Mamia

The reasoning is that sheets have a high thread count, which forces your quilting needle to break the sheet's threads as it pieces through. This supposedly leaves holes in your backing and diminishes the stability of your sheet. Your quilting fabric has a looser weave which allows your needle to easily slide between the threads and keeps your backing fabric intact. This doesn't mean that you don't have a choice it just means your quilt will last longer according to the piece I read. Just be a happy quilter.
Mia

feline fanatic

As previously posted, the higher thread count of sheets will often result in the LA needle cutting or breaking the warp and weft threads as opposed to sliding between them.

A LA needle looks like a Harpoon when compared to a DSM needle. Especially the larger sizes. One thing that has not been mentioned is the noise my LA makes when quilting with a sheet backing. It is a loud thwock, thwock, thwock noise. A very similar noise is made when you have a dull needle. If I were to guess, this is the noise of the needle puncturing the sheet rather than sliding between the weave of the threads as it does with lower thread count quilting cottons.

I recommend that until you get used to your LA and all its nuances, you should go out and purchase some muslin to practice on on inexpensive solid quilting cotton. You can purchase Moda Bella solids at Thousands of Bolts for $4.99 per yard. Or find an on line shop that is closing out fabric at $3.00 per yard. This way you can familiarize yourself with how the machine sounds with what it is intended to run with. Once you gain some experience, if you want to try using a sheet for backing go right ahead. You should hear the difference immediately, unless of course it is a flannel sheet. Flannel sheets do not have the high thread count of percale sheets so will quilt up just like any other flannel.

Sally J

I use sheets all the time, both for me and charity. I find many really cute sheets at Savers and Goodwill but I always feel them and look for lower thread count. I only by sheets that are not badly worn and have never had a problem. But I also use fabric that comes from other than LQS and again if you feel the fabric you can tell if the fabric will work.

AnnieSue

You should use what you want to use. Just be informed of the possible outcomes. You have some good information here.

AnnEliz

I hand quilt and sheets are definitely a no no for hand quilting---They are so difficult to needle through it. My group hates them for that and we refuse quilts whose owners want sheets used for backing. We break our needles and really have a terrible time with them.

Vera39760

Thanks for all the information. I will use quilt fabric until completely familiar with the machine and then see if it acts any differently with a sheet. I have finished my grandson's graduation quilt and it will be the first real quilt i do on it after enough practice to feel like I won't mess it up.

Dodie

I have been quilting for 30 plus years and have used sheets off and on when I first started quilting most of our quilting fabric was a blend it was a little harder to do points but it worked we used sheets and tied them no long arms then a lot of people hand quilted plus myself we did not like the sheets for that as the higher thread count was harder to quilt through but it will not nor ever has hurt a machine just change your needle when it needs it and you will be fine I have one ready to quilt now on my DSM and am using a heet TJ Max has some very pretty ones cheaper than buying fabric and I prefer that over muslin it is your quilt have fun

Jim

we use 200 thread count sheets all the time, doesn't bother us at all, or our machine....the lower thread count allows the needle to flow through the fabric much like cotton.

pmonaghen

I have a Tin Lizzie 18...and I use sheets as backing frequently...without any problem...that being said...I don't use those that are very thin...or polyester....

cathyvv

Me, too. I use sheets with a maximum thread count of 200, and have used poly/cotton when the cotton is 60 % and poly is 40 %. I also use flannel sheets as backing. I buy them on sale after the hoiidays - there's a lot of fabric and a "free" matching pillow case!

I think that the prohibition on using sheets came from the fact that sheets are harder to hand quilt, but I'm no expert on the subject. My advice? Test with the sheet.

The thread I use is the polyester thread from Connecting Threads. It seems to work well whether I'm quilting with a sheet or cotton fabric. Good luck!