Bedsheet as Backing for Queen Size Quilt???

[spyderquilt]

Hi All,

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season.

I am making a queen size quilt. For the backing, is it OK to use a flat bed sheet made of a 80% cotton, and 20% polyester instead of a 100% cotton sheet?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Spyder
((Throws out Milky Ways into the room))

[NanceeCee]

I was informed that most sheets are too tightly woven for using as backing, especially hand quilting. I have never tried one with machine quilting as a result. I would love to know how it turns out if you do you use a sheet.

[Jean Sewing Machine]

Some people say no, and others say go ahead. I think Jenny has put her stamp of approval on using bed sheets. Some are heavy, and would add extra weight to your quilt, if you are OK with it and can manage the quilting, I say, go ahead. You know the sheet is going to wear well, and some are really inexpensive if you can find them at a discount or on clearance. The only thing I have found is lately you have a hard time finding sheets sold separately and not in sets. The poly in the sheet may make it prone to pilling, that would be the only downside I can see. 100% cotton would be preferable.

[GrammaBabs]

Do it all the time... just don't get a really high thread count...TJMax or MarshalIs will have some separate sheets,,I know Wlalmarts"twin size works for lap size and is only 5 bucks for the 250ct.....I do a lot of charity and if I sell............. I sell very cheap. If you want it for yourself the quality of fabic makes a difference,,, but I'm a "use it up gal"... I've used sheets, and home dec cotton,,, a good sewing machine can more than handle it..good luck!

[shermur]

I do this all the time, too! I have been known to buy my flat bed sheet at thrift stores that have washed multiple times. Even hand quilting ...they work just fine!

[Iris Girl]

I used a sheet for my sons quilt and it worked just fine.

[K. McEuen]

I just used an old, vintage sheet for the back of a scrappy string quilt. The thing has probably been washed several hundred times over the years. It wasn't hard to quilt and worked out fine for me. I don't usually use sheets, but this one had a good feel to it still.

[chelea]

I'm making a queen size flannel quilt and although I've never done it, I'm going to use a flat flannel sheet for bakcing. Backing fabric is probably more than a good quality sheet for my quilt.

[Dalronix]

I'm making a queen size flannel quilt and although I've never done it, I'm going to use a flat flannel sheet for bakcing. Backing fabric is probably more than a good quality sheet for my quilt.

Just some thoughts from my own experience:

I used a high quality queen size flannel sheet for backing that had been sitting in the closet for years unused on my first and only queen size quilt which I did a few months ago (only my second quilt). Although it worked out all right, the quilt was very, very heavy to work with especially with the quilting stage (I only did straight line stitching).

The quilt is very heavy to use and will be great when winter arrives again in my area in Australia in May, however, I will be sticking to cotton backing from now. I guess I don't really have any great love for the quilt because of the flannel backing.

I finished an all cotton king single today and it's just so much nicer to touch and look at.

[kensington]

Don't use a "Sateen" sheet. It will pile like nuts. I don't use sheets for quilting, I just know I've bought and tossed sateen quilts for this reason.

I used flannel to make a baby quilt and I liked it.