I just made my first "summer" quilt -- for me! -- and I used flannel. I'm delighted with the weight of this quilt!

That said, last summer I used my quilt with the Hobbs wool batting for most of the summer. It was much less 'sweaty hot' than polyester is and much less dense/weighty than cotton is. It's still my all time personal favorite quilt, all season.

Jan in VA

I pulled out my linen wardrobe last week for the first string of muggy days in Louisiana. I make most of my pieces and love how soft they feel after several washings. Nothing feels as cool in the summer, even when layered. I was thinking the other day that a linen quilt would feel so cool and soft on hot nights when it's too hot for a cotton quilt with cotton batting. Linen does ravel more, so I would use larger pieces and seams. I would also make sure it has just enough quilting to catch the raw edges of each seam in enough places to prevent raveling out, but not so much that it becomes too compacted to have good airflow. I will need to research battings.

Quilters Dream! I love it!!

I have made summer quilts and have made them with no batting. I think flannel might work if you feel you need fabric.

In the days before air conditioning, many people made summer spreads or summer quilts which had no batting at all. Sometimes, if they were able to do so, they slept on porches so they could actually sleep during the hottest weather. Now, with AC, batting would be okay to use.

1/4 (low loft) poly batting from Wal Mart is light weight.

Depends on the quilt and who is going to get it. Also what I have on hand. I cannot tolerate wool unless it has been totally beaten down and not going directly against the skin.

There is a fleece batting for tablerunners and placemats that is very thin, but will give you the quilted look you want, its usually behind the counter at our LQS

I've seen flannel used as a batting, or no batting at all, but then you have to be careful that the backing is light enough to not show through to the front.

My favorite summer quilt has no batting.