Flannel questions

I've not worked w/flannel in quilting. I'm contemplating making a
baby quilt for a friend's anticipated first grandchild w/flannel
instead of cotton. Contemplating also using a silk batting so this
piece ends up being more 'blankie' like. My LQS designed a beautiful
baby quilt in cottons and was planning to do that pattern (shoefly) in
flannels instead but have no experience with this in terms of
quilting. And my limited other flannel experience (clothing) is
decades old. I am a prewasher by nature but are there any other
pitfalls besides shrinkage to worry about? How about the silk
batting? Does that need to be prewashed as well? I normally use W&N/
W. Oh, and I hand quilt - not machine. Am I biting off more than I
can chew?

Kim in tundra-like NJ

I use flannel to make baby gowns for a shelter. Often as not, after the
flannel has been prewashed it is unacceptable because of pill-fuzzing. I
use that flannel for batting inside preemie quilts and it does okay for
that. It doesn't seem to matter what price the flannel is - some as high as
$18 yard from a 'nice' place has been just as pilly. The favorite here is
by Northcott - they make one that looks lovely and feels more like velvet.
Conclusion? Just buy a little of the flannel you're thinking of using and
give it a good test first. Your quilt of flannel with silk batting sounds
exquisite. Polly


"AuntK" wrote in message
...
I've not worked w/flannel in quilting. I'm contemplating making a
baby quilt for a friend's anticipated first grandchild w/flannel
instead of cotton. Contemplating also using a silk batting so this
piece ends up being more 'blankie' like. My LQS designed a beautiful
baby quilt in cottons and was planning to do that pattern (shoefly) in
flannels instead but have no experience with this in terms of
quilting. And my limited other flannel experience (clothing) is
decades old. I am a prewasher by nature but are there any other
pitfalls besides shrinkage to worry about? How about the silk
batting? Does that need to be prewashed as well? I normally use W&N/
W. Oh, and I hand quilt - not machine. Am I biting off more than I
can chew?

Kim in tundra-like NJ

On Dec 24, 8:11*am, "Polly Esther" wrote:
I use flannel to make baby gowns for a shelter. *Often as not, after the
flannel has been prewashed it is unacceptable because of pill-fuzzing. *I
use that flannel for batting inside preemie quilts and it does okay for
that. *It doesn't seem to matter what price the flannel is - some as high as
$18 yard from a 'nice' place has been just as pilly. *The favorite here is
by Northcott - they make one that looks lovely and feels more like velvet..
Conclusion? *Just buy a little of the flannel you're thinking of using and
give it a good test first. *Your quilt of flannel with silk batting sounds
exquisite. *Polly

"AuntK" wrote in message

...



I've not worked w/flannel in quilting. *I'm contemplating making a
baby quilt for a friend's anticipated first grandchild w/flannel
instead of cotton. *Contemplating also using a silk batting so this
piece ends up being more 'blankie' like. *My LQS designed a beautiful
baby quilt in cottons and was planning to do that pattern (shoefly) in
flannels instead but have no experience with this in terms of
quilting. *And my limited other flannel experience (clothing) is
decades old. *I am a prewasher by nature but are there any other
pitfalls besides shrinkage to worry about? *How about the silk
batting? *Does that need to be prewashed as well? *I normally use W&N/
W. *Oh, and I hand quilt - not machine. *Am I biting off more than I
can chew?

Kim in tundra-like NJ- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Now, you would have thought that I would have come up with that on my
own after my last 'lack of testing' experience! Maybe I'll pop over
to the LQS and pick up a couple of flannel fat quarters and work from
there. Maybe I'll even MQ the piece with a scrap batt and wash it up
a couple of times after just to see how it works as well. Thank you,
Miss Polly, for your words of wisdom.

Glad to remind you of what you probably had tucked away in your mind
already. I'm on cookie-baking break. All is going well except managing to
have some left for tomorrow. Haven't quite figured that one out. Polly


"AuntK" wrote in message
...
On Dec 24, 8:11 am, "Polly Esther" wrote:
I use flannel to make baby gowns for a shelter. Often as not, after the
flannel has been prewashed it is unacceptable because of pill-fuzzing. I
use that flannel for batting inside preemie quilts and it does okay for
that. It doesn't seem to matter what price the flannel is - some as high
as
$18 yard from a 'nice' place has been just as pilly. The favorite here is
by Northcott - they make one that looks lovely and feels more like velvet.
Conclusion? Just buy a little of the flannel you're thinking of using and
give it a good test first. Your quilt of flannel with silk batting sounds
exquisite. Polly

"AuntK" wrote in message

...



I've not worked w/flannel in quilting. I'm contemplating making a
baby quilt for a friend's anticipated first grandchild w/flannel
instead of cotton. Contemplating also using a silk batting so this
piece ends up being more 'blankie' like. My LQS designed a beautiful
baby quilt in cottons and was planning to do that pattern (shoefly) in
flannels instead but have no experience with this in terms of
quilting. And my limited other flannel experience (clothing) is
decades old. I am a prewasher by nature but are there any other
pitfalls besides shrinkage to worry about? How about the silk
batting? Does that need to be prewashed as well? I normally use W&N/
W. Oh, and I hand quilt - not machine. Am I biting off more than I
can chew?

Kim in tundra-like NJ- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Now, you would have thought that I would have come up with that on my
own after my last 'lack of testing' experience! Maybe I'll pop over
to the LQS and pick up a couple of flannel fat quarters and work from
there. Maybe I'll even MQ the piece with a scrap batt and wash it up
a couple of times after just to see how it works as well. Thank you,
Miss Polly, for your words of wisdom.

On Dec 24, 8:45*am, "Polly Esther" wrote:
Glad to remind you of what you probably had tucked away in your mind
already. I'm on cookie-baking break. *All is going well except managing to
have some left for tomorrow. *Haven't quite figured that one out. *Polly

"AuntK" wrote in message

...
On Dec 24, 8:11 am, "Polly Esther" wrote:





I use flannel to make baby gowns for a shelter. Often as not, after the
flannel has been prewashed it is unacceptable because of pill-fuzzing. I
use that flannel for batting inside preemie quilts and it does okay for
that. It doesn't seem to matter what price the flannel is - some as high
as
$18 yard from a 'nice' place has been just as pilly. The favorite here is
by Northcott - they make one that looks lovely and feels more like velvet.
Conclusion? Just buy a little of the flannel you're thinking of using and
give it a good test first. Your quilt of flannel with silk batting sounds
exquisite. Polly

"AuntK" wrote in message

....

I've not worked w/flannel in quilting. I'm contemplating making a
baby quilt for a friend's anticipated first grandchild w/flannel
instead of cotton. Contemplating also using a silk batting so this
piece ends up being more 'blankie' like. My LQS designed a beautiful
baby quilt in cottons and was planning to do that pattern (shoefly) in
flannels instead but have no experience with this in terms of
quilting. And my limited other flannel experience (clothing) is
decades old. I am a prewasher by nature but are there any other
pitfalls besides shrinkage to worry about? How about the silk
batting? Does that need to be prewashed as well? I normally use W&N/
W. Oh, and I hand quilt - not machine. Am I biting off more than I
can chew?

Kim in tundra-like NJ- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Now, you would have thought that I would have come up with that on my
own after my last 'lack of testing' experience! *Maybe I'll pop over
to the LQS and pick up a couple of flannel fat quarters and work from
there. *Maybe I'll even MQ the piece with a scrap batt and wash it up
a couple of times after just to see how it works as well. *Thank you,
Miss Polly, for your words of wisdom.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My only answer to that one is...bake more!

On Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:37:07 -0800 (PST), AuntK
wrote:

I've not worked w/flannel in quilting. I'm contemplating making a
baby quilt for a friend's anticipated first grandchild w/flannel
instead of cotton. Contemplating also using a silk batting so this
piece ends up being more 'blankie' like. My LQS designed a beautiful
baby quilt in cottons and was planning to do that pattern (shoefly) in
flannels instead but have no experience with this in terms of
quilting. And my limited other flannel experience (clothing) is
decades old. I am a prewasher by nature but are there any other
pitfalls besides shrinkage to worry about? How about the silk
batting? Does that need to be prewashed as well? I normally use W&N/
W. Oh, and I hand quilt - not machine. Am I biting off more than I
can chew?


Flannel is warm, it also shrinks like the dickens, ravels madly, and
in the deep colors tends to be overdyed so that it bleeds like no
tommorow. I always prewash flannel. Of course I always prewash
everything, but flannel is one of the things I would never consider
not prewashing.
I'm with Polly on testing it. Some flannel is fit for quilts of the
gods, some is fit for single use washrags. Just like most other
fabrics, only with most other fabrics you don't get the
de-fuzzification and snotfluff that happens with some cheap flannel.

If you are planning cotton flannel, I would be hesitant about a silk
batting. The laundry requirements are just too different. I am fussy
like that though. So far as quilting it, it will make you wonder if
you have died and gone to heaven. Basting it will make you wonder
what you did to deserve the other place. I have only ever used it in
garments, a flat project is likely to be much easier.

NightMist
--

Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister.

Flannel is not woven as tightly is regular quilting cotton. This has a
couple implications:
- It is more likely to ravel. You may want to use a larger seam
allowance than the standard quarter inch. If you do, allow for it when
cutting and figuring yardage for the quilt.
- Bias seams will stretch more than regular quilting cotton. You may
want to avoid a pattern with much bias.
- You many want to consider a pattern with fairly large, simple blocks.

Julia in MN

AuntK wrote:
I've not worked w/flannel in quilting. I'm contemplating making a
baby quilt for a friend's anticipated first grandchild w/flannel
instead of cotton. Contemplating also using a silk batting so this
piece ends up being more 'blankie' like. My LQS designed a beautiful
baby quilt in cottons and was planning to do that pattern (shoefly) in
flannels instead but have no experience with this in terms of
quilting. And my limited other flannel experience (clothing) is
decades old. I am a prewasher by nature but are there any other
pitfalls besides shrinkage to worry about? How about the silk
batting? Does that need to be prewashed as well? I normally use W&N/
W. Oh, and I hand quilt - not machine. Am I biting off more than I
can chew?

Kim in tundra-like NJ


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I'm with others that I would not do flannel if I was hand quilting it.
Also I rarely make a baby quilt out of flannel especially if you want it
to be their blankie. My experience I've never found flannel good enough
that would even hold up to the first two years of washings. As they get
washed a lot in that period of time. I make the flannel ones but never
expected them to last. I make cotton ones to last their lifetime.

Flannel ones I made for DD never lasted for her sister to use who was
born 2 yrs later. The cotton ones still look brand new, but they have
been well used and abused. Maybe it's just my bad luck that I have not
found any flannel good enough for this. But it would also break my heart
to put all we do into a nice quilt and have it wear out in a year.
That's just my two cents though.
Take Care
Joanna
Alberta

NightMist wrote:
On Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:37:07 -0800 (PST), AuntK
wrote:

I've not worked w/flannel in quilting. I'm contemplating making a
baby quilt for a friend's anticipated first grandchild w/flannel
instead of cotton. Contemplating also using a silk batting so this
piece ends up being more 'blankie' like. My LQS designed a beautiful
baby quilt in cottons and was planning to do that pattern (shoefly) in
flannels instead but have no experience with this in terms of
quilting. And my limited other flannel experience (clothing) is
decades old. I am a prewasher by nature but are there any other
pitfalls besides shrinkage to worry about? How about the silk
batting? Does that need to be prewashed as well? I normally use W&N/
W. Oh, and I hand quilt - not machine. Am I biting off more than I
can chew?

Howdy!

cotton flannel: a stout cotton fabric with nap on only one side

YMMV:
In my experience w/ good cotton flannel bought from a number of quilt
shops, cotton flannel does not shrink much, does not ravel much,
and the colors hold just fine. I like to use cotton flannel w/
Hobbs Thermore batting (poly) for cancer patients; the quilts have been
well-received and much-used.
Like you, Kim, I pre-wash, and handquilt.

Don't be afraid of the flannel. g

Good luck!
Merry Christmas!

R/Sandy - http://www.hobbsbondedfibers.com/products-retail.html
(Hobbs is from Texas, you know G)


On 12/24/08 9:54 AM, in article ,
"NightMist" wrote:

On Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:37:07 -0800 (PST), AuntK
wrote:

I've not worked w/flannel in quilting. I'm contemplating making a
baby quilt for a friend's anticipated first grandchild w/flannel
instead of cotton. Contemplating also using a silk batting so this
piece ends up being more 'blankie' like. My LQS designed a beautiful
baby quilt in cottons and was planning to do that pattern (shoefly) in
flannels instead but have no experience with this in terms of
quilting. And my limited other flannel experience (clothing) is
decades old. I am a prewasher by nature but are there any other
pitfalls besides shrinkage to worry about? How about the silk
batting? Does that need to be prewashed as well? I normally use W&N/
W. Oh, and I hand quilt - not machine. Am I biting off more than I
can chew?


Flannel is warm, it also shrinks like the dickens, ravels madly, and
in the deep colors tends to be overdyed so that it bleeds like no
tommorow. I always prewash flannel. Of course I always prewash
everything, but flannel is one of the things I would never consider
not prewashing.
I'm with Polly on testing it. Some flannel is fit for quilts of the
gods, some is fit for single use washrags. Just like most other
fabrics, only with most other fabrics you don't get the
de-fuzzification and snotfluff that happens with some cheap flannel.

If you are planning cotton flannel, I would be hesitant about a silk
batting. The laundry requirements are just too different. I am fussy
like that though. So far as quilting it, it will make you wonder if
you have died and gone to heaven. Basting it will make you wonder
what you did to deserve the other place. I have only ever used it in
garments, a flat project is likely to be much easier.

NightMist

I had been told the same thing about flannels. And sure enough, the worst
came true with some donated flannel I used to make a charity neo-natal
quiltie. I swore off flannel.

Then this month our local Ben Franklin's BOM focus fabric was a flannel
panel!! I almost backed out! But the stuff is wonderful!! Didn't ravel.
Didn't stretch. I went back and bought myself all of the 20 6" panels so I
could make a quilt for myself. These are flannels from Maywood Studio.
Very sturdy -- definitely not stiff. And I was making triangles around the
center piece.

You can see the block in my Ben Franklin BOM Album at Webshots. It's the
December block. I had to give that one away, but I'm ready to do the rest!!

--
Kay Ahr in NV
http://community.webshots.com/user/kayahr
http://kayahr.blogspot.com/
to respond to me directly, remove "WESTHI" from the email address



"Julia in MN" wrote in message
...
Flannel is not woven as tightly is regular quilting cotton. This has a
couple implications:
- It is more likely to ravel. You may want to use a larger seam allowance
than the standard quarter inch. If you do, allow for it when cutting and
figuring yardage for the quilt.
- Bias seams will stretch more than regular quilting cotton. You may want
to avoid a pattern with much bias.
- You many want to consider a pattern with fairly large, simple blocks.

Julia in MN

AuntK wrote:
I've not worked w/flannel in quilting. I'm contemplating making a
baby quilt for a friend's anticipated first grandchild w/flannel
instead of cotton. Contemplating also using a silk batting so this
piece ends up being more 'blankie' like. My LQS designed a beautiful
baby quilt in cottons and was planning to do that pattern (shoefly) in
flannels instead but have no experience with this in terms of
quilting. And my limited other flannel experience (clothing) is
decades old. I am a prewasher by nature but are there any other
pitfalls besides shrinkage to worry about? How about the silk
batting? Does that need to be prewashed as well? I normally use W&N/
W. Oh, and I hand quilt - not machine. Am I biting off more than I
can chew?

Kim in tundra-like NJ


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This message has been scanned for viruses by Norton Anti-Virus
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