great quality flannel fabric
 

I'm looking for a really high quality of flannel fabric. So far everything I've tried has made little fuzz
balls when I washed it before using it. Is there a brand that is always high quality?

How did you wash it? I just learned that flannel should be washed on gentle cycle with
cold water and dry with low heat. :o

I just posted a thread about the brands for quality flannel. I had read the thread where some say to pre-wash the flannel in HOT water and dry in HOT dryer. When I was searching for flannels on the fabric sites, the instructions were to machine wash cold, gentle cycle, tumble dry low.

Can you say confused??

Before washing mine, I put it in either a mesh bag or an old nylon type stocking to avoid the little balls from forming.

Moda's warm and woolies are great flannel

Bought mine at my LQS. There really is a difference i quality flannel I got there and the Joanns etc flannel.

I washed my flannel with the other regular cotton fabric I am using in the quilt. No "balling" problems. I chose the flannel because it was the only fabric in the shop that had the right color and pattern for my quilt. I starched the living daylights out of the flannel and it is working just fine with cottons.

Thanks for asking. I also am looking for a nice quality flannel. Will be watching this thread. Since I don't know how the quilt I use it in will be taken care of I wash and dry in hot. BrendaK

yeah -- I thought we were suppose to prewash hot and dry hot to shrink the fabric.

I would just wash it as you would anything else. Lots of pajamas are made with flannel and they are just run through a regular wash.

I wonder if the flannel that is being sold now is different than the flannel that I used to buy in the 1970's/80's. I bought some flannel from a LQS and it seemed very thin compared to how I remember it. Does anyone else remember when flannel was thicker?

i generally pre-wash in warm water- not hot- but i do toss it into the dryer on a regular setting
nice, double sided (meaning it's brushed on both sides) flannels seem to wash up better than single sided flannels- benartex flannel is very nice- so is the woolies flannels.

it seems there is a lot of concern about how to pre-wash flannel, but, when the quilt is given as a gift, i would imagine they are just going to wash it like the rest of their wash. So that is why I'd like to know the brand names of high quality flannel, because i don't think the receiver will wash it specially, AND YES I REMEMBER GOOD FLANNEL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;) Wendy B in Oregon

Cabbage patch kid, I do remember when flannel was thicker than it is now. I used to buy it all the time to make pajama pants, now the flannel they sell is much thinner and falls apart faster but the price goes up! I just wash mine in warm water and dry as usual.

I remember when flannel felt like flannel, not used rags. I don't work often with flannel but I am making these "Pretty Pockets" which hold the surgical drain bulbs making life easier for patients after surgery. I need to pre-wash the flannel. Thanks for the post!

The nicest flannels I have purchased are:

Moda
AE Nathan Comfy flannel
Wilmington
Bernatex
Maywood Studio
Marcus Brothers

I am sure there are others out there. www.thousandsofbolts.com has tons of really nice flannels at rock bottom prices. They don't usually have Moda but they have other brands and I have always been happy with my purchases from them. Others here seem to really like the flannels offered at www.connectingthreads.com

I prewash in hot wash, cold rinse and tumble dry. I want all preshrinking out of the way. First wash produces a LOT of lint no matter how good the brand. I usually clean the lint trap in the dryer twice for washing 4 yards or more at a time. No pilling at all.

thank you feline fanatic :) I copied your post and will check out their flannel :) Wendy B

Flannel comes in different qualities - also some are blends - there are also wool flannels.

Several years ago, I bought some great flannels at walmart.

I have bought very few fabrics - from anywhere- for about ten years now - so I am not current on who has the good stuff available now.

I bought a stack of 6- inch flannel squares at a yard sale - washed them up - wow! What a differnce in qualities!