Coley Banicki

My mother passed away less than 2 weeks ago and my sister and I are making Quilts out of her clothes. Im 22 and still new to sewing/quilting but was wondering what kind of fabric would be best for a backing? The clothing will range from cotton to blue jean ect. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks so much!

Airwick156

I am sorry to hear of the loss of your mother please accept my condolenses.
I think it is a wonderful idea to make a quilt out of her clothes. I am pretty new to quilting also so I really don't have any idea what you can use. I don't think that there is any "right" fabric or "wrong" fabric. Some people use flat sheets, some use cotton fabric, some even use muslin. I think its a preference. Someone will come along and give you an answer. :). You take care And God Bless you and your family. Cyber Hugs.

star619

The rule of thumb is to use only 100% cotton in the top and backing of a quilt. It wears well, stitches easily, and can be washed. But there is always an exception to every rule, isn't there? Perhaps you have seen Crazy Quilts. They were meant to be decorative, like over the back of a sofa or across a piano. Victorian ladies used silks, satins,velvets,laces, etc.. If your mother had any special dresses, and liked frilly things, then you could use them, and just know that you could not wash it(perhaps dryclean every so many years.)
God bless you & your family. I lost my mother December 12th. It takes a bit to seem real. But a quilt from her clothes would feel like a hug everytime y'all wrapped up in it.
Good luck. Debbie

eparys

Coley - I am so sorry for your loss. What a wonderful thing to do with her clothes - your sister and you will always be able to remember her this way.

In order for someone to answer your question - you need to decide how you plan on finishing quilts. That will determine what backing you use. If you are tying them - the backing is not as critical as if you plan on having it quilted.

littlehud

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. What a wonderful thing to do though. I love the idea of a quilt from her clothing. I would back it with good quality cotton fabric. You want it to last a long time.

luvTooQuilt

Sorry for your loss. You have a great idea.

I'm a big scrappy quilter so I use any fabric not just cotton. However if your using anything stretchy you need to use a stabilizer on the backside. Other than that for me, anything goes.. I'm sure whatever you come up with will be beautiful because it came from the heart ..

TonnieLoree

Oh my, I am so sorry to learn about the loss of your mom. I can't offer any new advice to you. What the others have said is more than I can give. Peace to you and your sister. Your attempt to make a memorial quilt for mom is noble. I'm sure this must be hard for you. Please know that you have a quilting family right here.

MisDixie

I too am sorry for the loss of your Mom. I have made quilts for a friends sons out of Dads jeans and shirts. I used flannel on those as they were rag quilts. The shirt weight had to be paired with batting to make the weight closer to the demin and flannel weight blocks.
My girl friend and her sister used quilting cotton on theres for their siblings. They cut 2 1/2 inch squares of Moms clothing then surrounded them with quilting cottons to make up a 10 1/2 inch block as they are a large family and had lots of quilts to do. As others have said, its your quilt, do what works for you. God Bless.

rushdoggie

I am sorry for your loss.

I like the idea of making quilts from her things, what a lovely idea.

Patty Patches

I;m so sorry for your loss,good luck making quilts with moms clothes,thats a nice idea