Upholstery fabric
 

I want to use a rather lightweight upholstery fabric as background for a design. My plan (for a challenge) is to make a pillow with an animal on it. I am using a design from a purchased pattern that was pieced. Can I piece it using the upholstery fabric as the background or must I applique the animal? I washed an extra piece of the upholstery fabric and it shrunk considerably and the edges did fray somewhat if that makes a difference. I don't usually prewash but I will if I must. Do I need to wash the animal pieces as well.
TIA

Since I never did this, I don't really have an answer, other than the usual 'your quilt, your choice'.

my feeling is that if it won't stand up to washing, i'm not using it. same goes for ironing... i wanted to use some 'perfect' fabric for my challenge, but it melted even on a low setting :( it's in the trash now.

If the upholstery fabric is cotton, it will wash but as you've discovered shrink considerably. Any cotton fabric will fray so unless the fraying is excessive, I wouldn't worry too much about that. As to piecing the background, you'd have to try it. I'd think that it would be doable but upholstery fabric is somewhat heavier than regular quilting weight cotton and you might have problems with the seams being awfully bulky. I've never done it so I really don't know. My guess would be that you would be better off to applique the animal onto the upholstery fabric rather than trying to piece it, but, again I've never done it so don't know that for a fact.

I pieced a pattern of cotton canvas onto a circular chair--it worked fine, but the seams are bulkier. I would recommend using a 1/2" seam due to fraying and you can then trim one side of the seam allow to get the seam to lay flatter (like you do with clothing construction).

I have used a thick tablecloth fabric many times for embroidery projects as well as quilted projects. Yes, they do fray a bit but love how the fabric drapes so nicely and feels.