I wish I had minky tips for sewing when I first sewed with minky. I was so frustrated.
The minky fabric kept moving. Minky/Minkee is a name of a soft 100% polyester fabric. It has several brand names such as Cuddle, Oh so Soft, & Dreamy. Minky comes in solids, solid with dots, prints, & rose swirls. The fabric is directional and stretches in one direction.
There are affiliate links in this post. I will receive a small commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you. Any purchase you make through these links helps support my blog.
Sewing with Minky Tips
1. Minky is messy. When you cut minky it comes part in small sections, which seem to stick to everything. I have found the solids and the rose swirl are the worse.
2. Minky is directional, pay attention to the nap. The minky dot is spaced differently so when you are sewing make sure all your pieces are going the correct direction.
3. Minky stretches. When you cut it make sure the fabric is not pulling off the table.
4. Minky is heavier than regular cotton, make sure when you sew it to back stitch at the beginning and end several stitches.
5. Use a lot of pins. I use a straight pin about every 1 in – 1 ½ in when sewing with minky.
6. Use a larger seam allowance. I use ½ in seam allowance. Minky tends to move.
7. Sew with the minky on the bottom if you can.
8. Do not iron minky. It can remove the dots and melt the fabric.
9. Minky does not shrink. Prewash your other fabrics.
10. Another suggestion is to use a walking foot to help feed the fabric on both the top & bottom. You can purchase a generic one on Amazon.com.
11. Don’t forget to clean your machine frequently. Minky makes a lot of fuzz.
My Best tip
12. My favorite tip KK2000 Sulky Temporary Spray Adhesive – Spray at the edges around the entire blanket. It takes about 2 hours for it to go away.
It is not water soluble so you might need rubbing alcohol to remove it. If you use too much you can use a cotton ball and the alcohol to remove the excess. Make sure you do not dry the blanket anything but low. It can make the adhesive leave a matted texture.
Ready to try out my minky tips? Try my minky baby blanket tutorial
Get Shannon Minky Cuddle Dimple Dot Sky Fabric By The Yard for your next project
Barb
Sunday 25th of March 2018
I am making a baby quilt with minke animals. They are on pieced cotton 12” blocks. The back is minke. Should I use regular batting or is minke enough?
Heather Hamlin
Sunday 25th of March 2018
It depends. It makes a lightweight blanket without the batting. My little girl has a blanket that has cotton the front and minky on the back and I am happy with it. If you are looking for more of a comforter, thicker blanket you will want to add batting.
Lou Bradley
Thursday 9th of June 2016
Have you tried eBay?
Pamela
Monday 2nd of May 2016
Spelling error....should read "minky material"
Pamela
Monday 2nd of May 2016
Where can I purchase kinky material in South Africa?
Patterns of Whimsy
Monday 14th of September 2015
Great information! I usually sew on fleece but I wanted to try a minky project. Now I know what to expect of the fabric before I begin.