Hey, TeresaS, you are not weird, but that's why we have soap and hot dryers!

LOL, I've got a sanitize cycle on my washer. By the time a sheet goes thru that, just about anything could have happened to it and been killed off.

I purchased an entire bolt of backer fabric from Marshall's. It has become the back of 4 different quilts that all has one fabric of a similar color on the top! I am lucky enough to live in Batesville, so I have to be very careful not to make too many trips to Marshall's! The backer fabric is excellent. They carry lots of lovely fabrics that are of excellent quality for quilts.

I haven't used the wide backing, but have shopped at Marshall's for many years and never been disappointed with anything I've bought.

Chuckle, chuckle, maybe she carries her sheets with her. I suppose some people do that. Then again, some people never actually sleep in a hotel/motel.

I've ordered the extra wide backing from Marshalls many times. I was ordering one at a time "just as I needed it" and was paying about $10. for shipping. Then I decided to get smart about the shipping so I now order 5 different colors at a time and I'm paying abut $12.00 for shipping all of them together. I don't mind having extra ones on hand as I make a LOT of quilts and quilt them myself. I've had no problem at all except how they are wrapped on a bolt and yes I have had that same problem when buying from my local quilt shop. She will not order anything of color in the wide backings, just white and cream and I get tired of that so I went to Marshalls and love them.

I have not used sheets, but I just want to weigh in on this discussion to point out that if you ever stay in a hospital or hotel you are definitely going to be using sheets that others have used. A little bleach takes away any and all of the "ickiness" factor. To further illustrate, remember diaper services? They launder an even more intimate item and pass it around to babies all over town, and it's not the least bit "icky". People who recycle used items, including sheets, should not be made to feel bad about this earth friendly and budget friendly choice.

My main concern would be that modern day sheets have not always held up particularly well, and it would be a shame to have one give out prematurely on a quilt that someone spent many hours creating.

Yeah, I have a horror story about using sheets in a quilt... long story short, first trip thru the wash, it shredded. Not good. I buy bolts of Moda muslin when they're on sale & use it. There are several places who sell wide backings. Try Googling it.

I've ordered from them, too, & always been pleased. I always use muslin on my repros... I'm weird, I know... LOL!

That's another reason I like Moda muslin for my backings... once it's been washed, it's soft & snuggly when I pull the sheets up over my head (yes, I sleep with just my nose poking out of the sheet... I'm weird, rememebera? LOL!).