Thread: Flannel Backing ?

I have used good flannel for so many quilts and they have all held up well. And I make quilts to be used, baby quilts and quilts to keep on the end of the couch to pull over us when it gets chilly. I made 2 quillows to take to the Charger games back in 1999, then I used shirt flannel and they are still very in great shape. They get used more indoors now than outdoors.

I don't know yet how well my flannel-backed quilts will hold up, but I do know that it shrinks like crazy in the wash. Prewash it twice, on a fairly hot wash, and put it in the dryer if possible. Also prewash any fabrics that you will be using in the top, as the shirt fabrics have already been thoroughly prewashed. I don't know if you were planning to make the top purely from the shirt fabrics, or to add in a few of your own for visual balance. It depends on the guy's shirt collection, really; some contain a great range of values and patterns, others don't.

Now I think about it, I could probably do a reasonably nice (if small) quilt from my partner's shirts, as he has plenty of black and white, and a good few in other colours and stripes, including that gorgeous green stripe which I adore - seriously lovely fabric! - and which he isn't that keen on. Although probably at least half his shirts are white and not that thick, which I wouldn't really want to be working with. But I really shouldn't be thinking this way!

if it is a quilt just to keep then I would use regular fabric on the back. I see no need for flannel unless it is there for warmth.

I have one quilt that I put the flannel on the back.... and I love it. It's on my bed and it stays put.... no sliding around like some quilts. I do recommend that you prewash as Lobster said. Flannel does shrink..... but I prewash everything so it stays where I want it.

I used flannel for the back of my cousin's baby quilt and it was wonderful. I think it would work out fine for a memory quilt. Good luck.

I used flannel for a back of quilt 30 years ago? I folded the flannel to the front for the binding. The only place that I see wear is the binding edge has holes along it. It was just a general use quilt not an heirloom quilt. The top shows no signs of wearing out because it is polyester double knit.