Minky ~ Top of Quilt

I recently quilted a blanket by using Minky on the top and wanted to share how that went.

The idea came to me to put the minky on top because I wanted to use all the minky fabric and didn't want to waist any.  (which I would have, if I put it on the back)

...and loading minky on the back is not my favorite....for reason's explained here.

First off I made sure the minky was squared up, I then floated it on the top, just like any other quilt.

For the quilting I decided to do my new favorite, "grid quilting".

It started great!  When I float my tops I always run a stitch using my channel lock across the top of the quilt and then depending on the type of quilting I do, I run a stitch down each side (left and right).  I then quilt that section, advance and continue to run a stitch down each side...quilt and so on.

As I got towards the bottom section of the minky, it wasn't laying flat for me.

 

..as you can see in my photos.

I proceeded on anyways and stitched down both sides then using my channel lock again, stitched across the bottom.

This did help tame down some of the waves and extra minky.  This gave me hope.

I then proceeded to quilt and because I was using wool for the batting, it did give it a little loft and help fill in any extra minky fabric I was dealing with.

It quilted up really nice with no problem puckers anywhere.

The problem corner area, also quilted up just fine.

...and even though I squared up the minky before loading it on the machine, as I got to the bottom it still wasn't square.  By using my channel lock and running a stitch across the bottom, I was able to make sure it was squared up that way. 

At this point, I then took the quilt off and loaded it the other way for the grid quilting.  I explain more about how to do the grid quilting here.

How was my experience?  I would definitely do it again.  I'm glad I did the simple grid quilting, because as you can see in the picture, you can hardly see your stitches.  The only way I knew I had stitched a line was from the indention of the quilting foot.

...and even though I treated the minky as if it were the top of the quilt, I love the other side so much better that the minky top is now the back.

Isn't the back great!  Didn't plan that one!

~Jenny~