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Thread: Mixing fabric types

  1. #1
    Rosanna is offline Junior Member
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    Default Mixing fabric types

    Just wondering if anyone knows how mixing two types of fabric would work.
    I made a quilt (lap quilt size) all out of 100% cotton and thought I would simply find a plain old cotton backing and have it quilted.

    Then I discovered a huge piece of flannel in my stash - and now I'm wondering if I could use that as a backing. (It has a great little print of bees buzzing around on it - which would go nicely with the woodsy cotton fabrics on the quilt top. Flannel would also make the quilt softer and more 'wrap-able' (is that a word? )

    I suppose anything is possible - but I don't want to find out later when it is washed, etc. that it is not a good match.

    Thanks - I'd appreciate any comments or advice if anyone has attempted to put these two fabrics together.

    Rosanna

  2. #2
    K. McEuen's Avatar K. McEuen is online now Moderator
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    Default Re: Mixing fabric types

    I use flannel as backing quite a bit, especially when I want a warmer quilt. I always prewash flannel and dry on warm to shrink the flannel some first since it shrinks at a higher rate than quilting cotton. Once it's all quilted it does fine.
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  3. #3
    Marta's Avatar Marta is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Mixing fabric types

    I saw lap quilts for people in wheelchairs. They were cotton fronts , flannel backs for warmth and to be less slippery . I would wash and machine dry the flannel before using even if you did not prewash the cotton.
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  4. #4
    toggpine's Avatar toggpine is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Mixing fabric types

    I've even mixed flannel into the quilt top.

    The one rule with flannel yardage is to always pre-wash & dry it.
    First, this will shrink it both ways and that can make a huge difference in the amount of fabric you might need for a backing.
    Second, if there is a print, you will know how it looks after a wash. I have had some nice flannel print look almost unrecognizable after a wash because the "flannel fluff" lifted the ink of the print so much. Still snuggly, but a small print might be lost.

    That being said, serge or stitch (zig-zag or short stitch length) the edge of the flannel before pre-washing to help with fraying.
    I would not pre-wash the flannel pre-cuts that are available. I'd just quilt them close and deal with the shrinkage.

    I'd go for it if the fabric still fits after a pre-wash!
    I have a flannel top & with a longer silky fur type stuff (not minkee) backing the quilt that a friend made for my daughter. It washes up just fine and it's not heavily quilted.
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  5. #5
    Rosanna is offline Junior Member
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    Default Re: Mixing fabric types

    Thank you! This certainly answered my questions - and taught me that pre-washing flannels is the way to make sure there isn't a problem.

  6. #6
    Rosanna is offline Junior Member
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    Default Re: Mixing fabric types

    Thank you! I appreciate your sharing your knowledge!

  7. #7
    Rosanna is offline Junior Member
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    Default Re: Mixing fabric types

    Thank you! Getting advice from people with experience is ALWAYS the best! I appreciate your commenting - gives me confidence to go the next step in my process!

  8. #8
    toggpine's Avatar toggpine is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Mixing fabric types

    Quote Originally Posted by Rosanna View Post
    Thank you! Getting advice from people with experience is ALWAYS the best! I appreciate your commenting - gives me confidence to go the next step in my process!
    That is part of the reason why they created the forum! You may get many opinions and tips on how things are done, but it just goes to show how much variance there is in this craft.
    Welcome to the forum and we hope you will drop in often and post photos of your finished project so we can see how it went!
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