Flannel Fabric plans

    Every year I make members of my family flannel pillowcases. I used to buy woodland themed fabric in the Adirondacks on vacation from a store in Inlet, NY. They sadly retired, closed, sold the building and a great tradition vaporized. I have searched for another source for a while and was able to get a bunch of it from Hancock's of Paducah and equilter. Some even on sale. I used to love the quality I bought- it was mostly Moda and Northcott, but they don't seem to be making it much anymore. I like to feel the fabric before I buy and can't do that online. If anyone knows of another source, let me know. It seems plaids and pastel baby print flannels are the majority of what is out there, not useful to me.
    All the fabric I bought seems ok except the blue plaid- not a great texture for against the face. It is all washed and ready to cut. I usually sew all them on retreat in November all at once. Easier that way and I leave all the mess there. I will use the gray dot and green dot as cuffs for a lot of them. I use the taco or burrito method to sew them. I don't own a serger, so I use French seams.

Tops sewn, borders on- bring on the backings!

      Two more tops were finished. I shopped at Joann's for the border fabric for the flannel batik squares quilt. I could not find batik flannel anywhere, so I bought a mottled lighter blue and a dark blue solid for the borders. After washing it, I cut and sewed the borders on and it is a big size about 70 x 76 now. I have to just accept it as it is instead of what it could be with the right fabric. It is soft and cuddly. When I was at Joann's, I was able to buy 5 yards of regular light blue mottled fabric that I seamed the long way for the backing (washed first) so the whole quilt is now in the line for the longarm.

    The Orange HSTs quilt with the gray slashes from Quiltdiva Julie was also sewn together, web style, and as I looked it on the wall, I thought it needed a thin border to hold the edges together when the binding was sewn on. I also thought a border would help to visually end the diagonal lines before exiting the quilt. I did not have enough of the gray used for the diagonal slashes, so a different gray was added which I think works. It is 71 x 84 so it needs a big backing. I dug out a dark blue 6 yard piece I bought at Zinck's in Berlin last May for it, but need to seam it yet. Wish I had bought more backing fabric there then.

Flannel seeking borders

     I found a free pattern from Riley Blake called Beach Towels that worked with the pieces of batik flannel that I was given. The blocks are 10 1/2" unfinished. However, I do not have flannel for the border, which it needs to be a good comfort quilt. I looked all over online for flannel that would work (not pastels or cutesy prints). I can't find anything. If you have any idea of where else I could find some flannel to finish this quilt with, let me know. I am not going to dye flannel to finish this. The flannel is of a high quality.