Flannel
 

I recently finished a quilt for my daughter with a flannel back. It’s the first time I’ve backed with flannel and I got it at Joann’s. I’m thinking of making two more quilts using the same pattern for my nephews. Is there a higher quality or better brand of flannel I should be using?? Anyone have a favorite?

There some very nice and pricey flannels out there. I typically don't use flannel because I have pets and it attracts the pet hair like crazy, but I will do donation quilts with it. Actually, the next quilt I will be quilting down has a flannel back. Don't remember the maker, but it is a high quality garment flannel. I'll also be doing the binding with the same flannel as the back, while I know I've done it in the past it is so long ago that I don't remember...

For all flannel my basic advice is wash it at least on medium if not hot with a color catcher so you can see if it is pretty stable or how much dye comes out.

Is the garment flannel in the fabric store of a higher quality than what is sold with the quilting fabrics ???

Flannel does come in various weights - from almost see-through to the chamois type of flannels used in Eddie Bauer shirts (and some other brands).

Shrinkage and pilling also vary from almost none to a lot.

I don't know brands, though.

I use flannels from Joann’s quite a bit for backing. Some are better quality than others. If you can find “quilters flannel “ it is a heavier piece and seems to handle much better

There is an amazing difference in quality of flannels. By far the nicest, softest, thickest flannel I have ever worked with is Moda flannel, followed very closely by the flannel out of Maywood Studios and Northcott flannels. No pilling and minimal shrinkage (considering it is flannel which tends to shrink a lot) from these brands. I won't hesitate to buy flannel on line from these 3. I have gotten some others on line that were perfectly acceptable as well but didn't have near the hand that Moda, Maywood and Northcott have. And I have had varying degrees of pilling with other brands. So I try to stick with these 3.

I tested the flannel at Joann's that they have marked very low on black Friday. It barely shrank or wrinkled and have not noticed pilling. i will always buy my flannel there.

I use flannel A Lot! I love the Moda Woolies flannels and Benartex double sided flannel. Both are nice to work with, minimal lint or shrinkage. They are a tighter weave than the lesser ( Joanne’s) flannels. I have bought many flannels from fabric.com too. Look for double sided flannels ( they are heavier, brushed on both sides) I’ve never had one bleed and the shrinkage isn’t any more than regular cottons

I love to mix some flannels with my quilting cottons in pieced quilts. The difference in the texture adds interest.

I've also had good luck with the flannels from Joanns, although I do check to see how tightly woven they are. Some flannels are so loosely woven that they fray too much to be usable.

And dry it in the dryer so that it shrinks before you back the quilt.

I use flannel sheets, too. But you have to be careful of the quality. We have flannel sheets that we have used for about 8 years that look great. However, the lower quality sheets don't stand up nearly as well.

Thanks so much for the replies!!! Makes choosing so much easier!

Moda and Maywood Studio are my two favorites. I cannot overstate just how nice their flannels are. They’re thick and soft and they don’t pill. Marcus Brothers is a step down in that it’s not quite as soft as the other two, but it’s still very, very nice.

I have some Northcott flannel that I purchased at a quilt show. Very good quality. I do also use flannel from Joanns also as the deals when they have them are to good to pass up. I tend to use baby prints for donation for the hospital I work for for the gift store and have been happy with it.

I use Timeless Treasures flannel. Soft, no pill, not skimpy and very little if any shrinkage. Wish it came in wider width!

I, too, use flannel from JoAnn's. Notice there are several "lofts" available there. You will find the soft lower loft that is good for children's or baby projects, shirt quality and the heavier quilters flannel. Interesting that I recall using a piece of quilters flannel from there though that was the worst I've ever encountered for bleeding. Definitely a good idea to wash with a color catcher and dry it before putting it into a project. I'm always disappointed when people disapprove of JoAnns. I find it a great place to shop, recognizing that they offer several qualities at different prices. If you want craft fabric, it is there but they also have affordable higher grade fabrics for garments or for quilting. Diversity!

I want to reiterate an earlier comment: Prewash! I'm using Joann's Snuggle flannel for a back right now. Its super soft and I think will be a real treat...but it shrank 2" in the wash. Imagine if that happened after it was attached to the front....

Same here ,love these 3 company's flannel

I have made many quilts with flannel. Amazon has some beautiful flannel at a reasonable price.

Are there any top secret awesome tips for using it as a backing that I need to know? Does anyone baste in any particular way or do anything differently?? I did prewash and luckily it didn’t shrink much