" size cover my 96 year old mom uses on her twin bed as a bedspread. It's still fairly heavy.

I've never used a sheet but have used flannel, which turned out really nice - not much texture from the quilting, however.

I just finished making a string quilt and sewed it onto muslin. It is quite heavy so I will be using flannel instead of batting.

My appliqué quilt top is so heavy that it will not move through my domestic machine to do free motion or ruler work. Any suggestions? I thought I needed to use a different batting but it is not the problem. I’m thinking I may have to take it to a long armer.

yeah, and my mom used poly for a quilt she is hand quilting (when she was new to quilting) and she’s really having a rough time with it.

I will not use polyester batting because it is so difficult to control on a longarm. Might be OK if you're hand quilting or baste the quilt sandwich heavily before quilting.

I have used sheets for batting. For some, I will use a flannel sheet. I just completed a very large quilt for a bedspread. Because it is so large, I put the thinnest polyester batting inside. It is very lightweight and gives the quilt just a little puffiness which is what I wanted for this quilt/spread.

What kind of machine are you using? I have heard that many use vintage or antique machine for quilting, that the modern machines can't handle.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
Not affiliated with off-site link(s)

I buy the thinnest loft poly available at Marshall's Dry Goods, 5 or 6 ounce. I love how the quilts turn out, minimally quilted. They are light and fluffy but just as warm as cotton or 80/20. I do compress the area I'm quilting a bit with my hands, which is easily done on a sit down longarm or a domestic machine. My friend who has a longarm on a frame can't stand to quilt this batting because the longarm can't compress it like a pair of hands on a table can do. So that may make the difference, Rff1010.