There's nothing that chases away the cold of chilly evenings like a quilt backed with fleece. Fleece is economical because it combines a quilt's batting and backing into one layer instead of two. Fleece also comes in wider widths than the quilting fabric most often used for backings, so it's possible to back many quilts without piecing the backing fabric. Children and adults alike love fleece quilts for their softness. With a little practice, any quilter can work successfully with fleece.
Fleece Fabric: Warm, Washable, Tough, and Economical for Quilt Backings
Fleece fabric is made from polyester. It is warm, water-resistant, doesn’t fray at the edges when cut, doesn’t shrink when washed, and comes in a great variety of different finishes, colors and prints.
Polar fleece comes in three weights:
- Light weight or micro fleece, also called 100 weight
- Medium weight (200 weight), also called blanket weight
- Heavy weight (300 weight), which is used for cold-climate outerwear
200 weight fleece is the best choice for backing most quilts. 100 weight micro fleece is so stretchy that it can be difficult to avoid puckers when you quilt it, and 300 weight fleece is quite thick and bulky.
Advance Preparations for Using Fleece as a Quilt Backing Fabric
While you can find bolt after bolt of discount fleece at chain fabric stores, it’s well worth spending the money to get a high-quality, no-pill polyester fleece like Polartec. Polartec is available from online fabric retailers. Even when using more expensive fleece, you may still save compared to using a conventional quilt backing by replacing the double layer of quilt batting and backing fabric with a single layer of fleece.
Smaller pieces of fleece can be pieced to make them large enough for a backing. Don’t bleach or use fabric softener or dryer sheets when you wash fleece, and never iron fleece directly – it will melt.
The greatest challenge in working with fleece is its stretchiness. To get the best results:
- Set your machine to a longer stitch of 7-9 stitches per inch (3-3.5 mm).
- Use a walking foot.
- Choose the right needle: 70/10 or 75/11 for micro fleece, 80/12 or 90/14 for medium weight, and 100/16 for heavy weight. Use a universal, ballpoint or stretch needle.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Using Fleece as a Quilt Backing Fabric
- Find the right side of the fleece. Fleece curls to the right side on its lengthwise grain (parallel to the selvages), and to the wrong side on its crosswise grain (perpendicular to the selvages). Use a piece of masking tape to mark the side you want to use.
- If needed, piece the fleece to make it at least two inches (5 cm) larger than your quilt top on all sides.
- Adhesive spray basting does not adhere well to fleece, so you will need to either pin baste or stitch baste. Prepare for basting by putting the fleece right side down on a large flat surface like a bed, dining table, or clean floor.
- Lay the quilt top right side up on top of the fleece, then smooth away any wrinkles before basting.
- Stitch in the ditch to secure the layers together, working from the center out. Sew with the fleece side down, against your sewing machine’s feed dogs. This will keep the bulk and stretch of the fleece under control as you sew.
- Add free-motion quilting as desired, then trim the layers and bind the quilt as you normally would.
If you experience uneven stitches or jammed threads, you may want to try putting a shim under your presser foot. Fold a piece of lightweight cardboard or heavyweight fabric like denim or twill until it is as thick as the layers of fabric in your quilt. With your fabric layers under the left side of the side of the presser foot, put the shim under the right side. This will help the presser foot stay balanced.
Related Quilting Articles
If you liked this article, you may also be interested in other articles about quilting:
Guide to quilt batting. Whether it's called batting, padding or wadding - it's the essential middle layer that gives your quilt its cozy warmth. Which batting is right for your next project?
Options for binding your quilt. Binding fabric covers a quilt's raw edges and helps keep them from getting worn as you use the quilt. Learn about five different ways to bind your quilt.
Christine Mann - Christine Mann writes about quilting, home decor sewing, and creativity in daily life.
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