Quilt without batting
04-03-2012, 09:46 AM
#41
Power Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Citrus County, Florida
Posts: 10,849
My grandmother use to put a light weight flannel blanket in the middle. I made a flannel quilt (if you can call it that) without a center filling as the 2 layers of flanner was more than enough...it may even be too warm for summer
04-03-2012, 10:15 AM
#42
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Maine
Posts: 51
I learned how to make quilts the Old way too, from gram & my mom. We made them with no "filling" (lol) for lightweight or with assorted layers inside..eithr a sheet or an older quilt. And often just hand tied for the quilting. These weren't for selling tho, they were for necessity! (we were from the poor side of the "tracks") 
04-05-2012, 03:47 AM
#44
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Bluebell
Posts: 4,291
Oh, I just finished this one for my porch swing. I just love the end results using NO batting at all. I did meander on this one (the quilting) but next one I might tie. Anyhow, yes I intend to make a full size one soon. I love the weight of it or lack there of, just dandy.
04-18-2012, 09:14 AM
#45
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1
Great information!
I appreciated learning something of the history - which made total sense! And thanks for the great suggestion to use diaper material.
I'm new to quilting and love the opportunity to learn from you. BTW, I also live and garden in Las Vegas, which is the most challenging gardening environment ever!
I'm new to quilting and love the opportunity to learn from you. BTW, I also live and garden in Las Vegas, which is the most challenging gardening environment ever!
Originally Posted by MacThayer
Batting is a modern invention. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers used to quilt the top straight onto the back all the time. I know, because that's how my great-grandmother taught me how to quilt. If they needed batting, they were lucky to be able to use worn out "quilts" (e.g. tops & backings), worn out blankets, feed sacks, old sheets, used burlap -- anything that would trap layers of air. Why do you think we used to sleep under 9 or 10 quilts in the winter??!! Well, we had no central heating, for one thing, and "the girls'" bedroom was on the second floor and thus wasn't heated.
So, yes, you can make a quilt without batting. However, if I were doing a summer-weight quilt, I wouldn't use flannel for the back. That can get warm. What I now use, and I know this sounds a bit strange, but for a summer-weight quilt I have used diaper material. It's very thin, made of cotton, very breathable, very sturdy, and just enough to keep your quilt from being "see through" and give it a tiny bit of heft, but it doesn't add warmth. I'm talking about using a single layer here. It's cheap, and it's sold by the yard right off a bolt just like fabric. Google it on line. If you can't find it cheap, PM me and I'll give you my source. Don't even think you have to buy it from England, although they use a lot of it there because it's good stuff and cheap. (England may come up first on the web.) I know because I used to live there. It's a material that's seriously underused and poorly understood in the States.
So that's my suggestion! Good Luck to you!
So, yes, you can make a quilt without batting. However, if I were doing a summer-weight quilt, I wouldn't use flannel for the back. That can get warm. What I now use, and I know this sounds a bit strange, but for a summer-weight quilt I have used diaper material. It's very thin, made of cotton, very breathable, very sturdy, and just enough to keep your quilt from being "see through" and give it a tiny bit of heft, but it doesn't add warmth. I'm talking about using a single layer here. It's cheap, and it's sold by the yard right off a bolt just like fabric. Google it on line. If you can't find it cheap, PM me and I'll give you my source. Don't even think you have to buy it from England, although they use a lot of it there because it's good stuff and cheap. (England may come up first on the web.) I know because I used to live there. It's a material that's seriously underused and poorly understood in the States.
So that's my suggestion! Good Luck to you!
05-15-2014, 06:22 AM
#46
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: saint louis, mo
Posts: 253
Hi Everyone! I'm enjoying the discussion on summer-weight quilts.
I am in the middle of piecing a top that I'd expected to make into a summer-weight quilt - no batting.
My problem - I used white on the top. And, I want the backing to be dark. I'm concerned that the darkness of the backing will show through and dingy-up the white on the front
.
Anyone have experience with this? With batting, I never worried about it....
I am in the middle of piecing a top that I'd expected to make into a summer-weight quilt - no batting.
My problem - I used white on the top. And, I want the backing to be dark. I'm concerned that the darkness of the backing will show through and dingy-up the white on the front
.Anyone have experience with this? With batting, I never worried about it....
05-15-2014, 06:32 AM
#47
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: East Arkansas
Posts: 2,534
I haven't but wonder if you could use a layer of muslin or some other light colored material instead of a batting. I have two quilts that are just top and backing and actually with air conditioning I wish I had just one more layer like maybe a sheet instead of batting to make it more comfortable. Or maybe I should have backed them with flannel.
05-15-2014, 08:41 AM
#50
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Posts: 976
Trugger, you will definitely have a problem with a dark backing showing through your white top. Even cream colored batting darkens a white quilt top. I always use Warm and White if my quilt top contains a lot of white. I think a batting made of a white sheet, bleached muslin or something similar would be your solution.
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