candlequilter

Here is a boston common quilt that I did this week and thought I would use minkie for the backing. While minkie is soft and very delightful to feel I will never use it for quilt backing again especially on my longarm. As you can see I have extra puff in my quilt. I had wanted some puff but this puff is a little to much. On the longarm I secure the backing to stabilize it so that I don't get any wrinkles, well with the minkie it is quite stretchy so in order to secure it stretches some. When I took the quilt off the longarm the whole thing was drawn up creating the extra puff. Plus when I wanted to put the binding on I had to undo all the sewing around the outside edge that I did as part of the longarming and smooth everything out as much as possible pin and then hand baste before I finally was able to sew on my binding. Alot of extra work and not all that happy with the final effects. Has anyone else tried minkie and do you have any secrets to share that might have helped?

Thanks,
Sherryl
Candlequilter

rosemaynes

Hi Sherryl,
I have a longarm (Gammill Statler) and I use and have customers use Minkee on the back all the time. The trick to using it is to not stretch, or pull taught like you would with a cotton back. What I do is load the minkee on the regular way but then when I start to roll it up then I stop once it is flat and not pulled. Then I do the batting and then the top. Some of my customers don't even use batting and I have one customer that once she found out that I can do minkee.... she has never used a cotton backing since.
The trick if you even want to call it that is not to pull it.
I have even done minkee on the top with minkee on the back, that works the same way.
Rose

candlequilter

Thanks Rose - I really didn't think that I was pulling it taunt. I was just trying to get it to lay flat, but I must have over done it. People had told me to be careful doing it because it will shift or move on me if I didn't have it secure and I sure didn't want creases or wrinkles in the back. I use batting with it because I wanted a fairly heavy or warm quilt. I might have to give it another try at some point in time but not to soon. :-D

Thanks,
Sherryl

ckcowl

i also have used minkee many times for quilt backs- with my long-arm--my granddaughters call them the (get-naked blankies)
it does take a little (practice/experience) using fabrics different from the cottons you are used to...especially poly knits...that stretch. with the minkee it is important to smooth it but not stretch it- and if a batt is used one that allows the most distance between quilting (or flannel) is a good choice- the less quilting done on the quilt the less chance of stretching anything out of shape- but i have quilted fairly heavily without problems-
just remember- smoothed not stretched. and one direction stretches more than the other direction- sometimes (if possible) if you can load it with the stretch going (across) instead of the length- you are less apt to stretch when rolling the fabric on the bars

quilticing

I load the Minkie with the stretch going sideways. That way I'm less likely to have the rollers too taught. I also use small, lightweight clamps on the sides (which I made myself).