i love using fleece and minky on the backs of quilts! and i have machine quilted a couple dozen of them without any problems (with a long-arm) nothing stretched out of shape and the people who get them love them! just make sure you prewash the cottons used in the top...the fleece does not shrink. i did use batting in mine, i like them fluffy and soft, but lots of people do not bother with the batting, i guess it depends on where you live.