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Quote:

Originally Posted by catrancher

I'm making a small (very small) wall hanging. It's raw-edged applique with lots of tiny little pieces. (I guess I'll post a picture.) I'm thinking I want to use the top-stitching as quilting, but I want a thin batting. Is there any reason I shouldn't use flannel instead of traditional batting? It won't ever be washed, so shrinkage isn't an issue. I just want to make sure I'm not committing myself to a disaster. It's from a kit a friend asked me to do, and let me tell you, it's been a bear. (No pun intended.)

I would still wash the flannel first, but I have used flannel just fine. I would wash it because someday, someone else will have it, and may want to 'freshen' it. (Just MHO)

I use flannel for batting for what I call "wash quilts." I make a quilt sandwich with top, one or two layers of flannel and backing.. (Flannel and backing should be about 4 -5 inches larger than the top. I then stitch lines one inch apart either a straight stitch or a small fancy stitch. After the layers are sewn together, I wash it in hot water with retayne ( to preserve the color fastness) and then dry on low. I wash and dry it about four times. The flannel shrinks about 5 - 10%, causing lots of nice little puckers. Using the retayne keeps the colors bright. These quilts are great because you can wash them whenever you wash your sheets, if you want.

Good info. I can imagine this would be good for baby quilts. Thanks!