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When you’re making a quilt, the batting is the most expensive part of the project. You can easily spend upwards of $50 for one quilt if you buy batting by the yard.
But I have a secret!
Some quilters have been saving tons of money by using an alternative material for batting.
I won’t make you wait to hear what it is…
The secret is FLEECE.
Fleece is a lot cheaper than traditional batting. It comes 60-inches wide, or larger, and goes on major discounts during the winter months. You can buy tons of plain white polar fleece for CHEAP!
People have been using flannel, felt, and other heat-retaining fabrics inside quilts for years. However, those fabrics don’t provide the same plush feeling as batting. They are either too thin or not flexible enough. Using fleece for batting feels almost the same as traditional batting.
Most people can’t tell what’s on the inside of a quilt anyway, so it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money on batting.
I personally think fleece batting offers better benefits than cotton or polyester batting. It is light-weight, warm, and even more durable than most quilt batting because it does not shift and breakdown as quickly when washed. It is also easier to work with fleece batting than quilt batting because it does not have fibers that separate.
Now, if you’re thinking that the reason people always use quilt batting is that it is flame resistant, that is not true… Quilt batting is only flame resistant if it specifically has that label, which will cost you even more money.
Polar fleece is made from 100% polyester. Most quilt batting is either polyester or a cotton/polyester blend. Neither is flame resistant. Some people say polyester batting will melt under an iron, but it would probably take a lot of heat.
Fleece has always been a common fabric for blankets. It makes sense that using fleece for batting could work well for a quilt, too. Just keep in mind that fleece retains heat better than most cotton quilt batting, so it will make a very WARM blanket. It also doesn’t breathe well. If you want a lighter quilt, stick with cotton batting.
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Also Read: What Batting Should I Use for a Quilt?
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That is what I used for the first quilt I made! 35-40 yrs ago! Too funny!
I used a fleece blanket for the first quilt i made.
How is it to hand quilt??
I find it easier to quilt as the top and backing “grab” the fleece – so no shifting!
Is it to quilt with polar fleece on a long arm quilting machine?
I recently used fleece on a quilt. Long arm quilting. It was great. Just felt so soft and comfy. Quilted up beautifully.
I have used blankets but not fleece. I will have to try this as it is on sale right now real cheap.
I have repurposed wool blankets and fleece for batting. Thrift shops are great sources for such battings
Great idea😊Thank you
Very interesting! Will have to try it. Does it quilt easy on a long arm machine?
I would not use fleece because some of it is stretchy and all of it is polyester which retains heat too much.
Yes, fleece blankets can get pretty warm.
For sure, I only use coton or wool bathing! Polyester does not breath!
That’s the first thing I thought of too. Isn’t fleece just polyester? I would think it would get too hot for my taste.
Yes. Also, we should be trying to use as little polyester as possible — it never disappears, only turns into tinier and tinier particles that pollute the ocean and the fish. There’s a lot online about that now (from reliable sources). Flannel and thin wool or even old quilts are much better. I used to stay at a boarding house in the Catskills in the 1950s; almost all of their quilts had older quilts as batting.
Amen Polly! I once saw a quilt that incorporated an army coat (WWII) as the batting. Polyester never goes away. It would be wonderful if everyone would make efforts to use fewer plastics and synthetic materials.
If you want a lightweight, “drapy” summer quilt, would a lightweight flannel or a jersey sheet be a good alternative to batting?
I just use flannel for the backing on my summer quilts, no batting.
Me too, it works well. Just use two layers.
I frequently use flannel as my batting as I live in Florida and we don’t need heavy quilts here. Sometimes I use fleece as the backing and only sew to a quilt top so it’s just two layers.
I have made my grandsons college quilts out of blue jeans and used fleece for backing. It worked great.
Fleece would be way to hot for me. Maybe I’ll try flannel.
Yes I agree and the fleece holds up much better than anything else. I have used the college logo oftheir choice.
Are you using fleece as batting, or as batting and backing both?
I was wondering the same Barb. I am making a quilt for a 6 yr old grand daughter. I bought a light fleece with Moana on it for the baking as I have cotton/poly blocks done for front. Now wondering what to put in the middle.
Online if use fleece on back— they say no need for a middle fabric.
I have used fleece for both batting and backing for many years. It works great both ways especially for baby blankets.
Dear Marsha,
Fleece is great for a big adult quilt, especially if it needs to be extra warm. I’ve not yet made one with fleece so I’m going to have to do so for Hubs and me. It sounds fabulous for cuddling in when the thermometer goes below 30 degrees!
My church group and I make baby quilts so we can give one to every child baptised in the church. However we would never use fleece, only cotton or wool. Yes, they aren’t cheap, but the reason is that in the event of a fire (God forbid!) natural fabrics, although they can and will burn, they don’t burn as easily as synthetics. And the worst part is that synthetics don’t just burn, they melt into the skin – a horrible situation that we’d never want to happen to a baby.
If you happen to be a knitter and have ever made hoods or scarves for the troops overseas, (I have) the instructions always specify wool, never synthetics, for this same reason.
I’m not trying to be critical, I just thought you’d like to know for the next time you make a baby quilt.
God bless and keep on quilting!
Cotton does burn. Polyester does not burn. That is why all baby sleepers are poly and not cotton.
If you read the packaging on children’s wear you will see that sleepwear is treated to be “flame retardant” regardless of the material it is made of. This is a law in the USA. You are correct when you say polyester doesn’t burn but it MELTS rapidly if not treated.
You are correct Marie. Cotton does burn, but so does polyester. I stated that in my message above. However, unlike polyester, cotton does not melt into the skin and turn hard.
If you wish to say poly doesn’t burn – OK – it doesn’t, it MELTS. I haven’t bought baby clothes in a long time (I’m in my 70’s) . Even so, I am aware they are treated to be flame resistant – a very good thing. However, polyester fleece, if purchased off the bolt, is not necessarily treated with fire retardant unless stated on the label.
I don’t expect you to believe me, so please, do your own burn test, put a tiny strip of fleece in a fireproof dish and light it. You’ll see it melt and then harden into a piece of plastic. Do the same with cotton and it will simply turn to ash. Ask a firefighter if his or her protective coats and other gear are made of polyester and you’ll learn it is not.
Please know my purpose is NOT to be disrespectful of you, nor do I wish to be demeaning. I simply want share facts.
Poly melts when heat too high in dryer.
Now I am confused to burn or not burn 🤔
I’ve spent a small fortune on batting so was delighted to read that I could use fleece until I read that it can be too hot 🥵 also because of inviromental impact 🥴well I think cotton or wool is better for baby quilt The thought of polyester melting onto anyone’s skin is horrendous!!!!
I’m doing the same for baby blankets. A cotton pieced top and polar fleece on the back.
They need a lot less quilting and I’ve had reports that babies love them as snuggle rugs when they become toddlers.
I quilt for charity and just use fleece. Keeps the quality but cuts the cost considerably
That k you for responding.
Using fleece as batting
I once used fleece as the back of a quilt. I used stick in the ditch as my quilting . It turned out very nice.
Fleece would work out best in a colder climate, Sounds like a great choice to me. Also easier to manage then working with batting. What a wonderful idea. Would work better and be warmer for older folks.
thanks Bunches full.
I have made several baby quilts with fleece and used it as the batting/backing. I just machine quilted the quilt top to the fleece and added a binding. The quilts were amazingly soft and warm. I think it is a great alternative. Not having to buy batting or backing saved a ton of money buying the fleece on a 50-60% off sale.
There is a another plus for using fleece in a baby quilt. After reading a few articles, I learned that regular quilt batting can make its way through the cotton fibres of the quilt and babies can get this on their little hands. When this happens, babies can either ingest or inhale these small fibres. Not good for these precious little ones. Best to use fleece!
So glad I found this. I was thinking about using fleece but wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.
A simple “thank you” for sharing your wonderful tip. You were very kind and thoughtful to do it❣️
I’m glad this came up on Pinterest. I was already making a lap quilt with fleece so this makes me feel much better. I will be giving it away, and I was trying to save money.
I have long used blankets instead of expensive batting. Excited to give fleece a try!!
But blankets are not cheap either
I have used fleece many times for the backing and omitted the batting. I found it worked great.
I made a Tshirt quilt for my granddaughter and used SewSoft fleece as backing. Did not use batting. Blanket was heavy but had such a cuddly feel.
I have also used fleece- inside a black quilt using black fleece and don’t get the fibers coming through!
Making a baby quilt with polyester fabric or fleece is not a good idea. When we buy sleepwear for our children don’t we all want the non-flammable kind? All natural cotton will burn but not as fast, and unlike polyester, it doesn’t MELT into and stick to the skin – just horrific! On the other hand, 100% cotton fleece would be fine to use. In years past, I’ve knitted hoods for our military overseas. We were mandated to use nothing but 100% wool yarn in case the soldier or Marine wearing it was exposed to flame. Wool doesn’t burn well or quickly. Polyester yarn would melt right into his or her skin and stay there.
No one wants to even think about, let alone experience a fire of any kind. Just the idea of a baby or young child being burned is hideous and frightening. Still, it can happen.
If I were making a quilt for an adult and wanted it to be especially warm, I might use Polar fleece, particularly if the individual lived in a very cold climate. Otherwise I’d use, cotton, silk, wool, or even cotton flannel. As others have mentioned, each has different properties and is appropriate for different situations.
My church quilting group makes baby quilts for our pastor to give the parents when their child is baptized. We always make sure to use 100% cotton for everything including thread. It won’t protect a child in a fire, but at least it won’t melt like candle wax and sink into the skin. That actually happened to me once as a young girl when I got careless with sealing wax. It was awful and at age 70 I still have the scars, it went deep!
Hadn’t thought of fleece as batting before. Have used it for backing many times because it’s so soft and warm and yes very inexpensive!!
I’m making my first quilt for a fourteen month old, and I’m using cotton flannel. I read this article and picked up some fleece. Since fleece doesn’t shrink but cotton flannel will, I will wash the quilt and backing before sandwiching with the batting. Does this make sense?
I will also tell my niece it’s just a throw and not to be used a blanket. We’re also in FL. I might run out tomorrow and pick up flannel for the lining.
No one has mentioned hand quilting fleece? Is it difficult to quilt as it might be closely woven. It sounds too hot for me anyway, from a lady who simply hates duvets as they are way too hot, even the summer togs, and they don’t allow the body to breathe properly. How long do you think it will take before the world knows the difference between a quilt and a duvet!? Even manufacturers and advertisers get it wrong.
Best wishes for yet another odd Christmas from the UK
Michele
Really like this idea. I will definitely give it a try. It will be great for charity quilts bringing down the cost so more can be made to give.
Thank you for this awesome tip! I’m gonna try this..
I would like to know if it is hard to work with due to the fact that it is stretchy?
Hi Pernille
If you’d like to try it (I haven’t yet, but can see the merits in it), try spray basting it to the quilt top as well as pinning.
I reckon it would make a good lightweight quilt without putting a third layer in it. Back in the 19th century and earlier, when quilts were fully hand pieced, if the method was EPP, the papers were often left in the quilt as there wasn’t a commercially available wadding.
I’ve repurposed old blankets for quilt wadding a couple of times. It makes a very warm quilt. I prefer wool to poly as it has flame retardant qualities that synthetics do not have.
But having said that, I would certainly make a quilt as a knee rug, or TV blanket with fleece, as it would be washed frequently and we know that fleece usually holds up pretty well. It would also be a good fabric for 30 and 40 weight thread.
Some fleece is not at all stretchy and some is extremely so. Just go in the store and tug on the various types. Easy.
Some batting needs to be quilted every 4 inches, is there any suggestions as to how far apart the stitching should be?
Batting is expensive for sure but good cotton fabric in Canada is expensive . The quilt top is the most costly here. I will try fleece at some point.
When I started quilting, I used old fashioned mattress pads. They worked great.
I use them still, especially baby quilts so they have a waterproof side! Very easy to quilt!
Sometime ago a customer brought a quilt to me too quilt.
She brought a mattress pad for batting. I had my doubts.
It was easy to quilt, results were great.
If you use fleece for backing can you still bind your quilt!
In the 1990s, i worked in a quilt shop in Ohio, I enjoyed talking to the customers and just about anyone who came into the shop. One day an elderly African American lady came in just to look at all the fabrics and talk about quilting. She no longer could sew or make quilts due to arthritis and other physical limitations. She told me about a family quilt her grandmother had made many years ago.and we compared differences between now and the in quilting supplies etc. she pointed out the batting was varied in those days and her Grandma simply collected the long johns too old to be worn,cut them in flat pieces and used them for the batting. Said that they were the warmest quilts she had ever slept under.
I just finished a queen size quilt that I used a fleece Blanket for the batting. Bought from Macys as a holiday deal and was about 17.00 for the queen size. Great deal compared to batting and easy to use.