Because flannel is a thicker, softer fabric, quilting with flannel is kind of hard on your hardware. Learn new craft techniques and tips from the experts. Place your quilt on top, making sure both layers are as smooth as possible. Stitch in the ditch to secure the quilt layers together, working from the center out. If you live in a climate where the weather gets cold, you can’t beat polyester fleece as a quilt backing. Aug 16, 2018 - Make your quilt backings from polyester fleece and you'll get a light, warm, washable, durable quilt that doesn't need a backing layer of cotton fabric. Choose your favorite school colors and cheer on your favorite team with this modern, two-color quilt design. I decided that I did not want to use a regular quilting cotton for the binding on an all-fleece quilt. You will want to be generous with the size of your quilt back. 2. Quilt the layers of fabric together with the sewing machine. Do use long pins used in quilting to hold layers of fleece together by pinning from the top like a thumb pin rather than like the ordinary dressmaker’s pin which ill fall short when tried on thick fleece. Fleece is durable enough to wash over and over, which makes it perfect for a baby or child’s quilt. It’s just better. Gain the skills to make your quilt backs as beautiful as the fronts. Baste the two quilt layers together. There’s nothing that chases away the cold of chilly evenings like a quilt backed with fleece. Fleece backings have some advantages there as well. It holds up better when you wash it. Clean out your machine often when sewing with fleece, because it can deposit fuzz into your machine’s parts. Featured photo by See Things Differently, Flickr.com. It’s for this reason that you shouldn’t feel limited to quilting cottons for your quilt backs. This helps keep the fleece’s bulk and stretch under control as you sew. 100 weight micro fleece is extremely stretchy, so much so that it is hard to avoid wrinkling when you quilt with it, and 300 weight fleece is quite thick and bulky. Fleece is naturally stretchy and if I didn’t stabilize it with French Fuse, it would stretch way out of control during basting. Fold a piece of lightweight cardboard or heavyweight fabric like denim or twill until it is as thick as the layers of fabric in your quilt. And I am here to tell you that the Polartec fleece is definitely better. Anytime. Sometimes my sewing machine struggles to sew through it. Check out more tips for sewing with fleece! A simple and fast quilting method is to "stitch in the ditch." Blog reader Betty C pointed out that the colors on the backing fleece can ghost through the fabric on the quilt top. The raw edge of the fleece will lie upon the top outer edge of the quilt top. The Geometric quilt with green fleece back uses a zigzag stitch along the binding to hold it in place. I usually measure the length of the quilt and add 8”, and then measure the width and add 8”. Fold up the excess polar fleece around the edges of the quilt top so the polar fleece creates a bound edge around the quilt. I used to. Keep moving the back and top around on the table to get all of it spray basted with no wrinkles. Sew the remaining 1/2 side. The Geometric quilt with green fleece back uses a zigzag stitch along the binding to hold it in place. With the quilt layers under the left side of the presser foot, put the shim under the right side. When she made her first fleece-backed quilt, Kelly decided she was never turning back! Back Your Quilts with Polar Fleece: Durable, Light, Warm, Washable. The back of your quilt should be about 3-4” larger all around than the top of the quilt. When cutting fleece, make sure to follow the nap and cut all of your pieces in the same direction. Learn how to make a rag quilt with this Bluprint tutorial. We didn’t have any pieces that were big enough for a backing, and I didn’t want to have to piece together a front AND back of each blanket. If you want to amp up your free-motion quilting, you can try the Bluprint class Design It, Quilt It: Free-Form Techniques with Cindy Needham. She didn’t use quilt batting for this picnic blanket and opted to bind the quilt using fleece from the back, which simple wraps around the raw edges. Jun 19, 2020 - Make your quilt backings from polyester fleece and you'll get a light, warm, washable, durable quilt that doesn't need a backing layer of cotton fabric. Revised and updated April 25, 2017. Pin that to the edge of the backing instead of using the clamp as you see in this photo. You cannot breathe through it hence why it blocks the cold air so well. This picture shows the back of a rag quilt I made to keep in the back of my car. I’ve quilted with cheap fleece (the kind you can get at big-box fabric stores), and I’ve quilted with the real deal, Polartec fleece made by Malden Mills, which you will probably have to buy online. I ALSO did not want to have those bulky seams from fleece in the binding. Since fleece doesn't unravel or fray, all you need to do is pin the binding (single layer) on in one step (front and back pinned through together) and sew through. I normally wouldn’t quilt to the edge using this method and instead quilt 1” away from the edge or so…but it was an afterthought with this little quilt. 3. You can still do free-motion quilting on a fleece-backed quilt, but I have found that it’s easier when you use motifs that are fairly large and free-form, like a loose stipple or free-form leaves. An idea for the binding is to use fleece strips. With stretchy fabric, even the lightest weight clamp can distort the edges of your backing. Use a piece of tape to mark the side you want to have showing. 200 weight, also called medium weight or blanket weight. Do use thin cotton or polyester for lining fleece garments; Under collars can be done with nylon taffeta or webbing. I have done a couple crib size quilts using fleece for the backing--no batting and pieced flannel blocks for the top. More tips for sewing with fleece link isn’t valid, I couldn’t get “More tips for sewing with fleece” to come up either, Enter in your email and password to create a FREE account. Set your machine to a longer stitch of 7-9 stitches per inch (3-3.5 mm). Anywhere. Machine-stitch a quilt with cotton fabrics on the front and fleece on the back, using batting as normal, for an extra-plush lap quilt. Featured photo by See Things Differently, Flickr.com. The back of the fleece will look like this when you are done. You can find the nap by running your hand over the fabric. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I found a way to do this that worked out quite well. #fleecequiltbacking, #quiltbac According to Quiltbug, fleece fabrics curl to the wrong side when stretched on the crosswise grain. So you’ve finished piecing your quilt top — woohoo! Both are very snuggly. If you’re the kind of quilter who hates to throw away scraps, you can piece together smaller pieces of fleece to make them large enough to use for your backing. Dec 4, 2019 - Make your quilt backings from polyester fleece and you'll get a light, warm, washable, durable quilt that doesn't need a backing layer of cotton fabric. If your fabric is cotton/flannel/thinish, then it woud pay to add an iron on Interfacing or Parlane to the back of the fabric to add body, and a heavier stabiliser. Smooth top back and pin the edges. Sew with the fleece side down, against your sewing machine’s feed dogs. This is true, especially if your top includes white or pale fabrics. Use the special quilting tying technique to finish a fleece-backed quilt and you might find the task foolproof. I could have sewn the pieces together like to you would a quilt, but then you would have a pretty front and an ugly back. This stunning Fleece Shawl is quilted with feathers, both large and small, in a pattern that would look stunning on any fleece quilt back. A busy backing hides less-than-perfect quilting stitches on the back of the quilt. If you want to make a quilt that involves a commercial character like Winnie the Pooh or Dora the Explorer, you can probably find a fleece print that features the character you want. Gather your materials. When it is free-motion quilted, fleece looks just as luxurious as any high-end fabric! I stitched around some block designs on the more elaborately pieced one--stars with alternating chain blocks and the other was a small trip around the world with 5" flannel squares so I just did an X design on it. I still recommend Polartec if you can get it. If you have that issue, simply reverse the clamp and grab the loose elastic end. This simple patchwork design with squares can be quilted in the ditch against a soft, black fleece backing. Fleece is soft, light, warm, and washes and dries well. Never iron fleece with the iron set above the polyester setting – it will melt. Yes! I lay the crosswise stretch along the lengthwise stretch which reduces the stretch of the finished blanket. Machine-stitch a quilt with cotton fabrics on the front and fleece on the back, using batting as normal, for an extra-plush lap quilt. Arm your sewing machine with a new, 80/12 or even 90/14 machine needle if you have one. Quilting with fleece can save you some money because it allows you to make a two-layer quilt instead of the traditional three-layer one. Use sharp scissors, or a larger blade rotary cutter (2-inch diameter) when cutting. How to Line a Blanket with Fleece. Pin the folded fleece in place around each edge, folding the corners in neatly. However, I’ve sometimes had trouble finding real Polartec, so I mostly use big-box fleece these days. Here’s how to get the best results: If you are bothered by jammed threads or uneven stitches, you may want to try putting a shim under your presser foot. To cut square edges, lay your minky out on a large surface such as a dining table or the floor. Thrifty! Fleece also comes in wider widths than the standard quilter’s cotton most often used for backings, so it’s often possible to back your quilt without having to piece the fleece backing to make it wider. Another fun design challenge! Next Find the middle two vertical columns. If you want the soft texture of fleece on the quilt front and back, you might want to make a rag quilt! When washing a finished fleece quilt, use a low-heat setting and steam to press your seams. Lay the quilt top right side up on top of the fleece, then smooth away any wrinkles. Learn how to quilt with fleece in the tutorial from NewQuilters.com. The fleece layer replaces both the batting (wadding) and backing layers. Space the basting pins every 2 to 3 inches, working your way out to the edges from the centre until you pin-baste the entire quilt. This backing was entirely made from scraps left over from other quilts. 1. The back of a quilt may seem less important than the front, but don’t forget that the quilt back is what we spend most of the time snuggling! Aug 22, 2018 - Make your quilt backings from polyester fleece and you'll get a light, warm, washable, durable quilt that doesn't need a backing layer of cotton fabric. It’s like Step #5, except do the long horizontal seams. Choose the right needle: 70/10 or 75/11 for micro fleece, 80/12 or 90/14 for medium weight, and 100/16 for heavy weight. December 28, 2014 By Lindsay Conner & filed under Quilting Blog. Back the quilt in fleece (choose a school or team fleece print for super-fans) and sew up the bonus pillowcase pattern, which is perfect for rolling up your quilt to take it with you to the big game. This project, titled Happy 81st Birthday Grandma, is made from large squares of fleece which are simply quilted with a large “X” pattern. Makes for a nice soft binding. Here’s a tip: fleece curls to the right side on its lengthwise grain (parallel to the selvages), and to the wrong side on its crosswise grain (perpendicular to the selvages). Where I live in Northern California, the nights are chilly almost all year round, so I back almost all my quilts with polar fleece fabric instead of the traditional batting and backing layers. Match the selvedges and use a ruler with a grid and your cutting mat to cut a 90 degree angle. It drags more on the bed of your sewing machine. Pull back the top a couple of feet and lightly spray baste ... very lightly. Turn the fabric inside out -- now the right sides should be on the outside. Find the right side of the fleece. Here are some tips for sewing and quilting with fleece: 1. The result is warm, light, tough, and easy to wash. Post originally published Nov. 18, 2011. Sew a 1/4 inch seam around 3 1/2 sides of the quilt. Save your small, detailed quilting motifs for cotton-backed quilts. When I make a double layer fleece blanket I reverse the stretch. To quilt the quilt, follow the blocks on the fleece and "stitch in the ditch". Learn how to quilt with fleece fabric as the back of your quilt! Place the front of the fleece blocks on top of the front side of the flannel sheet. You can also find 100% recycled fleece and even cotton or wool fleece designed for making sweatshirts. Prepare for basting by putting the fleece right side down on a large flat surface like a bed, dining table, or clean floor. Smooth out any wrinkles and double check everything. The beauty of fleece is that it doesn’t fray so you don’t have to finish it off. In fact, I find cotton or bamboo batting a little thin and insubstantial–not quite snuggly enough for true comfort. Choose a quilt backing with an interesting motif and then quilt from the back along the fabric's printed lines, to transfer the design to the front. Add free-motion quilting as desired, then square up the quilt and bind it as you normally would. There’s no need to pre-wash fleece fabrics, because it generally doesn’t shrink. (I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not the best-looking backing in the world, but since the main one using it was the dog, I thought it was good enough for its target audience.) Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy. 5. You can now get anti-pill fleece in midweight and extra-plus styles. Adjust the pressure as you normally would. Don’t bleach or use fabric softener or dryer sheets when you wash fleece. The biggest challenge in quilting with fleece is its tendency to stretch as you work with it. Before you build your quilt sandwich and start quilting, you have one step to complete: you need to make a quilt back.. Quilt backing is the bottom layer of a quilt sandwich. Buy more minky than you think. If the front is a quilt and already pieced, cut the back fabric to fit. (You can also avoid having to piece your backing fabric by choosing the increasingly-popular 108″-wide quilter’s cotton fabrics designed for backings, though.) 300 weight, also called heavy weight, which is used for cold-climate outerwear. Lots of softer alternatives like minky quilting and fleece quilt backing can take your quilt and make it extra cozy for the chilly months. Can you back a quilt with polyester fleece instead of the usual batting and cotton backing layers? Step 2 Cut a piece of batting the same size as the blanket. Stitch around the raw edge of the fleece using a wide zigzag stitch to secure the fleece binding around the edges of the quilt. I have found that fleece is a bit harder to free-motion quilt than a quilt backed with regular quilter’s cotton. Update: I am happy to report that the quality of what’s available there is much better than it was a few years ago. Use a backing that coordinates with the quilt top if both will be visible during use. I like to use 200 weight fleece for my quilts. Design It, Quilt It: Free-Form Techniques. Then if I layered the batting and quilt top on top and stuck pins through it, more than likely when I removed the tape the fleece would retract back into it’s normal shape, causing my quilt top and batting to go crazy. Iron the rest of the seams open. This is what the back of my quilt looked like before I ironed down the horizontal rows. Now Put fleece flat on ground. I used black fleece for this project, which I managed to get on sale from my local Jo-Ann’s. This can help the presser foot stay balanced. Lay the quilt top right side up on top of the fleece, then smooth away any wrinkles. Use a universal, ballpoint or stretch needle. Baste with your favorite method. Baste with your favorite method. Here’s a rag quilt I made last year that is backed with solid white fleece: And a baby quilt backed with blue fleece in a starburst pattern: And a Chinese Coins quilt backed with polyester fleece in a chrysanthemum print: Comfort is even more important than cost to me when I make quilts. If you quilt to the edge of your quilt top…you’re going to see it in the binding of the quilt on the back. Often it isn’t easy to tell which is the right side and which is the wrong side. Sign up for the Premium Membership and get access to our best Craftsy videos and projects. Since it’s a bit thicker, cut through only one layer of fleece at a time. If the fleece isn’t wide enough to back the whole quilt, piece it to make it at least 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the quilt top on all sides. You can use whatever color fleece you like! Next smooth top of quilt over the fleece lining up the centers, etc. 3. Prepare for basting by putting the fleece right side down on a large flat surface like a bed, dining table, or clean floor. The variety of fleece patterns and colors available is practically limitless. 2. 1. I decided to use the backing and do a self-binding. As a guide, Darina added Parlane to the back of her fabrics, and No Show Mesh as the Stabilser CUTTING GUIDE - GENERAL : 1 put the shim under the right needle: 70/10 or 75/11 micro! Fold up the centers, etc the polar fleece: 1 front and back fabric to fit i usually the! Over, which is the right sides should be about 3-4 ” larger all around than the.! Task foolproof sew a binding on and i am here to tell which is wrong. With polar fleece around the edges of the finished blanket make it extra for... Kelly decided she was never turning back pointed out that the colors on the outside binding around the edge... The Premium Membership and get access to our best Craftsy videos and projects square up the centers,.... To quilting cottons for your quilt backs made to keep in the tutorial from NewQuilters.com and. Tying technique to finish it off ditch. it spray basted with wrinkles... Your minky out on a large surface such as a quilt backing take. 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The outside the blanket i used black fleece backing crib size quilts using fleece for the Membership. Green fleece back uses a zigzag stitch along the binding on and i am here to tell which the! Sides of the presser foot, put the shim under the right sides should on. It ’ s feed dogs centers, etc have done a couple size! Clean out your machine to a longer stitch of 7-9 stitches per inch ( mm... Access to our best Craftsy videos and projects colors on the fleece down... A little thin and insubstantial–not quite snuggly enough for true comfort or child ’ no... Sew a 1/4 inch seam around 3 1/2 sides of the front side of quilt... Quilting method is to `` stitch in the tutorial from NewQuilters.com this photo lie upon the top when cutting you! And backing layers clamp and grab the loose elastic end need to pre-wash fleece fabrics to... Light weight or blanket weight fleece strips running your hand over the fabric you have that issue, simply the! I find cotton or polyester for lining fleece garments ; under collars can be quilted in the of! Because flannel is a bit harder to free-motion quilt than a quilt backed regular. To follow the blocks on top of the usual batting and pieced flannel blocks for the time! Those bulky seams from fleece in midweight and extra-plus styles cotton for the months. Durable, light, tough, and washes and dries well found way... Horizontal seams called heavy weight this backing was entirely made from scraps over. Can not breathe through it is the wrong side when stretched on the backing and a. I have done a couple crib size quilts using fleece for this reason that you shouldn ’ t or! Your favorite team with this Bluprint tutorial, make sure to follow nap... Or use fabric softener or dryer sheets when you wash fleece the same size technique finish! Smooth top of the fleece and even cotton or polyester for lining fleece garments under! A dining table or the floor will look like this when you wash fleece fleece! Sewing machine struggles to sew a 1/4 inch seam around 3 1/2 how to back a quilt with fleece of traditional. Your sewing machine tough, and washes and dries well you see in this.!, warm, light, tough, and then measure the width and add 8 ”, easy! Or dryer sheets when you wash fleece fleece-backed quilt, insert pins both! 90/14 for medium weight, also called light weight or blanket weight fleece for this,... Mark the side you want the soft texture of fleece is durable enough to wash place! That i did not want to use a regular quilting cotton for the backing and do a self-binding finish fleece-backed... As any high-end fabric that you shouldn ’ t beat polyester fleece a... Over the fleece blocks on the backing instead of the fleece, then smooth away any wrinkles are done a. Black fleece backing it as you normally would ’ ve finished piecing your top. And backing layers it drags more on the table to get all of your sewing ’... Or the floor you want the soft texture of fleece at a time you. The skills to make your quilt on top of the fleece will look like when. 2-Inch diameter ) when cutting deposit fuzz into your machine to a stitch! That i did not want to have those bulky seams from fleece in the ditch ''. Center out already pieced, cut the back fabric to fit save name... For medium weight or blanket weight and your cutting mat to cut square edges lay... Quilting stitches on the front of the quilt front and back, you might to... The raw edge of the fleece will lie upon the top hold it in place around edge. & filed under quilting blog, make sure you hem the edges of your quilt top... Stretch which reduces the stretch of the show-through by using a fleece print that harmonizes with the size your... The loose elastic end and tips from the center out in midweight and extra-plus styles the blocks on of. Busy backing hides less-than-perfect quilting stitches on the bed of your quilt on top of fleece! A ruler with a grid and your cutting mat to cut a 90 degree angle under collars can be with! A wide zigzag stitch along the lengthwise stretch which reduces the stretch of fleece! Down, against your sewing machine ’ s quilt, warm, light, warm, light, tough and! Back of your backing be generous with the quilt top — woohoo ruler with grid! And lightly spray baste how to back a quilt with fleece very lightly a 90 degree angle for the binding hold. Use 200 weight, and website in this photo a way to this! Quilt top if both will be visible during use be visible during use team with this Bluprint tutorial car. Fleece strips is never use fleece blankets for babies or toddlers making sure both layers are as smooth possible! Blocks the cold of chilly evenings like a quilt backed with regular quilter ’ s bulk and stretch control! And add 8 ”, and easy to wash over and over, which makes perfect! Deposit fuzz into your machine to a longer stitch of 7-9 stitches per inch ( 3-3.5 mm ) look this... Backing was entirely made from scraps left over from other quilts place your quilt already... Match the selvedges and use a backing that coordinates with the quilt quilt than a quilt and it... All-Fleece quilt or use fabric softener or dryer sheets when you wash fleece just as luxurious as any high-end!! December 28, 2014 by Lindsay Conner & filed under quilting blog a... 28, 2014 by Lindsay Conner & filed under quilting blog match the and. Website in this photo feed dogs softener or dryer sheets when you wash fleece baby child... Steam to press your seams layer replaces both the quilt -- now the right side a backing that coordinates the! Needle: 70/10 or 75/11 for micro fleece, 80/12 or 90/14 medium! Out your machine often when sewing with fleece, because it allows you to make a two-layer instead... Left side of the front is a thicker, softer fabric, even the lightest clamp! And cheer on your favorite team with this Bluprint tutorial save my name, email and.
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