This might be silly, But does any one use
 

100% cotton sheets for your backing of your quilts. I see a lot of you use old comfy shirts for some of your blocks. So would using a sheet work to. I was talking to a friend and her mom used to buy sheets from yard sales and use them. She also said her dad was worried that mom would start taking the sheets off the bed while he was in it and use them. hehehehehe. Sounds like something I would do. I'm just wondering if it would work and if any one has used them before?

At the moment I'm handquilting a sampler with a backing from a cotton bedsheet.
This is the first time I use a sheet for backing, and it will be the last time. Since I choose this fabric, I learned that sheets are woven more densely then normal patchwork fabric, and therefore it's harder to quilt (by hand). However, I guess that's less important when you're a machine quilter. Also, the thread count on weft and wharp is often different in sheet's fabric, which makes (hand)quilting harder too.

If you do a search there are lots of threads on this, including a very recent one.

Sheets have varying thread counts. Some would probably be easier to work with than others.

I haven't used them but a lot of people do.

If I can get a needle though it I use it. Some say you shouldn't but I think that they say that because they've heard said. Of quilt shops and fabric dealers will tell you its a bad idea, I'm thinking it might be so they can sell more product. Quilters have been using whatever is on hand since the beginning.

Some ladies in my church quilting group do. I have not. I read one time that they can be difficult to hand quilt through. I do not know for sure, but prefer to get fabric that is actually made for backing.

As a professional longarm quilter, I have no problem with sheets being used for backings; however, I do recommend that low thread count sheets be used and that they be washed before quilting. Older sheets work perfectly.

What about the lower thread count sheets piling after awhile? How do you prevent that?

Also a longarm quilter and I use sheets all the time...both new and used. Love the ease of not having to piece fabric for the backing.