I'm planning to try my first flannel quilts. Are they harder to work with and quilt than a regular quilt? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Rebecca

Just be sure to clean your machine out - often while working on it.

I made a flannel baby quilt with no problems. It was nice quality flannel from a quilt shop, if that makes a difference.

It's wise to prewash to avoid shrinking later. I sometimes even wash twice, to be sure I won't be disappointed by extreme shrinking.

If you plan to free motion quilt it, flannel can be harder to manipulate. I like using the supreme slider (slick sheet on the bed of the machine) to make it easier to move.

Flannel quilts can also be very heavy, so keep that in mind when choosing your batting.

RST

I've made several flannel quilts with the Take 5 pattern. I use a regular quarter inch seam and they seem fine. They are heavier, very warm and soft. I've also made several rag quilts out of flannel. They came out very nice, too. Others say that you must wash the fabric several times to preshrink it and I suppose that is a good idea. I didn't prewash.

Rebecca -

I've only done four in flannel, three raggy seam quilts and one regular pieced. I would advize and walking foot and 80 per cent poly batting due to weight of flannel.

Sew around outer sides of quilt twice as very heavy when wet. Poly bat will dry faster than cotton bat or flannel lining. Umm, I wouldn't use small pattern pieces due to bulk
but think about 12" finished blocks. Everyone I have done a raggy quilt for loves them. I have four "orders" from
grands (12 to 16) that want bigger raggy flannel quilts.

There a some good books, but even half square triangles give a lot of leeway for design. The next flannel quilt I do will be a copy of one in white and burgandy in two different sizes of diamonds. Perfect for Xmas, it is a raggy quilt as well but fab looking.

I think it is more about color and design cuz no matter what you do - good flannel will really last and always be
a snuggle magnet.

PS Seems as tho I can't sew a straight X in blocks so I use a ruler and a chaco chock marker so they turn out perfect.
Or I use a heart shaped plastic template and marker.

Let us know what you decide to make.....
It will be fun and loved for ages and ages....

Cindy

my advice is wash it first I made a quilt for my grandaughter and the backing ran so badly it ruined the quilt, so wash it till the colour stops running at least.

If you're piecing (vs making a raggy quilt) use 1/2-inch seams (flannel can fray). And starch your flannel before you cut or sew it. Helps it to behave!

I have made 3 rag flannel quilts, and 2 bow tie flannel quilts both easy but everyone really likes the bow ties.

They do lint up the machine a lot but I think they are easy to work on.