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Minkee Blankee as backing


smhowell

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Has anyone tried using Minkee Blankee for a backing for a baby blanket? I've used it for SID on a DSM and it worked fine with pin basting and a walking foot, but now I'm wanting to use it on my longarm. The stuff is really stretchy, like t-shirt knit.

I had considered loading the top as the backing, full floating the batting and backing with basting (possibly with dissolving thread) every 4" in both directions, then flipping it so it's on correctly (I have zippered leaders) to do the actual quilting.

Am I worried about nothing? Should I just load the sucker and see what happens? I'm really worried about tucks and pleats.

TIA,

Sharon

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I have quilted a few minkee quilts......usually with a solid fabric top and no batting - just the minkee backing. I pinned the minkee to the rollers using the selvedges for stabilization. The sides were just squared up.....

It quilted up beautifully!

On the same topic line......I have a customer quilt that has LQS quality brushed corduroy for a backing.....it goes on the frame next. My customer brought not-lqs quality flannel for the batting........

How does this quilt up? I don't have any idea......

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Ok, thanks. I'll try that; I wondered if it wouldn't work.

The quilt is my own, and is almost a solid top so it should work fine. (Solid top with borders and corners.) I meant it for a gift, but may take it to the quilt guild first, if it comes out ok.

Thanks much!

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  • 4 weeks later...

I wound up throwing the whole thing away, since the Mnkee stretched on me. I'm not sure what exactly was wrong...I suspect that my quilting design needed to be an all over panto, since I saw a minkee backed longarm quilted blanket yesterday that looked great. It was done with a medium meander, but I was trying a custom design.

Anyway, thank God it wasn't a customer's blanket...that's why I'm not going to offer services until I do 10 of my own to my specifications.

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My husband Bob has been the lucky one to do most of the Minkee coming in. He's done a few dozen. He asks that he have about 4.5 inches all around because it does have a tendancy to draw up. He says he has had no problem with the direction issue (stretchy) he has loaded both ways. He says having enough material is the key. If it comes too close, you will have problems. I have only quilted one and didn't have a problem.

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Sharon,

Go get the thing and frog it and start over....you need to have a bit more patience with minkie it does stretch, but if you do as Hester suggests by putting it on with the more stretch towards the sides, and clap the edges you shouldn't have to much trouble.... you will need to use a small bit of tension on the rollers (don't tighten it up tight), it does work.

Now custom work I'm not sure if this is an application I would use with minkie or polar fleece, but an all over design whether its a fancy one of just a plain stipple it does work. Have done many of polar fleece ones as either just backing or as two layers of fleece and a thin thin batting for camping...

Breath and start over....all isn't lost.

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I haven't done Minkee but I've put regular polar fleece on the back of a quilt. However, I stitched the top to the fleece all the way around first, then put it on the longarm. That way it couldn't stretch much. It worked fine and looked great. I did a panto on one and outlining the print on the other.

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Diane,

Of the two that I did with polar Fleece I used Thermo....its the thiniest batting made...its more for garment sewing, has no shrinkage....it was just a bit for stabilizing. Also I have seen several that were sandwiched with a heavy flannel that was washed and then inserted.

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I have quilted with minkie on the back without a problem, however, I have a customer quilt have tried 3 times to quilt. The machine kept skipping stitches. I don't know what to try next. I did buy a piece of minkie and flannel and am going to practice before I try the customer quilt again.

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I've done a number of adult throws with Minkee backs. The ones without batting came out good if I just did a simple horizontal stitch across the width. With batting I could do anything I wanted for a design. The one I did without batting that I tried to do swirls on did not come out so good.

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I've also used this as backing for baby quilts. It quilts beautifully. I pin to the leaders so any stretch goes side to side, not top to bottom. I don't put much pressure , but keep it just barely snug. Never have had a problem with it and my customers (and the babies) love it.

I made quilts for a friend's 3 girls as a gift when the 3rd baby was born. The quilt I made for the oldest (4 1/2 yrs. old) had minkee on the back, the others had flannel. The 2 yr. old and the 4 year old battle over the one with the minkee back. The baby doesn't care.:D I guess I learned a lesson with that. Just make them all minkee backs!

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I love using Minkee for backings-- it is luscious! I also pin selvage to leaders, and I always use a thin cotton bat (for fleece as well). My theory is that the cotton batting grabs the minkee and helps keep it flat and not stretch, -- not sure how true it is but it has worked for me every time.

HTH!

Brenda

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