My baby quilts are soft, cuddly, and can be a wonderful touch and feel blanket.
What gives the quilts that added special touch?
The fabric is called Minky, which is luxurious and silky soft. This fabric, which is perfect for baby quilts, resembles the real mink in touch and has a soft short pile that is as soft as cashmere.
Now if you are a quilter and are interested in using Minky or minx as it is sometimes referred to, here are some of my tips from using the material in my baby quilts that may come in handy.
Before you begin sewing any of your baby quilts with Minky, make sure you note the nap and cut pieces accordingly if you want the nap to lay in a particular direction.
Minky will not shrink when you wash it, so be sure to pre-wash all the other fabrics since they may.
Be prepared for fuzz when you cut. Use the rotary cutter and I highly suggest that you take your pieces outside to shake them off or put them in the dryer on the air dry cycle (NO heat).
Test your stitch length on a scrap piece of Minky material before your start.
Pin to be sure the Minky stays in place. The more you pin the better.
Use a walking foot so that the material does not slip when sewing.
Use a ½” seam allowance since Minky tends to curl.
DO NOT iron Minky directly. Place Minky face down and use a towel and press gently low heat or use steam.
Clean the machine’s throat plate, feed dog, and bobbin case OFTEN. The fuzz can make a mess and clog the parts of your sewing machine.
If you hand quilt, skip these pieces, or quilt around them. It will fluff the Minky or make them more pronounced
If you machine quilt, use a low loft quilt batting or skip the batting altogether if you have your baby quilts are entirely made from Minky.
Babies love that soft touch. Placing minky into your baby quilts adds the extra softness.
I have purchased Minky fabric with lines and dots, strips and novelty prints, plus every color of the rainbow, which makes it easy to use in your baby quilts. On the internet or at your favorite quilt shop, it is available by the yard or by the bolt for the quilts that you want to add just a few patches or ones that you would an entire quilt made.
