Summer weight quilt question

Hey Michelle

Your question made me go look in my closet at a quilt my mother made many years ago. She called it her summer quilt.

She didn't use any batting at all. Used a sheet for the backing.

Now mind you she always bought sheets with the 200 thread count. This is all hand quilted. Her fingers must have hurt badly by the time she finished this full size quilt or they were fingers of steel.

I know this quilt to be at least 40 years old. It was made before my DWR and she made that in 1968.

Kate T. South Mississippi

There was a period of time here in England (probably elsewhere too?), when so-called 'patchworks' were made. These were just tops and backing. Obviously the quilting was just functional - to hold the two layers together - and there wasn't a lot of it - not much point, as it wouldn't be clearly seen. But these pieces of work were beautiful. I saw a great many in the home of Lucy Bolton (she was an authoress and quilter not that long ago, as it was her daughter who showed us round the family home - say 60 years?) . In message , desert quilter writes

I remember making a quilt using flannel instead of batting for summer use. It gave enough body for quilting but not weight.

I would definitely go for it, the only thought that occurs is that if you want to any decorative rather than functional quilting that it would be rather like doing machine embroidery and need a stabiliser. If you needed to do that over the entire quilt that could end up expensive, but if there are just sections you want to pay more attention to, it would probably work out fine you could just iron on some tear away stabiliser under those sections.

cheers Anne

Howdy!

Yes, Estelle; should work just fine w/ the 2 layers of fabric. More quilting would help stabilize the seams, keep them from fraying; batting gives a cushion to those seams, makes the extra thickness sink into that cushion, protecting them from wear. More quilting thru' just the 2 layers should provide some of that protection.

R/Sandy

What a lovely family heirloom! And no doubt, your mom's fingers were sore. I certainly admire those ladies with fingers of steel. My fingers just don't have it what it takes to quilt like my older family members--with the quilt stretched tight in a frame. I quilt without a frame, just flopping the sandwich around in my lap. HA!

Thanks Kate!

Michelle in NV

With just a sheet on the back, I would wonder if you could feel the seams from the blocks. I like the idea of a piece of flannel in the middle to soften the feel of the quilt.

As a person experiencing her own personal desert heat most of the year, on and off, a sheet all by itself is usually enough. Of course, a traditional summer quilt uses no batting at all, just backing to cover the piecing seams. Your exquisite hand quilting won't show up well, though. Roberta in D

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No worries about the hand-quilting. Since this is going to be used as bedspread and will see lots of use, I plan on using machine quilting only.

Best regards, Michelle in NV

You could simply eliminate the batting and quilt the top and back together. FWIW, I find that thin Warm and Natural to be cooler than low loft poly batting. Debra in VA See my quilts at

Hi all, I have dittos for two of these ideas. 1) I have a lap quilt that's polyester crazy-patches alternated with white cotton squares, then a thinnish white-with-small-flowers cotton print on the back. String- tied, no batting, the flowers show thru from the front. Wierd, huh? (Mom bought this years ago from an old lady who was supporting herself with these funny little quilts) Strange thing is, its a summer favorite around here. I've tried to get rid of it a couple times and my daughters object strenuously. 2) I like to make receiving blankets like this....whole cloth cotton on the front, whole-cloth flannel on the back, simple stitching to keep it from shifting. I wonder if this would work bigger?

Gigi

MSM always used worn blankets as batting. I wonder if a layer of flannel would make a good summer-weight batting? Like, maybe a not-too-tightly woven flannel sheet. Tucson isn't as hot as your location, but any quilt is a bit too warm in the summer! I may give the flannel a try, after completing the projects in hand.......like, maybe in two years or so! If you try it sooner, please post results.

It should work as long as you put in enough quilting to keep the two layers from shifting. Debra in VA See my quilts at

Thanks for the batting tip, Debra!

Michelle in NV

Hi Gigi,

Your quirky little summer quilt sounds like a real favorite! And I think the concensus is yes on foregoing the batting. :-)

Thanks! Michelle in NV

Ohmigosh, Carolyn, I'm the slowest quilter in the world, but since this quilt is a priority, I may actually get it done before 2 years. ;-)

Best regards, Michelle > MSM always used worn blankets as batting. I wonder if a layer of flannel

Check the stores/catalogs for king-size flannel sheets. Roberta in D

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I use sheets all the time and have found they are a great source of 'big fabric' for a very good value. Just one word of caution if you decide to use a flannel sheet. Unpick any part that's hemmed, then wash it in *HOT* water and dry in a *HOT* dryer, preferably twice at least. I've found flannel sheets are notorious for not only shrinking but going wonky on the grain, plus they are very "linty" when new. My method is to rip out any stitching, press the folds flat, serge the edges and then twice hot wash/hot dry and then iron. If you don't have a serger you could wash/dry before you unpick the stitching. One other trick I found to make using the post washed flannel sheets easier to work with, for me anyway; I put about a cup of liquid starch in the final rinse water. Iron it with a steam iron after taking it out of the dryer and it will have just a bit of body/sizing and be easier to handle. It's not enough starch to make it stiff or difficult to hand stitch, just gives it that 'new fabric' workability and also won't fuzzy-lint up your machine as badly. Trust me, you'll save yourself some grief if you take time to 'season' it first.

Learn from the mistakes of others, you'll never live long enough to make them all yourself.

Val