Buying fabric online
 

Hi, I have purchased some quilt fabric online that I am really pleased with, but now, I want to order flannel online for the backs of a couple of quilts and I think this might be a little trickier. Does anyone have any good hints to determine the quality of flannel? Can I go by price alone? Has anyone a favourite online store that sells good quality flannel? Thanks!

I haven't bought flannel particularly from www.fabric.com but have been satisfied with the other fabrics I have bought from them.

My best advise ... buy only the smallest amount ( maybe combine with other purchases) and note the manufacture....wash it and see if it pills. Then you will know the manufacture( not the seller) you want to concetrate your purchases. I have had some of the top names flannels pill.. and its quite a dissapointment when it happens. If there is no manufacture listed... its a good indication its not top quality.

I have bought flannel from Connecting Threads and was very pleased. It didn't shrink much at all. It's not stretchy and is just the right thickness I like. I made a baby quilt using it and the quilt has been washed a dozen times and still looks like new. No fading or piling.

Flannel is tricky my suggestion is go touch and feel flannel some is light weight some is higher and better quality
Call and ask flannel is different than the cotton we use for our quilts. I don't remember if its the thread count per inch or how its weighted but I would do a little research first. the best flannel I have used is has been from my LQS
some is thin some is heavy I like the heavy. Lately I have been very disapointed with fabric.com and how they handle refunds when there out of fabric takes 10 days or so how ever I had great service from ericas when they sent the wrong fabric, they credited me right away told me to keep what they sent which was several yards of fabric.I did not want, I've donated it to charity. But I still had the option which is nice.

I have had good luck with Keepsake Quilts. The kits I bought contained Maywood Woolies III and was very heavy nice fabric. It shrunk very little. It is pricey though.

Thanks, everyone. I will definitely follow up with your suggestions.

I have handled some of the Connecting Threads flannel and was very impressed with it. I think you can count on all their flannels to be of a consistent quality, but they don't have a large selection.

I have purchased yards and yards and yards of flannels over a number of years from www.stitch-n-frame.net

I love their fabrics. I have never had any kind of a problem--except time to use the ones added to my stash--8^) The quality and feel have been great. They also have a Thursday Special sale, a Monday madness product and a Saturday surprise offering. If you sign up for their email, a reminder is sent for the sales.

Laurie

A lot of places will send you swatches so you can see if the fabric matches your quilt. I just did that with a wide backing which I ordered from Backside fabrics. I got the swatches in just a couple of days and could not only match the color, but "feel" the fabric.