When you back a quilt with fleece do you put batting in the middle or just do the fleece?

I just do fleece.

I've used a thin layer of batting with fleece. I've also only used fleece.

I didn't know you could use fleece. Do you have a regular cotton quilt top?

some use both depends on the look they want.

I have made a couple of rail fence flannel quilts backed with fleece. I didn't use any batting. They are tied, not quilted. They are favorites with my family! In fact, one has been used so much over the years that the seams of the flannel are coming apart.

I use Warm and Natural batting if I want it really warm and heavy. I've done it both ways and like it both!

I just use the fleece. It is usually warm enough on it's own.

ive wondered about this too.....if doing fleece with or without batting, is the binding the same as doing a normal quilt?

I have made three quilts with fleece for backing. I used warm and natural with cotton tops. They are heavy but warm. I used cotton fabric for binding on two of them and flannel for binding on the other. I like how soft the flannel binding is.

I am working on a normal pieced cotton quilt top and backing it with flannel right now!!! I do not use Warm and Natural batting but I do pin as normal. Set your stitch lengh a bit longer and use a walking foot if you are doing stitch in the ditch which is what I would reccommend when using fleece. I have done some free motion stuff but it just doesn't feel the same....looked OK tho.

jodi in leavenworth

be sure to practice on a few scraps to get your stitch length set first!!

I have done both. Made one for a couple of people during chemo and used fleece and batting for warmth. Other times just the fleece. Bind it like a regular quilt.

I did a Christmas throw for my mom and used flannel for the front and binding and fleece for the back. It is plenty warm and has a nice weight without additional batting. I couldn't find a picture of the back but it is plaid fleece with Christmas trees.

I was going to ask the same question tonight! I just am getting ready to do a quilt backed with fleece!

Either way is good, my friend,who lives up north in michigan,has made a bunch of quilts with fleece as backing..no problems at all..she stippled it on her table top machine! and used cotton binding..

My DGD is in the middle of her first quilt (age 15), and she always complains she is cold, so I thought about backing her quilt with fleece. It will be a generous double sized when finished. My question is, do you prewash the fleece, the top is 100% cotton not prewashed, and can you use fleece on something that big?

IMHO, fleece doesn't shrink..

I use fleece for many many quilts. I love flannel for the front. Sometimes I just roll the fleece to the front over the flannel. You don't have to turn under as it won't fray. Sometimes I make a bias binding of flannel. Since fleece is stretchy, the bias works better than straight of grain. Sometimes I just serge the edges. Here are some of my fleece backed quilts.

it depends on the quilt, if it is for someone here in northern michigan i put batting in and back with fleece, if it is for one of the kids in florida i do not bother with the batting, they love the fleece back because of it's warm coziness but do not need the extra weight of the batt. i used curly minkee on the back of my mariner's compass quilt...it is so wonderful! the grandkids call it the 'get-naked' blanket!

If my fleece seems thin, I use batting, but if the fleece is reasonably heavy/thick, I do not use anything but the top and fleece. Most of mine I "self-bind" by bringing the fleece to the front and stitching it down with a decorative stitch. I really try to watch when I'm picking up fleece (on sale) to get a heavier one. There is a lot of difference in the feel of the different fleeces. The more expensive ones are NOT always the heavier ones. I started using fleece on children/baby quilts but my big kids (ie. parent's of my grandchildren) really like the fleece backed "throws" they snuggle under to watch TV.

I love making quilts with fleece backing. I don't use batting and use cotton binding...also FMQ it.

It sounds like a good idea to back with fleese. Do you quilt them yourself? Do the quilters have trouble quilting them?

I just made two quits with fleece backing, I like to put a flannel piece between the top and the fleece. With the fleece only it seems to thin to me. Mine came out great, one was the 3 D pinwheel and one was called monkey business, the pattern looked like those toy monkies that you can hook together and make a chain. I wish I could send pictures but I can't. :cry:
MNM

I have used the fleece by itself. No batting. It seemed to be just fine and not too heavy.

But how you quilt them?

I've used an old fleece throw as batting with a regular cotton back. It is super warm. I don't think I'd use batting if I were backing in fleece, it would be too heavy/hot...even with our Canadian winters! lol

My sons had also requested fleece for warmth, I used it on their star quilts that I made them in queen size. I used 80/20 batting and yes it is heavy and warm (but that is what my boys wanted). Fleece I did not prewash, since it does not shrink.
We had no problems quilting it, we used a long arm

I made one (so far) and just used the fleece. Turned out great!

All the ways to quilt mostly work with fleece ...depends on what the quilt will be used for. I have made tons with a fleece backing. Sometimes, just the fleece, no batting (my preferred method). You can quilt these pretty far apart, so they are soft and hugable and they last for years and years. Sometimes, I fold the fleece over the front and stitch it down with something like a zig zag or feather stitch for the binding. Sometimes I bind with a french fold cotton binding.

If you machine quilt with a long arm, a thin batting helps stablize it. I don't like that type of machine quilting as well because fleece must be stretched somewhat to put it on the frame, which makes it pucker too much for my taste. But some customers want it that way.

Have also used it as the back to rag quilts.

Just have to remember that there is a front and a back to fleece and get them right and also one way stretches more than the other. Make sure to position it correctly. Spray baste is wonderful for fleece.

Good luck!

I have done quite a few with fleece for my charity quilts and they wash and wear well no batting necessary,

Light quilting. I like using my embroidery machine to just do a motif in each square, or even SID. If you quilt them too densely you lose the fluffy cuddly feeling.

someone was reading my mind! I was wondering about using fleece with cotton, flannel with fleece, etc.
But how about 3 layers of flannel ? Front is breast cancer ribbon ,the batting is light pink and the backing dark pink..will this work? Wondering about the uneveness or wrinkling happening?

I had a problem when I used a military fleece panel without batting, when FMQing my stitches would turn yellow..took me awhile to realize that it happened when I stitched over the yellow parts of the panel...odd! Other than that it was so easy to work with and stitch.

I just made my first quilt with fleece backing, and no batting, a 50x60" in the Warm Wishes pattern for my little GD. I machine quilted with a longer stitch, diagonally through the solid squares only (not the rail fence squares), and it turned out really well, seems like just the right amount of quilting. Haven't decided yet on a binding, will probably be a cotton one.

I almost always use flannel for my backing and always use batting but vary the thickness. Bind as usual either with cotton or flannel

Thank you all so much!!
I decided to not use batting in the middle (it's just a lap quilt for my grandma) so it didn't need to be super warm. And I was wondering about the binding today to so thanks again! I think I might just go with cotton..since I have extra fabric. And I might do stitch in the ditch and FM quilting...so we'll see how it turns out! But I change my mind all the time...and I don't want it to loose the softness with too much quilting.

And I'm new to spray basting...but I decided to try that and I love it!!

I've used fleece many times, sometimes with batting and sometimes without. Depending to what state I was sending the quilt to (weather). I use minke (cuddle) a lot too, makes for a cozy quilt.

I have used fleece without batting to back a pieced quilt top. Even though I used my walking foot the fleece stretched and I had tucks on the fleece back. I have had greater sucess fusing the thinnest fusable interfacing to the wrong side of the fleece before pinning and quilting. I would also recommend this process when using "minky"

Very cute quilts!

I do lots of t shirt quilts with fleece backing. I just use flannel in between. Adds some body but not a lot of weight. Washes just fine with t shirts ancotton fabric in front, a layer of flannel, and then fleece backing.