Why do people make quilts with flannel?
 

I know flannel is soft and cozy and I use it for jammie pants, but quilts? It pills, it is a lint magnet in the wash, and it's more loosely woven than quilters cottons, which means it will wear out faster. Just wondering what the appeal is, especially when cotton quilts are already cuddly and cozy.

because flannel makes a cozy snuggly quilt as well

Because people gave me flannel scraps.......

Good reason!

100% usually doesn't pill. they make great raggy quilts, they feel warmer. and people like it for backings on baby quilts. I made one coz I got it on sale at 1.00/yd.

I have my first D9P quilt which is made from flannel - I've had it for at least 7 years and I use it a lot - when I watch tv as it's a lap quilt. No pilling, no attracting fluff/lint - I love it.
I made a flannel quilt for my granddaughter before Christmas as she always grabs mine when she's here.

personal taste.....

Use good quality flannel that doesn't pill.... it is my very favourite backing for a cuddle quilt...

Some of us live in the North country and need a extra warm quilt......:D:D

i'm using flannel on the back of my current baby quilt because it has the print/design that's perfect

I use flannel because it is warm and soft. When I get the flannel home I wash it in warm water and dry it in a medium dryer. (No one I know uses hot water to wash anymore even for baby clothes.) If the flannel doesn't perform well with my washing then I don't use it in a quilt. But I buy good quality flannel and I have seen my quilts 10 years and older still being used. I make quilts to be used - and if they wear out, so be it. I can make more.

quality flannel doesn't pill, it is very soft when it washes though

I use flannel because I love it--warm and soft and cuddly. I still have a flannel quilt that my great-grandmother made for me nearly fifty years ago.

I use flannel backing on 99% of the quilts I make. My family loves the soft and cuddly warmth you get with flannel. The few quilts I made with 100% cotton are seldom used. So far, the quilts with flannel backing have held up well to repeated washing and drying with very little pilling.

We have 4 cats in our home and cat fur and lint is a fact of life here. LOL!! I recently made my DGD a quilt with Kona cotton in red. The red cotton picked up more cat fur than the flannel.

Pricing is everything. Well, not everything, but when you need a good deal.

I made a quilt with a flannel back for my husband because I knew he'd like the softness and extra warmth. As others have mentioned, the quality of the flannel is important. Mine hasn't pilled yet, but I don't wash it often. Lint has not been a problem either.

It was a little harder to work with, because it's more stretchy, or maybe I didn't smooth it out well when I was making my sandwich. When I was quilting it (stitch in the ditch) it would sometimes fold over when crossing another seam line, and I wouldn't realize this until I was done with the seam and then had to redo it. I learned that I had to hold the quilt a little taut while I sewed.

I prefer regular cotton fabric backing for myself. I don't mind flannel shirts, but for some reason I don't like to have flannel sheets/blankets touching me.

I've used Lots of flannel, for backings, in tops, for appliques, for raggy quilts, flannel is a favorite! I've not had ( pilling) problems - I use good quality, double sided flannels- not single sided, thin, loosely woven. Flannel is a wonderful, warm cozy quilting cotton!

None of my cotton quilts are as cuddly and cozy as my flannel quilt. When I am really cold, it is the quilt I look for.

A good quality flannel does not do the things you have mentioned-cheap flannel does. I have used flannel on the back of a couple of quilts. I do prewash it twice in hot water before I incorporate it into a quilt because it does shrink more than regular quilting cotton. I used black on one quilt and did not have dye migration either.

Sounds like what most of you are saying is that the better quality flannels are less problematic. There's so much of it being made, I knew it had to be popular.

Yes, quality does count. You buy cheap flannel and it will pill but the better quality flannel doesn't. Being disable, I hardly ever use flannel on the backing because I am weary of it stretching on me when I quilt it.

Good quality flannel doesn't pill. It's very soft and cozy and makes wonderful lap quilts.

Flannel is not my cup of tea to work with but everyone has their own tastes in fabric. I've seen some beautiful quilts from flannel and know it takes some expertise to work with flannel.

Yes, GOOD flannel is a thing of beauty - I love a good hearty thick flannel. NOT the thin, pilly stuff!!

Growing up, almost all of the quilts I had made by my maternal grandmother were flannel-backed, so for me it feels like that's what you're "supposed" to use. I don't always, but probably about a third or more of my quilts have had flannel backing, and a couple have flannel tops too.

Some of the best flannel I've bought has come from Connecting Threads, btw. Thick, dense, & durable. Love it.

The only thing warmer than a flannel quilt is one backed with fleece. And, no matter how nice and warm the house usually is, when it is -40 outside, you appreciate warm blankets.

I have backed most of my quilts with flannel. It is always my choice if possible. The one I use on my bed has not pilled and doesn't attract cat hair anymore than the cotton sheets or top. Another great reason is that it doesn't slide off of the bed as easily and is always warm and cuddly.

I use good flannel all the time. I certainly pre-wash. My warmest quilt is flannel both front and back with fleece as the batting. It's really warm and gets better as I wash. I was concerned before I did my first flannel quilt and now I done't want to use anything else for at least the backings.

I bought 4 yards of a flannel with a cardinal print I loved. I didn't want to cut it up though, so it sat on the shelf for awhile. Then I got the bright idea to use the fat quarters and other flannels I had, and cut them in to brick size, and then pieced them together for the quilt, and used my cardinal flannel for the backing. This was before I really knew what was what, and I probably didn't pre-wash. I got lucky! This flannel quilt is the go-to quilt in the family room. If I cover up with this quilt, the cat joins me. I am really warm and comfy then!

Better quality flannel does not pill or pills only in certain colors. It is soft, and warm and it's ok if it doesn't last as long. My sister's flannel backed scrap quilt is only now just wearing out after 8 years, and used year around. It's been washed in the washing machine and put in the dryer on the average of twice a month. I tied this quilt, so I can clip all the ties and reback it, but 8 years is really a good time for something to last. My quilt, completed and tied at the same time, will probably last another 10 since it is only washed twice each year and put away in the summer.

I do have a couple of flannel quilts (once bed sized, a couple couch sized) that are flannel on both sides. Neither shows any pilling after some years of light use. But, both had high end quilt shop flannel. The baby quilt I made for my cousin's daughter only pills in one of the colors and that is minimal. She's 9 now and it gets regular use, although less washing today than when she was a toddler.

I like the soft cuddly feel of flannel. I also like using fleece for backings.

Thank you for all these good answers. Hadn't considered that a flannel backing helps a quilt not to slide around on the bed, and end up on the floor! Awesome.

I agree that there are some flannels that are thin and pill....but i have found the newer flannels are very well behaved fabrics....and i think that make great drag around kid quilts. I just made a new one for my niece last year....the one i made her 12 years earlier had finally worn down to a handkerchief size.

My first quilt is made of flannel. I made it for my granddaughter when she was born. She is turning 12. She still uses the quilt. It has been washed many many times over the years. It is still cozy. No pilling. I made a quilt from flannel and chenille for her younger brother. He is 7. Quilt still in great shape and he still loves it.

Flannel backs on lap/wheelchair quilts keep them from slipping off the lap too.

Excellent point!

If you are going to make a flannel quilt you need to use good quality flannel. Then they are soft and cozy and just get better and better with each washing. We have a flannel quilt that was made by my husbands aunt about 20 years ago. It is my favorite and my little 5 pound Chi's (Josie Marie) favorite nap blanket. It is so soft and cozy. Once, when our favorite blanket was in the wash I took my nap with a different quilt. Josie Marie was not happy and spent about 10 minutes trying to get comfortable and then gave up and took her nap in her little heated bed instead.

One of my favs is Walmart flannel. I liked the happy penguins in Santa hats on it! It's been the family favorite for years. Never pilled. But after 10 years of heavy use and frequent washing, it's starting to wear. But I love it, so I'm starting to repair!

I like flannel back quilts for my bed because DH and I move a lot in our sleep, and the flannel keeps it on the bed! The only others I put flannel on are for babies, or by request for adults.

I use flannel for backing summer quilts, thus avoiding batting. Quality does matter and I get mine at my LQS.

I buy flannel sheets on sale - not from walmart or the like - then wash them twice before using. They make great backings. If a sheet set seems to fuzz more than I'd like to see, I wash the pillowcases a few extra times to see how they stand up to more washing and drying. So far, I have not been disappointed.