repairing denim quilt - - question
 

Hi guys! My brother in law has a quilt that his grandmother made for him in 2000. This is pieced with squares of old blue jeans. Just square 5 x 5 or so. The backing was flannel. Last year the backing started to wear out and now my sister said the backing has really bad holes in it. I am going to put a new backing on for her. They want to use flannel again for the backing to match as much as possible what grandma used. Which is fine. My question is, does the denim wear hard on the flannel? could that be what caused this to wear out so quick? (I know 15 years is a long time, but many quilts last much longer) There is no batting so its just the flannel against the denim. What do you guys think? (I am just wondering if when I replace this if the same thing will happen) If so, is there a way to slow down the wearing on the flannel?

That's a very good question. It stands to reason that the flannel would wear more quickly, especially along the seams. Flannel is a much softer fabric. I wonder if you could put a layer of muslin between the top and new back and if it would make a difference. Was this quilt tied or quilted in some way as well or was it just birthed? If it was NOT, I would be tempted to at least tie it, to keep the the fabrics rubbing together, to a minimum.

I am not sure if this was quilted or tied. I am going to pick the quilt up tonight.. so then I will get a good look at it. I never thought about muslin. That is usually not as expensive as fabric and would put a barrier in between without too much extra bulk. I am afraid batting will be too much with the denim... I am going to start to investigate muslin before I do any work..... thank you

Denim wears forever; consider how long blue jeans last! Blue jeans out of flannel would wear much faster (especially in the seat and along stress seams).

I would be tempted to simply add another flannel backing to the existing backing. It would be easier than picking the quilt apart, and what is left of the current flannel would provide a buffer between the denim and the new flannel. I would definitely pre-shrink the new flannel several times to get the weave as tight as it can go.

I would check with the owner before substituting quilting cotton for the flannel backing as they may have a strong preference for the flannel.

I agree with prism. I would leave the old flannel in there as a buffer. Good luck. It sounds as though your brother-in-law treasures his quilt. Just what we all want for our quilts!

thank you for your replies... yes grandma is gone so the quilt is sentimental. Won't even let the kids use it for TV any more :) He wanted flannel that looked as close to what his grandma used as we could find. do you mean just normal wash? or should I use a technique that will make this happen better? The quilt is 80" x 80" and my flannel is 105" x 105" so I am not too concerned about shrinkage

A cold water wash is sufficient. Most shrinkage takes place in the dryer (heat applied to damp fabric). A few flannels don't shrink, but most shrink a lot. I would wash and dry at least twice to get the most shrinkage possible.

thank you! I will be doing that

I made a blue jean quilt about 15 - 20 years ago. No Batting. I used a flannel sheet that i got at the thrift store as a backing. The quilt was tied. It is still good as new. I carry it in the trunk of my car every winter (just in case).
I agree with everyone, just add a new backing, and leave the existing backing where it is.