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-   -   Help!!! Flannels don't follow the rules (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/help-flannels-dont-follow-rules-t60267.html)

Quilt Mom 08-19-2010 02:02 PM

A friend of my DDs' is pregnant, and due in September. So I took out the baby colors I have to make a quilt. It happened that they are all flannels. Well, I have backed quilts with flannel before, but never pieced the tops of flannel. I merrily cut out all the pieces and started to sew them together. Low and behold, the flannel doesn't 'play' as well as the cottons I normally piece with. I had some that stretched, and when I was strip piecing for a rail fence block, strips that started out the same didn't end together...
:(

What suggestions do you have to help me in the process?

cabbagepatchkid 08-19-2010 02:08 PM

I don't have any advice but I have learned, on this forum, that flannels shrink like crazy after getting washed so it's a good idea to wash the fabric before cutting it.

One thing that I have done is the past when using fabrics that don't play by the rules is to pin, pin, pin and pin some more. I ease the longer fabric onto the smaller fabric by pinning at both ends, then at the center and then evenly along the length of the seam. I hope this makes sense to you.

bearisgray 08-19-2010 02:11 PM

Prewash. Prewash. Prewash.

Actually, some people do wash their flannels more than once before cutting them to get as much shrinkage out of them as possible.

If you are cutting strips, I think it would be helpful to cut them on the way that has less stretch - usually the lengthwise grain that is parallel to the selvage.

So when you sew the strips together, they might "play" better together.

Also, depending on your flannel, make wider/deeper seams than 1/4 inch.

The lighter/flimsier the flannel, the deeper the seam. Minimizes the chance of the seams pulling apart.

virtualbernie 08-19-2010 02:18 PM

walking foot, walking foot, walking foot :-)

SuziC 08-19-2010 02:38 PM

I agree with this advice.....prewash and walking foot

Stitchnripper 08-19-2010 02:47 PM

My very first quilt was an around the world with 3" flannel blocks!!! I did wash it a few times first, and then to deal with the stretching, a slow laborious project before I had a walking foot, was stitch half way down the block, take out, and stitch down the other side, meeting n the middle. What a job, but, the corners matched and the quilt is 7 years old and washed a zillion times and still in every day use.

Jim's Gem 08-19-2010 02:51 PM

Same as above. Always pre-wash flannels. I don't usually pre-wash my cottons but always the flannels because they do not play well together.

Cyn 08-19-2010 02:54 PM

I agree with all this advice especially the wider seams as I have had a few come apart after washing before I did wider seams.

MarthaVA 08-19-2010 03:14 PM

Try starching them heavily. Since you've already cut everything I don't think you can wash it now....so starch it and that will help with the moving of the fabric. And I mean HEAVY - many sprays and ironings. And don't push the fabric around - spray, then set the iron down on the square, then starch, set the iron down, repeat. Till its stiff. Then be VERY careful sewing.

Suzanne57 08-19-2010 04:58 PM


Originally Posted by MarthaVA
Try starching them heavily. Since you've already cut everything I don't think you can wash it now....so starch it and that will help with the moving of the fabric. And I mean HEAVY - many sprays and ironings. And don't push the fabric around - spray, then set the iron down on the square, then starch, set the iron down, repeat. Till its stiff. Then be VERY careful sewing.

That's what I was going to say, "Starch, Starch, and more Starch until it's stiff."


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