summer quilts
 

Once again, what makes a summer quilt...is it one with no batting? And if so, do you still quilt it? tie it? birth it? Do the seams show through the backing fabric if you don't use batting and use bleached muslim?

It really depends where you live. For us in So. CA there is a lot of time it is so warm at night that a sheet is too much - so for me I would put a light batting in because the front can show through otherwise. It can be a flannel, but I want my quilts to have some definition and body. Pacific Rim recommends batting in their Hawaiian quilts.

IMHO, as with any bed cover, it makes the bed pretty when the bed is made. when sleeping, i kick off whatever is too warm for me. so i use 3 layer quilts year round.

This is so odd I have never had a summer vs winter quilt but recently I made a lap quilt and used warm and white batting, last night I fell asleep with it on my bed and this morning it was on the floor! Is it because of the size no clue.

Here we have hot summers but my AC runs at 75 during the day and a few degrees cooler at night so I do my usual batting unless otherwise requested. However not everyone has central air or central heat so if it's a gift I always check. I've made one quilt that had flannel on the back instead of batting and backing for a friend deep in the throes of menopause, she said it was perfect.

I have asked several of my quilting friends here in Southern California the same question. They have suggested lightweight flannel (wash it first to shrink it), muslin, very thin batting, or nothing at all. I am hoping to make a summer quilt soon.

My Grandma B would make coverlets of a pieced top and what appeared to be feedsacks or muslin or sheets on the back. Nothing between. Tied with yarn .

I have always been told to qualify as a quilt ......it must be three layers. any comments?

I just made a summer quilt as a recovery quilt for a dear friend. I used a layer cake in MSQC double sliced layer cake pattern and good quality prewashed flannel. The seams did not show through without batting. Since it is close to summer and this person is always warm, I did not put any batting in it, but made a matching pillow case. Here is a picture prior to quilting.

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Summer quilts are so named because they are to be lightweight. No batting. But even so, they also have more fabric in them that the batting would not be needed. Classic example is cathedral windows. I made a origami quilt top. Lots of fabric, lots of folding. It does not need batting. Batting comes in different weights, so if you want to add batting you can. Batting also gives body to a quilt and helps it retain its shape. And the quilt will last longer.