Quilting with Flannel
#1
Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 475
Quilting with Flannel
I have never quilted with flannel. I am in search of some pretty flannel fabric and I was wondering which company has the highest quality for the price? I don't think I have every even bought flannel...so please help me!!!
I don't prewash my quilting cotton as I find it quilts on the longarm much better without prewashing and I am happy with the results of that.
With that in mind, do you prewash your flannel or not???? If I don't prewash will it weird up when it is washed if washed properly the 1st time out???
Please help me!!!
I don't prewash my quilting cotton as I find it quilts on the longarm much better without prewashing and I am happy with the results of that.
With that in mind, do you prewash your flannel or not???? If I don't prewash will it weird up when it is washed if washed properly the 1st time out???
Please help me!!!
#2
I have no idea who makes the best flannel and will watch this post to see. I made an adorable IMO bear quilt out of flannel. It is in the rag style. After repeated washings to get it to "rag", it is all nubby. I am not sure that I will give it as it already looks used. How disappointing. I bought "quilting flannel" hoping that would work. Wrong.
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: New York City/Manhattan
Posts: 1,316
as usual, I tend to differ from what "most" do. I rarely prewash anything as I love the feel of the new fabric. Even with flannel, I usually don't prewash. I use flannel to back most of my quilts too and haven't ever had a problem. But, I've bought cheap flannel ($1/yard) that I have prewashed. After washing it, it thickens up and is no longer cheap and flimsy. It works well too.
#5
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Utah
Posts: 227
I just quilted a couple of flannel baby quilts, one I washed the flannel first, the other I didn't. I like the look and feel of new fabric, so I prefer the one I didn't wash for giving as a gift. The washed one just looked......washed, with more puckering and shrinkage. I also needed to get rid of the markings I put on it for quilting, so I washed it after it was completed too. One way or the other they are going to be washed so I think it is just a personal preference.
#7
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Kansas
Posts: 174
Please don't buy flannel from Joann's. I made a rag quilt from flannel from there and it shrank so bad that it popped the stiches on the X's I made on the blocks. I was not happy. You don't want to pre-wash flannel for a rag quilt--that's part of the fluffing process after the quilt is sewn.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 345
Joann's flannel is absolute junk. You can count the threads, see through it, it shrinks and pills like mad. If you have some that you purchased a few years ago you can really tell the dfference. That being said, I need some flannel for quilt backs for my children's charity quilts. Can you tell me about the quality of flannel at Hobby Lobby? I hate to drive 30 miles to find that it's also poor quality.
#10
Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Fairfax County, VA
Posts: 94
I just finished my first quilt which was flannel - I used Moda and was very happy with it. I did prewash and the shrinkage was not as bad as the flannel I got from Joannes for pj pants - that shrank so much it had to add a cuff to the pants!
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Andrea7
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05-05-2010 05:50 PM