How important is batting in a quilt?

[KoalaMama]

I have some old quilts here that my grandmother made, and they're just two layers - quilted front and solid back. So I'm wondering what the point of batting is, and/or how important it is in a quilt? Is it just for the added warmth? Does it add any other function?

[jeniferm]

Depends on the use I suppose. The batting adds warmth and body to a quilt.

Technically, a quilt must comprise 3 layers of fabric that are quilted together or tied together. The top does not have to be pieced, but it usually is. On the flip side, piecing together fabric into a pattern doesn't make something a quilt.

I have curtains that I pieced together than put a fabric on the back. I did not quilt them or tie them together, other than the stitching around the edges. There is no middle layer. They work well for curtains, and having a batting would not make sense for this use.

For a wall hanging I would think you'd want the batting for stiffness.

For placemats/table runners/etc. the batting would provide padding to keep plates/glasses/etc. from banging on the table.

For a bed, if you didn't use a batting you'd basically just be making a pieced sheet. You could do it, but it wouldn't add any warmth.

Does that help? What did your grandmother use her pieced creations for? And are they actually quilted together (meaning stitches all over holding the front and back together so that they can't slip relative to one another)?

[KoalaMama]

Thanks for the great description! Yes, that helps.

My grandmother's pieces are blankets - we use them on our bed. But they're only two layers. They are quilted in the sense that the front is sewn down to the back at various points, but nothing fancy. These are entirely functional pieces made out of old scraps of fabric. The one on my bed now has a bunch of retro-looking squares in every colour/print you can imagine with a red cotton border and backed by a teddy bear print flannel. Not exactly stylin'. :LOL That's why I love them so much!

[marcey]

I don't know much about quilting myself, but I imagine that batting is for warmth. I have some quilts that family members have made using an old blanket inside instead of batting. I guess one without batting would be like a bedspread vs. a comforter.