1. Will I still be able to spray baste? I have spray basted with Minky - I have also used washable glue - it does not hold as well as with cotton fabric, but it held enough for me to get the job done.
2. Does minky quilt well? Yes - I love the look of the back on Minky - it also hides some less than stellar stitches in its nap.
3. If I use minky would you suggest that I use batting or not? I use batting if the backing is going to show through the top. My current quilt has a lot of light and white so I used batting. It is a heavy quilt. Should lay nicely on the floor, though. Others with darker colors I used no batting.
4. Binding and minky - any tips or suggestions. I have used satin store bought binding. Love the look and feel. Before I bind I sew a line right at the edge of the quilt. This makes it easier to work with. It's not much harder to bind than other quilts, but I would use at least 2.5 inch binding - even up to 3" - esp if you have batting in there.
5. Who, IYHO, sells the best quality flannel? Sometimes flannel can look dirty after it is washed. It kind of pills. Can't help there. I like Walmarts "super flannel" but it doesn't seem to come in patterns. I'm not a fan of a solid backing. I have made several with flannel backing, but haven't seen them after they've been washed a lot. Exception is a grandson's quilt - slept under nightly for 3 years - sometimes washed nightly (ah the potty training times!) That fabric came from Joanns and is holding up well, but ... I don't know what it was or what made it so nice.
Next question:
If I decide to put my signature bear on this quilt (french braid friendship pattern), would you suggest that I cut away the pieced part underneath the bear? The bear will be machine appliqued out of 100% cotton fabric. I'm not an expert here, but I would "window" the fusible stuff you use to hold it down - cut out the center and only have it fixed around the edges. I don't see a need to cut out the piecing on the top. You need someone else's opinion n that one.
Good luck!