I let a lady borrow my tied car blanket that I made. We were at a cookout and it was very cold. It wasn't much of a blanket---just a cotton print on fleece. But it was a print that said Jeep and had pictures of Jeeps all over it. (My last three vehicles have been Jeeps) Anyway, this woman was visiting from out of state and must have liked that blanket as much as I did because when she left it left with her. I still miss it.

I remember my Grandma in the 'Hills of WV' collecting unwanted coats. She would cut them and sew them in a flat sheet then she would put pieced tops on them and tie them. One of my first hem jobs was on her binding. Never knew what happened to all those HEAVY quilts, might be glad. But wool was her choice of inside stuff, as she called it. Thanks for bringing this up. Great memory jolt!
Blessings, Ruth

I am using lightweight flannel for my sons new quilt. No batting.

Thanks for the interesting read. I will keep an eye out for blankets on sale. Sometimes plain ol' thin blankets are pretty cheap, cheaper than batting.

I started out recycling old blankets in my quilts which were always tied and lap size. My first hand quilted one was a dresden plate that I bought cotton batting for. My next dresden for my daughter I used polyester. While choosing her purple fabrics, I landed a job at Hancocks teaching the BOM Sampler's Club. I enjoyed doing that for 5 different quilts. I used Hobb's 80/20 in two, but a friend quilted them on her long arm and prefers that. I am going to try bamboo on the next one I put in the frame to hand quilt. One of my favorite quilts that I use most every night is a top I found. I tied it to a sheet as backing, then turned the edges over for binding. Someone had put three of these tops out on top of the trash bin! {the bin was empty, so they were put on top to be found} It was my treasure! Some blocks were hand pieced and some were machine pieced. They were all scrappy and old.

My grandmother made all of her quilts with courderoy and wool, all pieced and hand quilted. I don't know what happened to those quilts but I sure loved them when I was a kid. The batting was flannel. Now...I love that pattern in your avatar, the red and white one ....What is the pattern called and where can I get it?
Thanks much. Its raining in sunny Arizona today, how awful!!!!! I have always used w and n since I started to quilt years ago. I have never used anything else.

Terrific ideas here in this thread. Thanks for the ideas, especially the electric blanket one.

I mostly use batting. My favorite is the Bamboo. I do use flannel in children/baby quilts. I have an old mattress cover, but I was saving it to make bibs. Have to rethink that. I don't have any blankets as I have so many quilts the blankets had to go.

We have a discount store near where I live called Roses. They sell blanket "seconds" for 6-7 dollars. I have been using them. They make a great warm quilt. I tie them. But I don't have to worry about them coming apart like some batting will. Whenever I find them in king, queen or full size I will purchase 5 or 6 at a time.

I just had to pay 35 dollars for a king batting, I needed it quick and could not wait for it to go on sale. So 6-7 dollars is a steal.

I also have used sheets for backing.

My aunt made me a flannel quilt when I was around five. She had all these wonderful little flannel squares of snowmen, snowflakes and wintery things. She backed it with flannel also. The batting was an old wool army blanket. I loved that thing to death. I called it "My Cold Blankie" because everytime I snuggled under it, it was cold. Then it warmed right up to toasty perfection.

Years later, I gave it to my daughter when she was seven. Some of the flannel had shredded and the back was in strings. I took out the ties and put on a new flannel back. I didn't quilt but was in it to give my daughter my treasure. I just cut squares out of fabric and zigzagged it on to the existing quilt top to cover the holes!

My daughter loved it...because it was cold! She called it the same thing I did and loved it until it completely shredded apart.