Minky Fabric Made Me Feel Inadequate
 

I fought the battle with Minky fabric yesterday and lost. I was making a tag blanket for my granddaughter, just 15 x 15. The front was four squares with her name monogrammed in the middle. I pinned the front/back together and started sewing. It was uneven and bunchy so I started trimming, even though it was even when I pinned it. When I finished the blanket the name was no linger centered, clearly an inch off.

By the time I stopped for dinner, I was feeling like I can't do this. My mother taught me to sew years ago, and she was a dressmaker, working from home. I used to sew when my kids were little, but put it aside for years. I've started back in the last year, thinking I was doing pretty well, until last night. What could I have done differently?

minky is a very stretchy fabric. basting it would have helped. some members have spray basted theirs. so sorry you had such a struggle with it

Left the Minky at the store. I made the mistake of trying to use Minky once. Once. What a terrible fabric. I'm still finding bits of fluff from it several years after it first came out.

I am terrified to use this stuff. I hear so many people struggle with sewing it that I don't even want to try and attempt it. Kudos to you for at least trying it.

I had good luck spray basting a stabalizer (could use thin paper/even iron on freezer paper) and stitching through the fabric and paper sandwich. Kept things from stretching. Then just tear it off. Linda

I am using it for the first time. It will be the last. Wonderfully soft but what a pain. Glad others have the same problem.

I use a walking foot and a tear away stablizer, but still love the fabric, not happy sewing with it.

And here I thought it wasa the cat's meowwwwwww .... and was thinking about buying some.

I have never used it, but had to post and tell you that the title of your thread practically made me spit my coffee on the computer! I laughed my head off! :D

I have considered buying Minky for backing. I'm abandoning that idea. Broadcloth for me.

I have never worked with Minky, but did read some information about sewing it. The suggestions were to pin, pin, pin, pin and to not try to use a 1/4 seam, rather 1/2 or larger. I love the bumps, but haven't seen any quilts that look polished and squared using Minky. Somehow, the tailored look of a pieced cotton top with Minky on the back doesn't "look" right to me. Maybe flannel top and Minky? That would be snuggily!

I did minky on the back of baby quilts and didn't have any problems. I do have a mid arm machine, and the top
was pieced in 100% cotton fabrics. I did use batting because I wanted it softer. I think the thing that probably
made yours difficult, is if you sewed 2 pieces of minky together. I think that stretch would be real hard to do well.
What if you sewed the Minky to a stabilizer? I think I will probably not sew Minky to Minky.

My sis in law and I have each made a Minky blanket, but probably never again. She fought with the first one on the regular machine, using lots of pins and spray basting. I loaded the second one on our longarm frame and put it together, kind of quilt-as-you-go style. I still needed to use the basting spray. Between the stretch and the nap, it was wanting to shift around way too much.

i have used minky often and love the way it turns out.. the easiets way to work with it is to iron on a very thin stabalizer to the back.. otherwise you pin like crazy.. have had great sucess with both methods! the stabalizer works the best ..
don't give up you can do it

The quilt gods must have smiled on me...I have used minkee twice - even bound a child's quilt in minkee and had no problem other than cutting it required a face mask. My quilting is very simple - usually hand stitch around a few motifs (very primitive stitching (looks like a child did it)) LOL....

i spray baste, pin and use a walking foot with minky...I also have the dust buster sitting next to me because that stuff is messy! so I can suck it up as soon as possible?

I had to laugh when I read the title to your post. The kids in my sewing class did a community service project over the holidays that entailed sewing blankets for kids using minky on one side and some other slippery than an eel fabric on the other side. I was the designated seam ripper goddess while they struggled with bunching and uneven borders. We finally found pinning profusely in sections, starting in the center of the fabric, worked wonders and ended up making 15 presentable blankets for donation. Now one of the girls is making a dress out a very slinky spun polyester and she made the comment that after that minky, this was going to be a piece of cake!!

I made a muff for an elderly woman. Her hands got cold when watching Tv. Used 4 blocks and minky for backing. Used walking foot and it still wasn't fun in this small a project. I, too felt less capable after trying to work with it. So affirming when you know someone else has had same problem.

So...wanna' hear my story? I purchased minky baby blanket kit for DGD. I never got around to making it so when DDIL got a sewing machine for Christmas she told me just to leave it with her and she'd make it. OK, no problem! LOL I had never sewn with it before so I really thought I was being nice; until I read this post.
(She did tell me that the fabric stretched a lot and that it's together but not perfect.) She probably hates me! LOL (DDIL is young and hasn't sewn much) I'll have to tell her she's not alone on the Minky fab! :)

i have put minky on 3 of my baby quilts but
i donot fmq. i take them to the lady in town.
tried it cant do it.

Amen!!! and what a mess it makes in your machine.

I sew with minkee and have no problem at all. I use a stretch stitch instead of a straight stitch for seaming blocks. What I have problems with is micro fleece. What a nightmare !

Hmmm....it's a little like my Alice-Cat...very soft, very cuddly, but with a bite. Thanks for the tips about stabilizing...I am about to embark on a minkee journey in the not too distant future.

I have had issue with minky too. I still have my minky backed quilt, all sandwiched and ready to pick up quilting again. The thing I found was the stretching I had under control it was my machine sewing through it without skipping stitches. On advice from here, I have picked up a ball needle and washaway stabilizer, now I have to convince myself to start again. I am worried if this does not work, what then. I have to remove the minky backing, which when I think of it should not be that difficult with all of the skipped stitches and have to back with something else. What a pain, but it does feel so nice to the touch. :)

I still have one more blanket to put together and will try the stabilizer. My DD suggested this to me because her 4 month old has a blanket made out of Minky and she loves it. I guess babies love the texture and the bumps. Unless I'm forced, I'll never use it again!

I just don't sew any thing like minky or double knit.

I have ony used it to make baby bibs. it was stretchy for sure. Maybe ditch the quilt idea and use your stash for bibs
or a donation.

To KSellers.....do you have your mid arm set on a frame? I really want to use the minky I purchased.

I use a walking foot and usually don't have any problems!

Minky is a challenge even for a competent sewer. I put the pieces in the dryer on air fluff to get rid of at least some of the fuzz because of the mess it makes on the machine. Use lots of pins........Good luck. N

Glad to hear other have a problem with Minky. I have a love hate relationship with it. I love how soft it is but hate cutting and sewing it. LOL

Oh dear, I am getting ready to use Minkee as a backing. At least I am forewarned!

I have used it for tag blankets too. I use a walking foot and have found this to be a life saver! Good luck!!

I used it once for backing on a toddler quilt. Did it as a turn inside out because was not going to bind those edges. From my experinece clothes sewing, I used a ball point needle with a stretch stitch and pinned and sewed slowly, making sure the edges matched all along. A lot of work.

Just finished putting Minky (at least a Minky knock-off from JoAnn's) on the back of a scrappy quilt for our family room. I used a spray adhesive (505), and layered it on my design board, which is basically batting mounted on a board on one wall of my sewing room. I had no trouble with it, I'm not sure if it's because of the spray adhesive, but it quilted up like a charm with no ripples at all. I also did a baby quilt for my grandson, layering it the same way, and had no problems. I hope I'm not making this sound like a "what's wrong with you?" type thing, because I'm trying to encourage you with trying other ways of layering. I think that's the key. Oh, and of course you would need to use a walking foot, but I'm sure you were already doing that. But I don't think there's any way around the fuzz everywhere!

I made a baby blanket 7 years ago and used Minky for the backing. I don't recall having any problems with it. I don't remember why? I was thinking of doing some more baby quilts with it on the back but now I am not sure. Several people in my quilt class which meets today have made quilts with minky as backing and as squares. I will ask them what they used . If it stretches so much I can't imagine how one would keep a square straight. So now you all have me curious and I am going to ask them. Our instructor made a huge queen size quilt with Minky as the back......I wonder what she did to keep it so straight. I'll let you all know what they say.

I made pj's for 8 grandkids a few years ago with the stuff, and I love and hate it. It was great for the kids, who also loved it, except for the one who sleeps "hot" and couldn't sleep in it. It can be a challenge, but worth it; I think.
Judy

Used Minky once, never again.

I once made a very small bear with Minky. I hated the material and I admire you for doing a quilt. I ended up sewing the bear by hand. Is this an option for you?