What Is a Summer Quilt? (How to Make a Lightweight Quilt)
When you hear the word quilt you may think of a nice, soft, comfortable blanket that keeps you warm on those cold winter nights. Or you may have warm memories of your grandmother making one for you flood your mind. A summer quilt is no different, only lighter.
What is a summer quilt? A summer quilt is just like a winter version and it is made in the same way. The only real difference is that the summer quilt is not as thick as the winter one and may be easier to make. To make a lightweight one all you do is remove the batting and use thinner fabrics on the exterior layers.
To learn more about a summer quilt just continue to read our article. It has the information about this warm weather alternative you need to know about. They are not hard to make and will help you feel warm on those cool Spring, Summer, and Fall evenings.
Summer Quilts 101
What is a Summer Quilt?
The summer quilt is the warm-weather alternative to those heavy and thick winter quilts you are used to having on your bed. But summer quilts are not a new twist in quilt making. they have been made for centuries around the world.
Also, these versions of the winter quilt can be made in different weights and different thicknesses to accommodate the region of the country you live in. They are not as thick as the winter option and they can be made without batting in the middle layer.
The coolest summer quilts are those that do not have the batting included in their construction. Plus, you really do not need batting for the middle layer as you can use thinner fabrics for the middle layer or thicker fabrics for the exterior layer and not put a middle layer inside.
Since not all areas of the country are extremely hot in the summer, a good summer quilt may be just what you need on your bed.
What Weight is a Summer Quilt?
This is one of the best aspects of making a summer quilt. You can tailor it to fit the region of the country you live in. There is no exact or specific weight that you have to use n order for your quilt to be called a summer quilt.
Plus, there are a lot of different batting weights you can use to make sure you get the thickness you want in your quilting project. There is polyester, bamboo, cotton, wool, blends, and even bonded batting to choose from.
What this means is that you have complete freedom when designing your summer quilt. In addition to that, you can use a thin flannel sheet or other thin bedding as the middle layer or leave the batting out altogether.
Let your weather patterns or the climate of the person you are making the quilt for determine how light or heavy the quilt should be.
What is a Lightweight Quilt Called?
There are several different names for this material and some you may be very familiar with. the general category that a quilt falls under is called the bedspread. This category also includes blankets, comforters, and coverlets.
The reason these different bed coverings are all placed in the same category is, one, they are basically bedspreads as they are the top layer. Two, they all come in different thicknesses and sizes.
The term coverlet may best describe a lightweight quilt but you can get away with using the terms bedspread and comforter as well. A duvet is placed in a different category because it has a different task to perform.
Like the weight of a summer quilt, you can call a lightweight quilt just about any descriptive term you want to use and because the nation is filled with so many different cultural influences, you may hear a lot of those terms.
Are Quilts Better for Summer?
If you are asking this question as a comparison with winter quilts then the answer may be no. Winter quilts are essential in many regions of the country. But if you happen to live in a warmer area you may find that the summer quilt will be just as effective in the winter as it is in the summer.
But if you are asking if quilts are better than having sheets, blankets, and bedspreads on your bed in the summer then the answer will depend on you and your preference. Nothing is stopping you from replacing your bedding with a good summer quilt.
They may just be heavy enough to keep you from moving about during the night if you are a restless sleeper. Then if you need to sleep with the air conditioner or dehumidifier on because of the high humidity levels. in your region then a good summer quilt should keep you warm and comfortable.
Summer Quilt vs Duvet
Technically, a summer quilt can replace your regular bedding if you like to sleep that way but usually, the summer quilt functions like a bedspread or comforter. It goes over your bedding to add another layer to keep you warm when the temperatures drop throughout the night.
A duvet is simply a fabric bag filled with down. Its purpose is to replace the bedding and be the only covering you have over you when you sleep. In other words, a duvet is not merely a night time cover but all your bedding rolled into one.
This design makes making the bed simple and very easy to do as you only have one blanket to straighten out. Plus, the duvet can be thick or thin depending on the time of year you want to use it in your bedroom.
A quilt is more flexible as it can be used over a sofa, at night watching a great movie, or just sit in a chair. Duvets are restricted to the bed.
How to Choose a Summer Quilt
This is not going to be that hard of a task to perform. The most difficult part will be deciding on the color you want in your bedrooms or other living areas of your home. That is the first criteria. Get the color that will not clash with your room’s decor. It should enhance the look of the room.
Next, you need to look at the thickness of the quilt. The size you buy may be determined by the summer heat your region of the country produces each year. Then you should check to see what kind of batting is used in the quilt.
If it is a polyester or synthetic material you may have someone in your home that is allergic to the chemicals that produce that material. Finally, design and price will be two more influential factors. Make sure you like the design and can afford the cost.
What is the Lightest Summer Quilt?
The lightest summer quilt maybe between one made with polyester batting or no batting. The overall winner of this competition would depend a lot on the thickness of the exterior fabric used to make those two layers.
The drawback to using polyester as your fill layer are those harmful chemicals used to create that material. Those chemicals do not agree with everyone and they do have some negative effects on people with sensitive skin, allergies, and so on.
Also, polyester batting is thicker without adding any more weight to the quilt. For a no batting quilt, it may be light but if you use thick fabrics for the two outside layers then you may still have a summer quilt weighing more than one filled with polyester batting.
Bamboo may be a close 3rd but it is usually blended 50-50 with cotton and not truly 100% bamboo batting. Wool is not far behind bamboo in weight.
What is the Thinnest Quilt Batting?
That is hard to say as batting is made in all different sizes. Generally, cotton could be considered the thinnest batting you can buy as it is made in 1/8 of an inch thickness. Wool may be second as its smallest size is 1/2 inch.
With that said, how thin batting gets depends on the manufacturer and they can make other materials very thin and a lot lighter. One thing is for sure you can find all types of batting in thicker sizes.
So if you want to stick to natural fibers in your quilt, you can find thick batting as well. The thing to do is compare the fibers of the batting and see which one will work best for your quilting project. Some times thicker is better as some summers do not get overly hot and the nights are very cool.
What is The Coolest Quilt Batting?
One type of batting you do not want in your quilt if you want your body to breathe at night is polyester. While it is light, it cannot breathe very well so it will not be the coolest material to use inside your quilt.
If you are looking for the coolest you should stick to cotton as it breathes the best of all the batting types we looked at. Plus, it is one of the softest and most comfortable batting you can buy.
Wool may be light but it is used more for warmth than keeping you cooler. Bamboo should give cotton a run for its money as it is blended with that latter fiber to make sure you get the best batting possible.
The best thing you should do is compare the different batting that are available and see if there is another, cooler option we did not mention.
What Batting to Use for a Summer Quilt
This is going to be up to your preference and where the quilt will be used. You have fine choices in fibers you can use if you are going to go the batting route. If you think using an old bed sheet is going to do the job then that would be the ideal batting to use for your summer quilt.
You are not stuck with batting for your inside layer. You can use a variety of old clothing fabrics, old bedding, and other materials to make your summer quilt perfect for you or the region of the country it will be used in.
We are not copping out on you but recognize the fact that there are so many influential factors that will determine what kind of batting you will use. Those influential factors will be allergies, asthma, how cold or warm your part of the country is, and so on.
How to Make a Lightweight Summer Quilt
The first step will be to decide who will use it, where it will be used and what design and colors you will use. This may take some time as you have unlimited options in most of those categories.
The second step will be deciding on how thick to make the quilt. You can make it nice and thin and eliminate the use of batting or you can make it thicker by using thin cotton batting material.
Once you get those decisions made what is left are the steps that have you cutting your squares, sewing the squares together, and finishing the quilt. The last part will require more decisions as you have to determine if your summer quilt needs binding or not.
One more decision you have to make is whether to hand sew or machine sew the quilt. The sewing technique is the same for summer quilts as it is for winter ones.
Some Final Words
Summer quilts are a great bedding accessory to have around the house. You never know when the temperatures will drop and you need to stay a little bit warmer. Plus, summer quilts are great for cuddling in front of a fire while watching a good movie with your spouse. You shouldn’t overheat under one of these quilts.
