I had thought about this very subject. My grandmother use to recycle quilts for the batting (many, many years ago). My mom always used blankets for batting to cut down on costs. I still have one she made for me when I was a teenager using the little dutch girl pattern. I found some blankets that are creme colored for $7 for queen size that I plan to purchase to try in future quilts (got to finish what I started first). So, how close for the stitches do I need to quilt when using a blanket for batting?