Advice please - birthing a pieced top and fleece backing
 

I won't be using a batting. This will be about 45 x 70. I'm thinking of sewing the top parts, right sides together. Then hang it on a clothesline and pin the front and back together (right sides facing each other) on the 2 sides and bottom. Then sew around the edges again, leaving a hole for turning. I would then turn it, trim the edges and close up the hole.

I was thinking since there is no worry about batting shifting, I could just do some random tacking stitches here and there to hold it together. Meaning I won't be quilting it per se. I'd probably stitch the edges too.

Is there anything wrong with my plan?? I'm making it up as I go.

while the right sides are together, is there a reason you want to sew it around twice?

No, I misspoke. This is what I'm thinking.

1. Sew just the top right sides together. Then I can hang the quilt and pin the rest.
2. Sew the sides and most of the bottom, right sides together.
3. Flip right sides out
4. Sew the hole in the bottom where I flipped it
5. Sew once more around the edges, right sides out.
6. Do a few tacks here and there but not full on quilting.

Thanks!

i think it sounds like a good plan

Just make sure the fabrics for the top were pre-shrunk, since the fleece won't shrink.

Thanks QuiltnNan and Bjbaxter.

Bjbaxter - I literally emptied ALL my scrap bins and made scrappy tops. Totally and absolutely scrappy, the only consistent factor is they are all 6" tall. I can't be sure they've all been prewashed, in fact they probably have not been. I guess fingers crossed!! Since I'm not going to quilt it per se, just do some tacks here and there, hopefully shrinkage won't be too noticeable. I never gave it a thought. Darn.

I just did this with regular batting and backing. Never tried fleece but it seems like it would work fine. The only problem I had was not getting wrinkles in the back even though I pinned, pinned, pinned. The fleece may give a little more.

I thought where I was just going to do a little tacking, not quilting, that I would not have to pin much. Am I wrong in thinking this? In fact, I was just going to pin the edges before I sew them. Then once it was flipped the right way and the hole sewn, I was just going to lay the quilt flat on the machine bed and tack here and there. Kind of like tying (although I've never tied). Is this a mistake?

I'm making 2 throws for my own use so I'm not too fussy.

I don't even necessarily have to fasten the front and back to each other, do I?

The other possibility is cutting the backing larger and using it to wrap around the front as a binding.

I have done several quilts using the birthing method. I think your plan will work. I don't hang on the clothesline I just spread it out on the floor.

Once I turned it right side out I sewed very close to the edge all of the way around. That seemed to help it lay flat

I would be afraid if you didn't sew the front and back together at all it would "floppy" But that's how those tie fleece blankets are and a lot of people like them

I don't know how just tacking will work - I guess it depends on how often. When I did this I did quilt in cross hatches about 8" apart and everything went just fine

good luck

The only thing you need to watch is that fleece is stretchy so when you hang it on the line, it may stretch out. I also think you might have to pin a bit even if you are going to just tack here and there.

Thanks for all the advice.

Thanks! I am giving that serious consideration. I was hoping to avoid a lot of quilting since the fleece does not need it, like batting does. Do you suppose I could get away with quilting just a few lines?

I would think that your idea of just tacking would work. I can remember a lot of my grandmother's quits that were just tacked about every 8 inches, and they lasted for years.

I have never done that myself, so I don't claim to be an expert. :)

Dina

I'm actually basing this entire quilt idea on some old quilts from the 50's that I had in my attic. They are simply a pieced top and a piece of flannel for the backing. There were a few tacks here and there. They are 60 years old and still intact.

Two of them were totally scrappy, the only thing the pieces had in common with each other were that they were the same height. I was inspired by those two quilts.

So I raided my scrap bin and used every single piece! I cut them all to 6" tall by whatever I could get out of them. I don't have a huge scrap bin but I made two tops that will finish at 45 x 70 which is what I like for a throw. I found 3 fleece (or minky??) throws in the house. I can piece them into two backs that will be the right size. I'm hoping to avoid extensive quilting. I just don't feel like doing that right now. Plus if these throws are minky, that's a bit stretchy I think. So I'd like to tack them like my vintage ones.

Fingers crossed! I suppose if this doesn't work out, all I've lost is my scraps and 3 old throws.

Thanks for posting this. I'm in the same situation with a top and piece of fleece and wondering how to put it together. I had thought about doing the self-binding method, but I like your way better. I think it will work out great. I have done several tied quilts with the whole quilt sandwich with batting and I use yarn or embrodery floss for tying. This is how most of my family "quilts" and they are long-lasting and look homey. It will be way easier to just tack with the sewing machine though. Good ideas!

I personally hate folding the back over the top as a binding. I find it takes longer than cutting my binding and attaching it. Maybe it's just me but that's what I've found to be the case.

I think your plan should work just fine. The stretching of the fleece/minky over the clothesline might be an issue but I'm not sure. I would probably tack about a hand-width apart in both directions just to avoid a lot of shifting of the 2 layers during use.

I have a folded cutting board that is that size. I have birthed a quilt that size and just placed it on top of the board on my bed. You could also place your cutting mat on your table and start pinning or tying from the center out which works really well. You can tape or clamp to your table. This is where 'shims' come in handy so the clamps don't mar your table or surface.

Thanks! I am rethinking the clothesline part because of stretching. I am lucky because I still have an old kitchen table with no lip and a formica top. I can pin there easily and not ruin the surface. I think I'll do that.

I've done a couple quilts with minky/ cuddle fabric backing that I was worried about the stretch factor. On the one that I quilted about every 6" with a domestic sewing machine/walking foot, it had long seams and I had a large piece of flannel that was left over from a quilt backing. I used this as a batting and stabilized the minky by spray basting it to the flannel. This has been a toddler quilt that has seen constant use/laundering ( Someone knows that she can melt Grandma's heart when she's in trouble and comes out of time-out with tears on her face and quilt clutched in hand!!)
The other one was 4" flannel/minky pieced squares that I laid on a table, pinned the top and minky backing every 2" along the edges. I was able to sew the top and back together with a regular foot ( working at church on donated machine) turned inside out and tacked at the corner of each 4" square, hand stitched to close the opening used to turn. Didn't take as long as it sounds.

I have finished one of these scrap throws. Thank goodness they are just for personal use!! The backing was minky and it did have a good amount of stretch to it. I ended up clamping it to my kitchen table and pinning the edges. Then I sewed the edges, pillow case style, flipped it and did an edge seam. It's not the best but it's usable for sure. The minky had stretched during the pinning so when all was said and done it's a little smaller than the top, causing the edges to curl a bit.

I have a 2nd one to do. I may do some extra pinning of the center of the quilt this time. I was trying to be quick with the first one and I guess that was not a good idea.

On a positive note, the top looks so colorful and funky.

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Your plan sounds good, but I think I would prewash the top just in case it should shrink. If you are afraid of fraying, but it in a pillowcase before washing.......

I would want the front and back attached firmly, so I would cross-hatch in very large squares just to keep things together.

There is a lot of difference between the way Minkee and regular fleece handle. Regular fleece is a lot like batting in the sense that the fibers will "stick" to the cotton top a lot better than the reverse side of Minkee will. When the fibers grab one another, there is less need for much quilting or tacking. In addition, Minkee slips, slides, and stretches while being handled. At least that has been my experience.

I've only made one quilt with a minky back and what I did I was told it wouldn't work AFTER I'd already done it.(and it DID work) But I quilted it on my long arm, I didn't birth it. I've done some receiving blankets(cotton top, flannel back) and a couple of fleece backed throws with the birthing method and I did some simple quilting to keep the layers together. I think with minky you'll really need to do at least some simple quilting. I like to do easy stuff like starting 2" from the outside, quilt a line the shape of the item, then move 2 or 3" in and do it again until you reach the center. Minimal quilting but it keeps the layers together.

Cari

It is sweet, unique and so colorful!

my machine makes tiny circles and I "tacked" a quilt with those once.

Thanks for the continued advice!

If you are using a fleece backing, it will 'soften' the feel of the seams thru the back. When I do a birthed quilt (although it is usually a smaller one that yours) I like to stitch about 1 " all the way around to hold it all in place. Tacking it would be fine, just make sure you do enough of them to keep it from tweaking out of shape.

Recently finished King size quilt top of old fashioned double knit (yes, double knit!) with flannel back and no batting. I tied it and stitched "knife edge" all around. By that I mean cut top and back even after tying, turn top and backing edges in to each other, pin well and stitch together. I used size 16 ball point needle, my machine never missed a stitch! On the spare bed downstairs, I have one made 1972 by my Grandma and the year is hand embroidered in corner. When kids stay, they remark about how old it is!