Here I go thinking again!
 

I was thinking about making a quilt with a vinyl back (like the outdoor vinyl fabric) to use while camping so it could be wiped off after laying on the ground and not have to wash it every time it was used or worry about it being damp and then smelling like mold when you put it away for a while.

Do you think it would work???

As long as you didn't plan on quilting it heavily. I think you could get away with a grid quilting pattern that was 3-4 " apart. Decide on a front based upon how closely you could get away with quilting it once you put the vinyl fabric on the back. Fabric Depot in Portland has nice fabric for making raincoats that would work as does the Rain Shed in Corvallis, oregon. Fabric Depot has online, not sure about Rain Shed.

why don't you just put a plastic sheet on the ground first. Seems to me that it will be difficult to wash the quilt when it needs washing which might be after every use. How about spraying the back with a soil resistant spray.

If you quilt it won't the thread holes let moisture in? Just thinking.

Well if it were for my use, I would but this will be going to a guy that just doesn't think about that sort of thing and I was trying to figure out a good way to make him one that he wouldn't have to worry so much about. He loves quilts but I'm not sure he knows how to keep it from getting screwed up from the damp air or ground and I sure he would be upset it that happened. But at the same time, I want him to be comfortable using it.

Any ideas that would help would be greatly appreciated. Maybe I could just add a piece of the vinyl a bit larger then the quilt with it when I give it to him might be the way to go?

I'm sure you will find the answer to your question, but it leads me to a question of my own. I have camped for 40 years and never used a quilt. What do you use yours for? I use sleeping bags but they never are on bare ground. We don't eat picnic style on the ground when we camp, we use camping tables and chairs. Do you eat on your quilt?

I would throw a large piece of vinyl down first and then the quilt on top of it. I think that is a better option. I made a quilt to throw down on sports fields and used black fabric for the back. It does not show any stains. Might be a good color option for your quilt in case it does come in contact with the grass/land.

what about the laminated cotton as a back, not sure if that would work

How about buying a flannel-backed plastic table cloth and using that for the back? For a baby shower gift my daughter got a baby quilt that was vinyl backed to use as a ground quilt. That was 5 years ago - before I knew anything about quilting - so I didn't examine it or remember much about it. But ... it's doable.

or, putting two flannel backed table cloths together and putting it on the ground with your quilt on top ;of it. i would think that with the flannel, they would not need much if any quilting and would stay cleaner unless it was really wet or dirty, might even clean off with a hose..... just a thought,.

Hey Why not get a cheap vinyl tablecloth under your real quilt...?? That way if the tablecloth gets yucky you throw it away and keep the quilt safe...!
Hugs
Quiltinmama

I just made beach quilts for each of my 5 grandkids. I'll just tell them all to shake the quilt really well to remove any sand, etc. & make sure the quilt is dry before they store it. Shouldn't create any problems.

If you want vinyl attached to the back of the quilt, I would make a quilt with no batting -- just a piece of fabric on the back and quilt it. I would then add the vinyl to the back and add the binding. I would not sew through the vinyl.

I was at a swim meet and some of the mothers made "blankets" by sewing vinyl to the back of a piece of light weight fleece -- no quilting, just sewing around the edge. The vinyl was light weight and they said they can wash them but hang dry.

I bought some raincoat material for a steal (half off of half off with another 10% off on top of that - they nearly paid me to take the stuff) and I've been trying to figure out if it would work for a picnic quilt too - I'm watching this thread closely!

Vinyl might be just too heavy/stiff to make a good quilt; depends on what gague you get, I suppose. I like the raincoat material because it is very flexible and thin. And it's black, so it'll hide any spots it does pick up. But I was wondering if quilting holes would let in moisture too, just as somone asked. Somehow it works okay on my coat, though...maybe just use a fine needle and keep the stitches small & tight??

At Walmart they sell Vinay that can be placed on to make it a laminate. This way you use your stash quilt the quilt mostly then stick it on and finish off the quilting so it's not as dense. Just a thought.

Since you're using it outdoors anyway, why not just hang it outside in the sun -- turn it after an hour or so. Sunshine is a terrific disinfectant! If you can't do that, just give it a short spin in the dryer.

Could you use velcro to attach the vinyl to the back? The back could be removed to wash and dry the quilt and the vinyl could be wiped down with a clean cloth.

I think using a plastic sheet on the ground first is the perfect solution. Then the quilt can be washed as needed.

I like the idea of using black for the backing so stains don't show. My dd wants a "fireworks" quilt to sit on when they go to fireworks, etc. Will watch this thread to see what everyone has to say about using vinyl, etc to make it damp resistant.

Am I the only one who's thinking " why would you take a quilt camping if you KNEW it was going to get dirty?" ???

Vinyl will also need to be dried completely when put away.. or take a chance of it molding. I my self use a quilt at the lake all the time to lay on the beach, BUT ours is double sided..and only a very thin batting inside. It dries very fast and the sand just shakes off. Vinyl will also make it feel hotter...as it holds the heat in.

When you give him the quilt why don't you also give him the vinyl that fits under it. You can even put velcro stips on each corner and a few places along the border to hold them together while on the ground. When it needs washing you can simply remove the vinyl and wash the separtely. I agree that if you quilt the vinyl it'll have needle holes in it and the new owner may not think about the moisture that could have gotten in it and fold it up and the next time he used it there could be mold. Plus if you wash it the way you talked about making it you risk the chance of the vinyl tearing at the seams plus it would be hard to know if it was dry all the way thru. Just a thought from me.

I think I would just spread a vinyl/flannel backed tablecloth down to put it on.

I think the quilt is a wonderful idea. But make it with a denim back. I don't see how a man who "doesn't think much" about how to take care of the quilt will be able to follow difficult directions for washing it. I also think the Velcro thing is a wonderful idea. That way he would have less to worry about, and his quilt would stay dry longer. Put a few Velcro spots in the middle also.

I actually own this type of thing that was given to me by a company as a free gift. It isn't a full-sized quilt, but pretty big and rolls up into a tight roll then has a strap attached for carrying like a bedroll. I keep it in my car with the tire changing stuff but will dig it out and see what the quilting on it is like. The backing is more like naugahyde than vinyl and I don't think there's any batting inside.

Here's a thought - how about making the quilt top & quilting it & then add the vinyl backing, sewing just around the outside edge. That way you wouldn't end up with tiny holes thru the vinyl that would let moisture in & may eventually ruin your quilt. I like your thought best though about giving him a larger piece of vinyl to put on the ground BEFORE he lays the quilt down.

You can get those flannel backed table cloths that are in the picnic isle at joanns and use that as your backing. it really works great. and you can just lay it on the ground and still wash it.
vinyl might be to bulky,

Don't know if you could use this idea, but the ladies made a rain coat out of a shower curtain.
sewitalltv.com/episodes/series_200/episode_210.html

Rethink this a moment any type of plastic will be difficult to clean, why not try a nylon raincoat fabric of some type. Actually my mom left me a lot of that type of fabric however limited color choices. Easy to clean resists water.

Hancock Fabrics has some vinyl coated fabric for raincoats in colorful prints. I think it's 60" wide. That would work for the back of the quilt and it's obviously meant to be sewn. I have used a WalMart soft vinyl shower curtain to line make up bags I make. It is harder to sew with. I found that it helped to use a foot made for vinyl or leather and a stretch needle and stretch stitch selection on the machine. Good luck! If you do make one with a vinyl back, please show it to us when completed.

I have started a project just like this. I have a small picnic blanket that I was trying to duplicate but in a bigger size and make it look like a quilt on top. Picnic blankets have nylon on the bottom, which is much more managable and easier to wash than vinyl. The trick is to not have that much quilting on the bottom because as others have said, the wholes from the needle and thread going through will let water and dirt into the middle of the quilt. There are two ways to go about doing it:

If you want just a simple grid spaced quite large: Pick a pattern for the pieced top that will allow this. The last border of the quilt should be made with the nylon. Then add the batting (also have to find one that will allow minimal quilting) and use the nylon for the back. Quilt with a simple grid or something so that you won't have too many wholes in the back. Use the nylon for the border also.

If you want more quilting: Make any quilt top you want again using nylon for the last border. Then sandwich as usual using a thin batting and a basic muslin or something for the back (it will not show). Quilt everything however you want except the outside nylon border. Do not quilt that part. Then add a second bottom of the nylon. The first muslin bottom is only there to help quilt it. Now if you have a relatively small quilt, you simply add the border on and that is what holds it all together. That way there are no wholes (other than around the very edge) for water to get in. Yes the nylon is not quilted to it but if it is small then it won't really be a problem. I have seen many done like this. If it is a larger quilt (something more than lap quilt size), then re-quilt the whole thing (top, batting, muslin, nylon) but only with a basic grid or something and very very far apart, 1 -1.5 foot grid spacing is plenty. It works best to plan this out ahead of time so it doesn't look funny. You can quilt on top of quilt lines you already did or add more in. Whatever you want. And it doesn't even have to be a grid. It can be a few small stiches here and there just to hold the nylon to the bottom.

If you don't have too much quilting going through the nylon and you plan on using it on the ground mostly in grassy or dry areas then you can use it just like that. But if you really want to make sure it is waterproof you can spray the bottom with waterproofing stuff (can't think of what it is called at the moment). It is the same stuff you can spray on coats to make them waterproof. Places like Cabellas's or Sportsman's Wharehouse have it and I think Walmart too in the outdoor/camping area.

Hopefully that made sense. I have seen it done and it really works well. Good luck!

Forgot to say I have seen the nylon at Joann Fabrics. I believe they called it Sport nylon. They also sell ripstop nylon but that is so thin that it would not hold up long. The Sport nylon is still thin but quite sturdy.

I was at Joann's yesterday looking for fabric to make bibs waterproof. I asked about the clear vinyl. The lady showed me fabric she called PUL (don't remember what it stands for). She said it was fabric people use to make diaper covers for cloth diapers. She said it's waterproof. Don't know if it would work for quilting but you could buy a small piece and try it before you make a big project.

Last summer I found a link to somewhere that had a "picnic" quilt. I haven't made one yet, but it is on my list. The lady made the quilt and then attached snap to it. The other half of the snap she attached to a vinyl/flannel backed table cloth. That way the bottom was protected from the ground with the vinyl and the flannel side was against the quilt. When she wanted to wash the quilt she just unsnapped all the snaps and threw the quil in the washer.

How about printing up a washing instruction and/or use sheet and including it in with the quilt..???

I have the same type of blanket which came with my Chevy Venture years ago (car's long gone, still use the blanket for outdoor concerts, etc.) The backing is more like a heavy ripstop nylon than a stiff vinyl - very pliable and foldable. The front is a fleecy fabric. It's not really quilted but just a few lines of stitching to anchor the front to the backing, bound (with the nylon) around the edges, velcro straps for rolling it up and and handles for carrying. Works great. Washes in the machine. I haven't tried putting it in the dryer, just hanging to dry. I'd much rather use this than a quilt I spent a lot of time on.

This old Girl Scout recommends getting a camper's "ground cloth" or one of the new foam pads from a sporting goods company, if the intended use is to put under a bed. If he needs a camping quilt for other purposes, it should be a utility style, one that can take rough handling. There is sturdy camouflage material available, (some water resistant) that might be suitable for the purpose.

I would worry about it taking forever to dry when you wash it and then maybe getting mildewed. With a vinyl backing, all the drying would have to happen from the front.

I would use denim for the backing. Then I would add some snaps around the border to attach the vinyl backing. Include a note on how to care for the quilt.

This is what I would do - that or some Velcro strips.