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.

I have made 2 "summer" quilts- 1 with no batting and the other with flannel. No batting- had no body and tends to wrinkle more. no need to quilt much since all you want is to hold layers together. Flannel- it is as heavy as one with batting and also the flannel cost more that batting would. Moral- put batting in quilts and kick it off if too hot.

This would only matter to me if I was entering it in a quilt show. Living in Canada, I'm reminded of a quote by our first Prime Minister Trudeau: "The state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation". I'm pretty sure that was when the quilt police were banned from Canadian homes; I make my quilts however I want, with no fear of repercussions. :)

I use Warm and White in all my quilts so color is the only thing that makes a Summer Quilt. The AC is in full gear in Florida during the summer so it can be quite cool.

I use bamboo batting in my smmer quilts. It's very light weight and breaths like cotton.

Odd but I like wool. I agree on using a quilt and then kicking it down when it gets too warm. I also like poly batting. My new favorite.

Nice thread as I just finished what I call a summer quilt...top=string quilt....backing=musling....sandwiched w/flannel. I am currently using it with a scrap quilt (that is sandwiched w/W&N) but I think w/the flannel it will still be too warm to use it during the summer as I'd hoped. So my next quilt I want to try, (as I have on hand) a flannel backed quilt with the top in reg.cotton material and nothing in between. I just hope the flannel still won't be too warm but we have the AC running and I think a flanned backed quilt might work out just fine. Good luck with however you decide to go but do let us know!!!!

I would not make a quilt without batting. I don't think it would look very good. With batting it could be used in cold weather also.

I think, for a summer quilt, that you would not use batting. You could tie it if you wanted to or quilt it to suit your fancy.

I live on the surface of the sun--otherwise known as Phoenix. I have made a couple of quilts without batting. I quilted them on my midarm just like any other one. I like them very much most of the year.