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Its a good thing there are no Quilt Police they'd probably give me a Life Sentence because I've used a lot of sheets thru the years - for the family members who live in OK and Tx a couple flannel sheets for batting works better than even the thinnest batting.The most I've ever spent on cotton sheets was 2.99 because it was a brand new set w/pillow cases still in the package - cotton sheets are getting harder to find so when I find them I grab them they won't go to waste around here
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Some LAQ will refuse to quilt with them, as certain long arm machines have problem with the tight weave.
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Originally Posted by QuiltnLady1
(Post 4774979)
I have used quilts for sheets and they were fine. My first large bed sized quilt (in the late 1870's) was a king size with a lovely blue green scene of water and palm trees --
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I have been using bed sheets since I started quilting and have had no problems using bed sheets for backing no matter what the thread count is. I do have a few problems when the needle gets dull just have to change the needle.
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I have a customer or two who use sheets for their backings. Quilting by machine, I have not had a problem with them. In my opinion, the thinner sheets washed a couple of times work wonderful for backings. However, I don't believe I would use them for a quilt that might be entered in the show.
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My DD and I use them all of the time as quilt backings. But we do FMQ not hand quilting. I like to buy mine at the thrift stores and look for ones that are of good quality have a good "feel" or hand to them and are not worn out. Most of them have some poly content but that does not bother us as the quilts are meant to be well used.
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I would think a sheet would hold up better than fabric BECAUSE it is more tightly woven. It's certainly a way to shave some of the cost of making a quilt. I bought 4 yds this weekend for my first backing - thank goodness I was able to get it in the clearance room for half price.
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okay, here's why i DO use sheets on the back of my quilts. (customers don't want them and i don't argue, but i use them on my projects.) i always knew that the back of quilts was the best looking...the first thing quilters do is to flip to the back to see how the stitches look... hand or machine, they all showed up best on the back. Of course, when i was young the majority of quilts were finished with muslin, bleached or unbleached, on the back. then, one day, i finally realized, 'path of least resistance'..... the muslin looks better and shows all the quilt designs beautifully, better than the front. because it is SOFTER....... so, nowadays, i put sheets on the back because they are NOT softer...so the front is and that's what shows off the quilting..... i know that some people love the blocks, pieced or applique, and i do, too....but the icing on the cake for me is to have just the right quilting to set off what the quilter has already done.... that firm fabric on the back makes the quilt stitches show off best on the front. Now, believe me, i'm buying the sheets on sale, and not the hard surfaced 'thousand count' things....i don't even like to sleep on those things... but the fabric is still firmer than the cotton tops..... try one firm (not hard) sheet on the back and check out the way the quilting looks on the front....
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Originally Posted by QuiltNama
(Post 4774850)
I use sheets all the time but do not hand quilt (way too hard to push needle through). I search out good sheets from the goodwill, salvation army, yard sales, etc., wash them up and trim all salvages, top & bottom hems and keep for using on my LA. If I find good flat sheets on sale in my local stores, make sure the are around 200 thread count as those don't pill as often as some in lower thread count. Your quilt...your way...
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I have used sheets for backing; 100% cotton 200 count. They worked fine. But I hear that some long-arm quilters do not accept sheet backing. They complain of thread breakage.
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