I have used fleece for the front of a baby quilt and am working on one right now, and I decided to back it with fleece this time. Well, it is too bulky for free motion quilting. My Juki TL-98Q won't stitch on it, and I had a hard time too with doing some stitching on the front.

I have usually used flannel for the backing one ones I have made before, and never had a problem, but this time I couldn't even get the stitching on the front piece. Maybe the fleece is woven different, I don't know, tired everything with the machine and even tried my Viking, the thread kept breaking and the machines were skipping stitches. So who knows, every piece of fabric is different.

So this quilt I am tying off instead of quilting.

Good luck on your endeavors

I use fleece all the time and have had no problems, however, I do anchor well with spray basting and I do a minimum amount of quilting (machine). The fleece sticks to the top, it stays the same size through many washings, so I feel I only need to anchor it. I use a decorative stitch (one of the "connector" stitches) that stitches back and forth. On my Bernina Activa 130 it is stitch "18". On my
Elna 6600 it is "074". I have done dozens of these quilts in all sizes from twin bed to baby quilts and have had no problem. It is such an easy way to finish quilts, I hope you can get it to work for you, too. I do have better success with my Bernina than with the Elna--I am using the walking foot with both. The Bernina just seems to move the quilt through/under the foot better. Since I have the luxury of having a choice, I am blessed.
I do my quilting from the fabric side--fleece on the bottom. I leave my feed dogs up, BUT I am doing straight line quilting. I generally do not use any batting, but I do use the heavier fleece when possible. Some of the fleece is too thin to use without batting.

I made quilts for two gkids in Ca. used long arm turned out just beautiful I was very happy with them and so was my daughter. She prefered the one with no batting,one was cotton and batting and minky and the other one was flannal and minky. I had bought minky at the local store and I got back to the shop and it looked terrible compared to the one I got from fabric.com their minky is the best I've found . and no I don't work there.

I just finished a large quilt for my grandson using flannel on the top, thin polyester for the batting, and a high grade fleece for the back. I pinned it heavily, every two-three inches, and quilted it lightly. It worked very well using the walking foot.

I don't usually have any trouble with fleece on the back, but one particular fleece I tried was stretchy and saggy and altogether useless! I always use my walking foot and straight stitching anchors it all pretty well before any free motion work.

I have used fleece as backing. I spray the fleece with temporary adhesive before adding the quilt top. Then machine quilt. Has worked out well for me.

I have used fleece and it turns out really nice. The trick with the long arm is don't over tighten it or it will bunch up the cotton part when you take it off after it's quilted. I have also used minkie, once with great success and once with horrible success.

I watch for the sales on those little cheapy throws that are really cheap to begin with and a lot of them are now 1/2 price after Christmas. I have a whole stash of them and use them for backings on baby quilts and petbeds. I just load them like my regular back in my short arm machine and off I go.

I made some quick quilts for my toddler boys that had no batting and fleece backing. I was going to tie it but got too lazy and used the button stitch on my machine and randomly tacked the fleece to the quilt top. These quilts get tons of use and washed all the time. I've had one seam pop open (one was pulling the other one on their "quilt sled"). They are super warm and lay nice and flat.

I have successfully used fleece on the back of baby quilts and throws. I pin it thoroughly and don't do a lot of quilting. Have done both some free motion and used a walking foot. Not always perfect but not a disaster either. I like the fact is doesn't slide off the 'wearer' and doesn't require another layer of batting.

I just made a quilt for my daughter for Christmas and used fleece on the back and had no trouble what so ever. I did pin it with safety pins alot. I didn't free motion either. I just stitched in the ditch. She loves the fleece backing.

i am so sad to see so many of you hating fleece and insisting it can not be quilted...i love using fleece and machine quilt it all the time. if you 'test' the fleece to see which direction has the most stretch then you can lay it out (i put it so the most stretch is side-to side..not top to bottom) smooth it WITH OUT STRETCHING it...if using batting put that next smoothed nicely,,,if no batt then the top...smoothed nicely...lots of basting now...either with pins or needle and thread...i thread baste...it is alot easier for me to use a needle and thread than closing and re=opening all those pins.
start in the center, work your way out to the sides, moving up...moving down as you go. one thing that helps is if you can (ease) the force of the pressure foot. my machine i can set for heavy fabrics or light fabrics...if you can relieve the pressure the foot puts on the sandwich it will go a bit better.

Flannel is the only way to go.

I have used fleece a lot and have had no problems with it stretching. I've done SID and free motion and had not problems whatsoever. I buy my fleece at Joann's...don't know if that makes a difference or not.

I use fleece off and on. I usually pin it the same way I do when I use flannel as a backing, (about every 5") before I quilt it on my regular machine.

I too use already made throws with the micro fleece, love the 50 x 60 inch size for a lap throw.The edges are already finished. I use the Yellow Brick Road pattern by Atkinson, use the 6 fat quarter size and instead of putting borders on the finished top, I turn under the edges 1/4 inch, spray with starch and iron well. I then center this on top of the fleece throw and pin well, stitch around the two center blocks first, (row 3, blocks 2 and 3), with a serpentine stitch, (wavy stitch) and my walking foot, then stitch around the outside edge of the quilt top to applique the whole top down. You have instant borders because you've centered it, and it's warm and a good size. Love to pick up the throws when they're five dollars. Of course, I don't call them quilts, because by definition a quilt has three layers, but it's my latest favorite thing to do for a fast and fairly easy gift!! Soft and cuddly!!

You could adapt this to any quilt pattern, just turn under the outside edges and center it on your throw. I've even bought King size and cut it up to fit my needs, though I had to finish the edges of the fleece by folding under twice and using a zig zag stitch and my walking foot.

Wow. I've used fleece on the back of a number of quilts - 3 T-shirt quilts and several other for family members (lap sized, not bed sized) and have had NO trouble with it. In fact, I thought that it laid much flatter and smooter than cotten when I am spraying the sandwich. I alwasy use spray - never baste or pin, and I've been very happy with the results. Maybe the difference is that on all the quilts I've used fleece I've just done SID quilting - no free motion.

Thank you all so much, I have learnt a couple of things I didn't know and will try, I haven't left the foot up as I wasn't doing FMQ, and I didn't realise the fleece may have a stretch one way and not another., most of the other suggestions I have tried but it just will not work. But.. I will try once again with the above in mind, if not it will have to be hand.. I have never quilted by machine before, everything I do is usually by hand. I just don't like being beaten, especially by a machine!!!!

this is completely off the current subject, but I've noticed your avatar several times before (it's gorgeous by the way) & I always think of the OBW author's suggestion not to use a piece of fabric with lots of colors in it. You should send her a picture of yours, it's absolutely lovely.

I just backed a baby quilt using Northern Lights fleece from Hancocks. I'm not sure what it's made of but it looks and feels different then the 100% poly fleece. It's not slippery at all, in fact it was hard to move my quilt around while doing the machine quilting. Also every thread and tiny piece of fabric that was on my sewing table got stuck to it...it was like a magnet! It looks nice now that it's finished but I'll never use it again.

Regarding the definition of "fleece":

Keep in mind that Pellon puts out a "fusible fleece" that looks just like batting (to me) and allows one side to be lightly ironed on (w/o steam) and there is NO shifting or stretching. It is very easy to use and is about 46" across, so it's good for lap robes, but could be "mated" in the usual ways to make a wider batting.

I use it often (always for smaller quilts) because I can adhere the backing and panel-piece the front from top to bottom, quilting as I sew. I use this method a lot when I'm doing quilts for charity, for smaller children, and for lap robes. When I use it for a free form or "landscape" quilt I do the front (in pieces, slightly ironing to keep them in place, pull up, replace, etc) until I have it all the way I want it. Then I tuck under one side of a seam, overlapping it to the one next to it, and sew. When doing it this way I then add the backing and quilt it.

If I have the pieces ready (cut out) I can put together a lap robe (4x6') in one day (so it's really a two day project). That means a lot to me when I'm doing quilts for my grandkids to raffle off so they can go on a trip with their choir or their church group.

There is also (but I've never seen or used it) double sided fusible fleece. I'm looking to get it ASAP.

Hope this is informative... remember the definition of "fleece" may have more than one meaning. Sierra

I too tried to FMQ with fleece as the backing. It 'scootches' way too much! I wish I had seen this thread before I tried it. Oh, well, live and learn. I tried to FMQ the quilt I made for my great niece to be, but after frog stitching all the tucks, I just covered the mess with prequilted Tricot. The blanket has the top, the batting, the fleece, and the batting attached to the Tricot. I hand tied it. Made a nice thick warm blanket for a baby who will live on the Northern Pacific coast. My niece was thrilled by it. Yet another desperation fix. :thumbup:

Flannel I agree!

I have made alot of lap size quilts (60 x 60) using polar fleece. I use the polyester batting the real thin one. I use the quilting spay to bind them together and a walking foot to sew and I have absolutely no problem with it stretching.

Hi there,

I don't know what to tell you. I must have been lucky...
As I had no problems with the two I did for my grand nieces for Christmas. I pinned every 6 - 8 inches, plain foot, no batting. Just the toppers and the fleece. After creating 6 and 8 inch grids I free form quilted 6 inch flowers on one quilt and 5 inch drafonflys on the other. Polycotton thread.

Most likely because no batting was used. I figured they would be plenty warm with only fleece like one from my childhood.

Suz

What about using fleece in place of batting on a quilt-as you-go quilt? I have a bunch of fleece blankets that have some charity's name on them so I don't want them to show but wondered if it would work as batting if cut in pieces.

Dicey

I've used fleece on lots of small quilts (48" by 54" or smaller) both on my domestic machine and the Tin Lizzie 18. I drape the fleece right side up on my drafting/cutting table and let it relax overnight. Then I place the pieced top right side down on top and pin around the edges and place a few pins in the center. Stitch around the edges with 1/2" seam, leaving an opening for turning. Trim edges to 1/4", turn right side out. Then stitch 1/4" from edge to form a faux binding. Quilt using a fancy or straight stitch on the domestic machine (feed dogs up) or pin to leaders on the long arm and quilt with free form or panto. I think the trick is to let the fleece drape over the edges of the drafting/cutting table and relax, get the stretch out!

:D Hi I am in the process of using fleece as my batting and it is going really well I hand sewed the top and the fleece before I put it on the backing , this makes it work as one piece and so far no problems. Let us know how your quilt turns out.

I have used fleece as a batting and the back of my quilts, but I hand tie. The first floeece I bought was extra thick and I didn't catch the difference, ha went to hand tie and had to actually use pliers to push needle in and up. Didn't make that mistake twice, Now I use the thinner fleece. Love the warmth especially on back of denim. Good luck on how you end up with the finish, be sure to post. :)

I have done two queen and a twin with the flleece backing but I tied them

Hi
Have just backed a childs quilt with fleece (Windcheater fleece)and put the fluffy side out and I am really delight with the finished quilt my great niece should feel lovely and cosy..a number of my friends have used polar fleece as backing of their quilts and all have workd well..I know I put a lot of pins in the quilt and stitched from the centre out..
see if you can purchase a less stretchy fleece might do the trick, have another go
cheers Karinda :lol: :lol:

Quilt tops are 100% cotton and the backings should be the same. Fleece stretches and is not 100% cotton, it will not shrink like the cotton fabrics do.

I once quilted a couple of client's quilts with fleece for the backing, and it did work out, but there is always an issue with the stretchiness. It stretches less one direction than the other. The lady had pieced her fleece, and one half of the quilt was saggy and one half tight. I can usually "quilt it out", but still... kind of a pill to work with.

I have much better luck with minkee or cuddlesoft fabric, a low loft soft fur. I always mount it in the direction of the least stretch. It may be a different animal if you are quilting on your home machine...

I really would not recommend fleece as a backing again, especially if it is pieced.

I have tried again on the baby quilt I am making, and none of my machines will quilt freehand on it. I really think it is the fleece this time, I have done it before on others and never a problem. Go figure, huh?? If a Juki won't sew it, nothing will, I suppose. Just finished tying it off yesterday and hand basted the border so I can, hopefully, get the binding on. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Never done this since I have a longarm and can quilt with fleece on the back (just need to watch stretching), but what about turning the quilt over and having the cotton top on the bottom and the fleece side up? Are you using a walking foot or darning foot to quilt with? I've heard that you are more successful using a darning foot with the feed-dogs lowered. Like I said, never quilt on my DSM so I'm just trying to think outside the box!

Dicey, consider dropping off the charity blankets at a police station, or give them to a policeman you see who is doing his paperwork in his car. They always seem to be appreciative. Many like to keep such in their trunk as comfort blankets for kids. Sierra

Flannel backing is my favorite; cotton muslin next. I am only a hand quilter though, so I'm sure that others have another opinion. I do not like using fleece at all - it gets wonky on you and then ... you're stuck! Just my humble opinion!

One thing that I found that helped was switching to a sz 14 needle for stretch fabric. This is what my Viking Sapphire recommended.

I used fleece for several different quilts I made for gifts with extraloft batting. It worked fairly well, but I hand tied the quilts - I did not try to machine sew or hand quilt, just tied the quilte every 6 inches - at the junctions of the blocks. Also, need a bigger binding than usual. Normally I use 2 1/2 inches, but for these quilts I made 3 1/2 inches.

One was for my husband and he loves the quilt. Carries it from room to room and it keeps him quite warm (It gets cold in New England and we keep the house at a balmy 66).

So yes you can use fleece, just need to modify how you plan on finishing

I would use a walking foot on your machine.