What Is the Difference Between a Coverlet and a Quilt?
You can cover your chilly arms or cover a bed with both a coverlet or a quilt. Coverlets and quilts are two different types of bed linens, but their styles can overlap. For example, a coverlet may be woven but with a texture or pattern that resembles a quilt. Quilts and coverlets can be used in similar ways, but a coverlet may be slightly more versatile.
A coverlet is a single piece that is cut and hemmed, while a quilt is made up of pieces of fabric sewn together.
What Is a Coverlet?
Traditionally, a coverlet is a small woven version of a bedspread. According to House Beautiful, a coverlet is a lightweight blanket. It's often used as an extra lightweight layer between a sheet and a more substantial blanket, or it can be folded and left available at the foot of the bed for an extra layer over the top of everything else. In these cases, the coverlet may end up being more decorative than anything else.
The fabric of a coverlet is woven, and though the resulting texture may mimic quilting, it's not quilted. Wayfair says coverlets are light enough to be the primary blanket in a warm climate or an extra layer in cold climates. Since they are available in a plethora of colors and patterns and in easy-going fabrics, like cotton or linen, a coverlet is a great way to add color and pattern to your bedding that you can switch out on a whim.
What Is a Quilt?
According to the International Quilt Museum, a quilt is composed of layers of fabric that are stitched together. The top layer of a quilt is commonly stitched into a pleasing pattern. The second layer underneath the top layer is a filler layer called batting or wadding. This layer gives some thickness and softness to the quilt and can be made of cotton, wool or even old blankets or worn-out quilts. For the quiltmaker, part of the art is using scraps of fabric that might not have another use. Finally, a backing is placed as the bottom layer, and these three layers are stitched to join them together.
The decorative part of the quilt is the top layer. The quiltmaker can create just about any design by stitching together pieces of fabric in different colors and patterns to make a larger pattern. Sometimes, the top layer of a quilt is not patterned out of smaller pieces of fabric stitched together but instead will be known as “whole cloth,” consisting of only one piece of cloth. In this case, the element making it a quilt will be the stitching that brings the layers together.
How to Use a Coverlet or a Quilt
According to the Bates Mill Store, the difference between a coverlet and a quilt comes down to whether or not the textile has layers that are stitched together. If they are stitched together, it is by definition a quilt. While you can place a quilt at the end of the bed in a folded manner for decoration, a quilt may be too thick to easily do this. Woven coverlets are not stitched together. Instead, they are a single piece of woven fabric that is cut to the desired shape and hemmed.
Quilts are often reversible, as the backing layer can sometimes be stitched just as nicely or intentionally as the decorative top layer. Since quilts are often hand-stitched, there is an element of fragility with quilts that may discourage people from actually using them as a blanket. There's also a traditional element to quilts that can make them more decorative than a utilitarian blanket that you would truly use for warmth in a bed. Many quilts are family heirlooms and are displayed rather than actually used.
In that case, a lightweight coverlet may be placed between the sheets and top blanket as an extra layer of warmth, while the quilt is used as a decorative bed cover that might be removed before sleeping. A coverlet is often a more utilitarian blanket that is machine washable, making it more flexible for use and more easy to care for.
Vanessa is an avid gardener with experience helping things grow in the three corners of the country where she has lived — Florida, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. She is also a journalist and marketing content creator who enjoys cooking and eating, both helpful hobbies for a gardener.