betsymjeff

Have a question for anyone out there. Is it okay to use poly/cotton sheets for backing a quilt. I bought some at a yard sale and then realized they were not 100% cotton. Now what do I do with them?????

Betty

Shelbie

Use them. I've used poly/cotton sheets for quilt backings for years. They quilt, wash and wear well. I wouldn't use them on my daughter's wedding quilt but they will be absolutely fine on those quilts that will get hard wear and lots of washing.

jaciqltznok

you can use them, but they are hard to quilt through! also if you have not washed your cottons in the top, it will shrink and the back won't!
use them for covering plants, drop clothes, etc.
PS..you have a lovely guild in Cushing!

betsymjeff

Thanks Jacquie. We have almost 50 members now. We have a great time. I do all my quilting on my sewing machine so that would not be a problem. I feel better now.

deemail

i do this all the time for me.... customers don't like it... but remember when we all like to look at the back of the quilt... it shows the quilting stitches so much better than the front? that's because the backs used to be universally muslin which is softer than quilting cotton.... make the back a poly/cotton sheet and now the front is softer and ALL the best stitching shows up best on the front.... very few people will believe this... but i choose to do mine this way for this reason...

QuiltnNan

this is very interesting. i never would have thought of that

gayle bong

Some poly cottons are pretty soft. I'd certainly use them for machine quilted backs. Its the hand quilting that could be difficult if you use a sheet.

GingerK

I always wash all my fabrics--including the poly cotton backings that I use. Two reasons--shrinkage and bleeding. Seveal quilts ago, I needed a piece of blue for a backing and could only match it in a poly broadcloth. Thank goodness I washed it first because that sucker bled like a stuck pig and would have ruined my beautiful quilt on the first washing. Yes, I mix polycotton and 100% cotton but EVERYTHING gets washed first!!

BETTY62

I have used them as backing and they work.

betsymjeff

Thanks everyone. I love this site. Don't do alot of posting, BUT I do alot of reading. Need to get to quilting now. LOL