Has anyone used a sheet for fabric in their quilting? How did it work? A friend was asking me about it and I said I don't know.

I think if you use sheets that don't have a very high thread count it's ok, otherwise it's too hard to sew through.

I'm considering using a sheet for the backing of some quilts, but I've never actually used one.

i use flannel sheets to back my utility quilts

I hadn't thought about flannel sheets to back quilts. There are usually great deals on them at the holidays or in January clearances. I'll have to keep this in mind.

Thanks, she was thinking using it for HST's on the front?

We had a sew-in at a LQS for Operation 1161 a couple of Saturdays ago.
As we were working, the shop's premiere quilter who works exclusively on the Gammill machine managed to quilt three quilts ... and someone was surprised to see a cotton bed sheet going on as the backing for a nice quilt.
Bed sheets, are harder to HAND quilt through, so that is why many say not to use them -- harder to quilt through because they have such a high thread count.
I had a foundation pieced strip quilt that I didn't want to add a batting to, so I chose to use a flannel sheet for the inside. Keeping in mind that I had used a REALLY old sheet as my foundation, I put the flannel in as batting, and then I figured it was time to push the envelope a bit and chose a flannel sheets as the backing.
I used Superior thread and didn't have a bit of trouble getting that lap robe quilted. And, my quilting machine is just a Babylock Quilters' Pro ... just a bit bigger table top machine!
A sheet is not a problem ...

I buy vintage sheets for the fabric. It's actually becoming pretty popular. Take a look at this AMAZING quilt made with mostly vintage sheets and linens. This is my favorite quilt of all time and I have been collecting fruit tablecloths to make one like it. http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransso...ack-quilt.html

Also if you go to Flickr and search for vintage sheet quilts you will find a bunch. People even make purses or clothes out of them.

I have a ton of vintage sheets, but I have only used them in a few quilts so far. I just picked up a newer flannel sheet for the back of a quilt at our local Goodwill. $3 for a quilt back!! Yahoo!

I am really careful about the sheets I pick out- I tried to use too high of a thread count one time- like REALLY nice sheets- and every time my needle went into the fabric it made a little "puk" sound- like it was poking a hole. So don't go too high, but also don't go really cheap and get one that is poor quality either. I find that a lot of the vintage ones are perfect- and they are so soft. I did a blog post about some of my vintage sheets a week ago or so if you are interested or your friend is. Here is that link: http://gitdownkitty.blogspot.com/200...ge-sheets.html

I have a nice quilt top put together for my king size bed and I am going to piece a back for it out of sheets- it's so big that a king size sheet won't cover it. People are always surprised when I say that a certain fabric is from a sheet- but that's because I am careful about which ones I buy. Even the ladies that work at my lqs are surprised.

before reading these posts I would have said no. But now I will have to look into it. I have a large selection of sheets, the top sheets are always left when the bottom ones are worn out. never knew just what to do with them.

I've used several as backing, because wide backing doesn't seem to have reached Ireland, at least, not in my LQS. I haven't ever used them in a top though.

if i plan to use a solid color on the back of a twin size or smaller quilt, i often use sheets. it saves tons of money and i know they hold up nicely.

for larger quilts, or those for which i want to use a printed back, i usually go with regular fabric because both options cost about the same. (our local thrift shops don't offer many bargains. if they did, and i found pretty sheets there that were in good shape at a decent price, i'd go with the sheets).

if i ever had the guts to enter anything i'd made into a competition, i'd go with quilting fab for the back. the quilt police have fits about sheets. :roll:

Thank you so much for that info! I will tell her about it :D

I have frequently used sheets-no problems.

I've used them too. Especially when I was starting to quilt and didn't have a lot of $ to invest in fabric. Now, I like the fact that it's a full piece of fabric and looks cool with all the stitching on it.

I purchase and use ONLY used flat sheets on the backs of my quilts. They are all donated to charities and I have found them to be serviceable.

I have a few sheets that I have considered cutting to use for quilt blocks. They are soild colors and firmly woven. I do not think there would be a problem for me to quilt them as I use a quilting machine on a frame.

I have also considered using one of these for my leader clothes. I used some heavy muslin when I first got my frame, but the edges take a beating from all the pinning. Now I want to make new leaders and the stronger sheeting appears to be a good choice.

A sheet (or 2) would make a wonderful Whole Cloth quilt. Think how easy that would be. Load sheet, batting and another sheet and start quilting.

I buy my sheets in Thrift stores where I rarely pay more than $3. for the King size flat. Goodwill's prices have gotten too high. But it saves a lot of money on fabrics and time on piecing the back. In my quilting, time and money are both important.

June in Cincinnati

I was given a bunch of sheets once by a hotel...They were going to throw them out...yes, I cut them up and used them in my quilts...I machine quilt with a walking foot and had no problem...

I did once many years ago. It was tough to work with. Frayed easily and hard to quilt through.

MIght have been a polyesther blend. The fraying suggests so, anyway. Have never thought about what quilting through polyesther would be like. Might be a good thing to remember though.