Latrinka

I've used flannel from walmart, joanns, hancock, the lqs, can't see or feel a bit of difference in any of it! Even after washing. I don't prewash anything and have never had a problem. I've used flannel for rag quilts, backing a quilt, and have even used it in place of batting, making more like a nice blanket.

coopah

When I back with flannel, I do prewash and it is usually for a baby. So I don't use batting, as the flannel provides the warmth, and the moms like being able to throw it in the washer/dryer and not worrying about it being too heavy to go through the spin cycle. Some new washing machines can't handle the extra weight of batting. I know as I have one that won't handle anything heavy. Didn't know that when I bought it. I think you can add batting or not, depending on your preference.

mythreesuns

I have used flannel from Joanns (not the real pricey stuff) and WalMart also.. no issues here at all. I do not prewash my fabrics ever. I have used them in between as batting and as backing. Most of my quilts are 100 X 100 or 110 x 110.

solstice3

I have bought quilter's flannel from Joann's in the past and it was OK. I also bought flannel from Hancock fabric on line. It worked out great. I used the flannel from Joann's for a full size quilt where you keep the seams on the outside to fray. BUT it isn't fraying very well so I guess that is good fabric. The Hancock fabric I used for baby quilts so I only bought the kind that is flame retardant...they turned out nicely. Didn't wash any of the flannel beforehand.

Tammi M

If you like batik fabrics, try looking at what is offered at SewBatik.com. I have purchased a lot of fabric from them, as I love batiks, and they carry batik flannels that are very soft and heavy. Their flannel runs at 106" so it is also good for backings.

ckcowl

my favorite flannels- and i use alot of flannels- are
Benartex double sided flannel and Moda woolies flannels.
i love the heavy-double sided flannel- seldom waste my money on thin single sided flannel.
it depends on what i am doing if i pre-wash or not-
if making a raggy quilt i do not prewash-
if piecing- sometimes i do, usually if using dark colors (reds/blues/blacks) that i think may run a bit-
but more times than not i do not prewash my flannels.
always use a sharp-new blade in your rotory cutter & a new-sharp needle in your sewing machine- if i have to cut small pieces- or long narrow strips i will starch & press before cutting- but generally just a spritz of water is enough when pressing flannels.
*i am one of those-never put water in my iron- i keep a spray bottle of water on the end of my ironing board to spritz when needed*
i've been sewing with flannels for 40+ years-
i do agree with the comment about flannels from (certain stores) the thinner- and single sided flannels tend to (pill- get little bumps all over the surface) after being laundered- and they do not tend to hold up as well as a good quality double sided flannel.
flannels are a looser weave than regular cottons- and do shrink more than other cottons- but batting and quilting does also contribute to the shrinkage outcome of a quilt.

Lucy90

I love flannel and buy Woolies. I also have bought from Connecting Threads. I do not prewash my flannel or any fabric. Flannel shrinks but makes the quilt look cozy and it is soft. Use it for backing also.

Highmtn

I have made MANY flannel quilts. I never buy flannel anywhere BUT a quilt store, and even then I give it a good "caress" to make sure it's thick and well made. I've even walked away from some very pretty flannels I've "felt" in quilt stores. I want something that's going to survive many washings and it won't hold up well IMO if it has that cheese cloth feel. On all my family "snuggle" quilts I put flannel backing on, and my hub's quilt is flannel top and backing.

I prewash the flannels just like other fabrics and then iron them. Some tends to have a lot of shrinkage, and some doesn't. So.. I'd rather get that out of the way PRIOR to making a quilt. It IS personal preference, but what I get out of my lint sleeve in the dryer does not belong in my machine....lol Flannel can be cranky and some has a tendency to stretch. So.. a walking foot is your best friend when making a flannel quilt. Not sewing the top, but constructing the final product.

Several years ago I walked into a LQS and on their 50% off rack I saw a 1/2 bolt of very bizarre flannel. It was taupe with a black wavy grid on it. I would imagine it made some people visually nuts using it, but my family is HEAVY on the testosterone side.. I have ALL grandsons .... and I knew it would be great for guy quilts. When I felt that flannel I was surprised at how THICK it was! I bought the remainder of the bolt, and it has been on the back of 3 quilts and used as a binding on my hubby's project. My hubby's 100% flannel quilt is 5 years old this winter. He uses it every night watching TV because he gets cold easy, and it hits the washer every few months. When I bound it with the same flannel as the backing I sewed it to the back, and machine stitched it down on the front as I knew this quilt would be used hard. That quilt is still in gorgeous shape today! I owe this to having found HEAVY well made flannel.

Good luck...and if you're really not sure make a couple smaller projects and get the feel for how flannel behaves. Also, when sewing with flannel I don't pick out a real intricate pattern. If you get to making something with a big center seam intersection like a star I think the thickness of the flannel would make that a PITB to deal with....LOL

Amythyst02

I did this flannel rag quilt in Dec for my granddaughter and I bought the flannel at Hobby Lobby. I am going to attempt to attach a picture of it. So lets see how this goes.[ATTACH=CONFIG]321462[/ATTACH]Well I am impressed, first picture to post and I actually got it to work. Its kinda big but at least you can see it.

wolph33

I have used flannel in quilting and have never prewashed-and never have had a problem.Mine never shrank more than the cotton woven on the other side or the cotton batting inside-but I use better flannel.