Quick Tips for Sewing With Minky
Many people are hesitant to sew with minky because they are afraid it is difficult to work with. While minky projects can offer a new challenge to sewers, a few simple tips can make take the fear and difficulty out of the experience.- Minky is stable parallel to the selvage and stretches perpendicular to the selvage (along the width).
- Before you start a project, make sure to note the nap on the minky and cut pieces accordingly if you want the nap to lay a particular way.
- Minky, like fleece, will not shrink with washing. However, make sure to pre-wash all other fabrics you may be using in your project since they may.
- When cutting minky, be prepared for a cloud of fuzz! Try cutting pieces with a rotary cutter then taking them outside to shake them off, putting them in the dryer on the air dry cycle (NO heat), or keep a vacuum handy to cut back on some of the mess.
- Test, test, and test your stitch length, width and tension on a scrap piece before you start your project. Did we mention that you should test?
- Pins are your friends. Pin every 1” to 1.5” to ensure the minky stays in place. It may be time consuming, but you’ll thank yourself.
- Use a walking foot to help with slipping.
- To further prevent slipping, you can hand baste the layers before machine stitching.
- If you are working with one layer of minky and one layer of another fabric, stitch with the minky layer down and let the feed dogs guide the fabric.
- Give a generous seam allowance (about 1/2”) as minky tends to curl.
- DO NOT iron minky directly. Instead, place minky face down on a towel and press gently on low heat or steam it. Ironing and high heat will ruin the nap and any embossing in the fabric.
- Don’t forget to clean your machine’s throat plate, feed dogs and bobbin case often. All that fuzz can get messy and clog the works.
- If you are making a quilt, use only a low-loft polyester or pre-washed cotton batting. Even better – skip the batting altogether and save yourself the extra work. The minky is fluffy and offers a great deal of warmth.
Those are just a few tips. If you are an experienced Minky Master and have anything else to add, please feel free to leave your own tips and tricks in the comments section. Don’t forget to post pictures of your minky masterpieces on the gallery, too!
Hello. My ? is - after you sew a minky & cotton fabric togetehr to make a baby blanket - since minky can not be ironed what is the best way to get all the wrinkles out of the cotton fabric?
Thnaks for your help!
MAYBE STEAM IT? OR SOME COTTONS BECOME SOFTER AND SOFTLY WRINKLED. YOU KNOW, LIKE YOUR COTTON SHEETS AND DON'T REALLY NEED AN IRON. JUST DON'T ALLOW IT TO SET A DEEP WRINKLE IN THE DRYER.
Always one for caution. Everyone loves Minky for baby blankets and clothes and I am no different but always remember it is not fire retardant and it does not breathe.
I made some jackets out of Minky and to avoid inhaling the loose fibers I did my sewing outside and wore a dust mask. I don't think I will ever use this fabric again.
I just finished making bumper pads for a nursery set and used some Minkee. I backed each piece with quilt batting. The batting helped to stabilize the Minkee and with pins it didn't slide around so much!
Not to be a Debbie Downer but bumper pads are no longer recommended in cribs. The thought is that babies can migrate across the mattress and get wedged with their faces into the pads. Pam W. RN
I have made several pillow covers out of minky with invisible zippers, and have had no trouble with the slipping except for the thicker pile. I am making pillows for grandchildren and they are very popular!! So soft and plushy...they all have loved them. Your hint about taking them outside for a good shaking after cutting is right on, as I soon discovered after making a mess with the first one. I've made 12, and am going to make at least 6 more. They are absolutely beautiful!
I still make bumper pads...but my reasoning is (and this is what I tell my customers that want them) you really only want it on when they can't crawl around & that they are really just for show and part of the nesting process. For me, all my babies slept with me for a good long while and they only slept in their crib with bumpers when it was daytime. So I never had any issue...but we were always very close (crib was in our bedroom) and we never let them sleep without a monitor.
Although bumper pads are a really pretty addition to a baby's crib, I must agree with Pam W. You never know when an infant is going to roll over for the first time and it only takes a moment of time for their little faces to get wedged into the bumper; for any parents who still want to use them, check out the baby monitors that also have breathing sensors (they go under the crib mattress). In the event the baby's breathing ceases for more than 30 seconds, the monitor will sound to alert the parents.