I like muslin but I buy the Moda online. I find the stuff from other places can be really cheap and I am concerned about the quality. Even Moda has different types. I use it very occasionally for backing but often on the front to tie it all together or if I need a plain background. I am not big on the white with the little plastic white print on it and preffer to use muslin instead.

i use it all the time myself and have had no trouble with it.i guess it might be the type of brand the stores or shop carry

The downside to CHEAP muslin is that it horrible. Loosely woven, nasty to work with, lots of shrinkage. And it is 44" wide.

Now, GOOD muslin, and I use the Kona muslin, is as tightly woven as a good batik, and wonderful to work with. 108" wide and at $12.99 a yard at Joann with a 40% coupon, a good deal.

Some muslins are thin and may wear down faster because of that. And, with muslin, you get a solid color which may not be as exciting as some other backings. You will see every quilting stitch which may not be a good thing for inexperienced quilters. Neither one of these are really bad though.

I don't use muslin except for foundations in foundation piecing. I don't use it for backs or tops. Why? No offense, but there are soooo many yummy fabrics on the market and I find muslin boring. I guess I like the patterns, colors and choices and wouldn't be happy with plain:>

I have used the "super Muslin" sold at Walmart. I really like working with this because it holds its shape so well and is a nice color to offset pinks and browns (which I have been doing recently). But I notice that it is very difficult to hand sew but just the greatest for free motion quilting (no puckers). I will try what some of you call the "permanent press" or "quilters muslin". Sounds like a better weight to match the other cotton fabrics used in most quilts.

I had a nice surprise when I used it on my first "free motion" quilt. When I turned it over to the muslin backing, the pattern that was created over the whole quilt was so pretty! when I threw the finished quilt back into the washer and dryer, the finished product looked like an antique quilt with all the little puffs that emphasize the design.

Try it, you'll like it.

I have a boatload I bought on sale one time, for backing table runners and smaller projects, etc.
No complaints here. It is unbleached,...wonder if it would dye well?

Just a quick question for the experts...what is the difference between what is labelled as Kona cotton and Kona muslin...are they labelled differently?

I love muslin! I buy it by the bolt. Bleached and unbleached. Not only for my quilts,but I use it for hand embroidery.

I love muslin for lots of things. I always buy the more expensive muslin at JoAnn's and usually get the extra wide so I can use it for quilt backs if I want to. Look at the thread count and get the higher thread count. I use both the unbleached and bleached muslin, depending on what I'm doing.

Better grade muslin is wonderful for red work and other embroidery projects. If you do crayon fabric tinting, it is absolutely the best.

Watch out for both quilt police and fabric snobs! Both can wreak havoc if you pay too much attention to them.