Thank you for all these good answers. Hadn't considered that a flannel backing helps a quilt not to slide around on the bed, and end up on the floor! Awesome.

I agree that there are some flannels that are thin and pill....but i have found the newer flannels are very well behaved fabrics....and i think that make great drag around kid quilts. I just made a new one for my niece last year....the one i made her 12 years earlier had finally worn down to a handkerchief size.

My first quilt is made of flannel. I made it for my granddaughter when she was born. She is turning 12. She still uses the quilt. It has been washed many many times over the years. It is still cozy. No pilling. I made a quilt from flannel and chenille for her younger brother. He is 7. Quilt still in great shape and he still loves it.

Flannel backs on lap/wheelchair quilts keep them from slipping off the lap too.

Excellent point!

If you are going to make a flannel quilt you need to use good quality flannel. Then they are soft and cozy and just get better and better with each washing. We have a flannel quilt that was made by my husbands aunt about 20 years ago. It is my favorite and my little 5 pound Chi's (Josie Marie) favorite nap blanket. It is so soft and cozy. Once, when our favorite blanket was in the wash I took my nap with a different quilt. Josie Marie was not happy and spent about 10 minutes trying to get comfortable and then gave up and took her nap in her little heated bed instead.

One of my favs is Walmart flannel. I liked the happy penguins in Santa hats on it! It's been the family favorite for years. Never pilled. But after 10 years of heavy use and frequent washing, it's starting to wear. But I love it, so I'm starting to repair!

I like flannel back quilts for my bed because DH and I move a lot in our sleep, and the flannel keeps it on the bed! The only others I put flannel on are for babies, or by request for adults.

I use flannel for backing summer quilts, thus avoiding batting. Quality does matter and I get mine at my LQS.

I buy flannel sheets on sale - not from walmart or the like - then wash them twice before using. They make great backings. If a sheet set seems to fuzz more than I'd like to see, I wash the pillowcases a few extra times to see how they stand up to more washing and drying. So far, I have not been disappointed.