A few years ago, I used a flannel sheet as a backing for a quilt and my whole life was changed! I'm a quilter who has a pile of unfinished quilt tops, because I don't enjoy the finishing process. And piecing and preparing the backing fabric is one of the biggest hurdles for me. A flannel sheet takes a lot of the struggle out of preparing your quilt for quilting.
Here are my top reasons for using a flannel sheet as quilt backing!
Special Note:
Although it's perfectly fine to use flannel sheets as quilt backing, you should avoid using cotton sheet sets. The thread count in cotton sheets is much higher than in quilting cotton, so when you quilt through it, your needle pierces the thread in the sheet, which can cause small holes or tears in your backing.
Benefits of Using a Flannel Sheet as Backing
1. You can buy sheets for any size bed, so you can buy a sheet that's large enough to fit your quilt without needing to piece it together. I will admit that one of my least favorite quilting tasks is piecing a backing together, so skipping this step makes the quilt finishing process much more enjoyable! And because you don't need to piece the fabric, you can choose complex fabric patterns that are more difficult to piece together, such as stripes, plaids, or large-scale designs.
2. It's recommended to prewash your backing fabric, especially when you're using a flannel that shrinks at a different rate than your cotton fabrics. Finished sheets are so easy to wash, because their edges are finished, so there is no raveling or mess.
3. I've found that buying sheet sets can be cheaper than buying backing fabric. With the sheet set, you get both the fitted and top sheet, which is enough to use as backing for two quilts. And sheets often go on sale at home decor stores, so you can stock up when there's a deal! Check out Amazon, Target, or Walmart for sheet sets--that's where I've found the most luck finding cute and affordable sheets!
4. Bed sheet sets usually come with pillowcases, so if you're making a bed quilt, you get matching pillowcases! Of if you're gifting the quilt, it's nice to include the pillowcases as a bonus for the recipient.
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