Sewing with Minky Successfully Part One

Snuggly Cuddle by Shannon Fabrics

Here at Kate's a lot of you have been asking how to sew on Minky.  So here are some suggestions and little information to help you better understand minky.  I have broken it up into two parts to make it easier to read.

1. First we recommend starting off with a good quality minky.  There are many types and qualities of minky out there.  We prefer the Snuggly Cuddle fabric by Shannon Fabrics it is of the finest quality and works up the best.
2. Our favorite tools when working with Minky fabrics:

• Rotary cutter with sharp blade.  
• Sticky Lint Roller
• Scissors
• Pins or binding hem clips

3. Minky is a specialty fabric and with some of the fabrics has a definite nap. For those of you who may not know what a nap is the definition is below.

• Nap:  part of a fabric that is usually directional in nature or going only one way.  Good examples of fabric with naps are corduroy and velvet.  These fabrics when smoothed with the hand in one direction, are typically shiny and are not shiny when smoothed the other direction.

Along with a nap minky is very stretchy.  I have heard some refer to it as a knit.  I agree with it being a knit yet considering the nature of minky and some of its unique characteristics I lean more to distinguishing it in its own category of a specialty fabric.  For me the reasons are because minky is like a knit in that it is stretchy so you have to that into consideration when choosing minky for a project.  Also it is kind of like fur.  In that it sheds a great deal and depending on the type of design on the minky it only lays one direction.  Also minky on the wrong/backside side of the fabric is kind of satiny; making it slippery to work with.

These reasons are why I, call it and treat it, like a specialty fabric.  Each specialty fabric has its own quirks and minky is no different.  Now I know all of this kind of sounds a little intimidating.  But it really isn't.  If you follow a few simple suggestions it works out beautifully.  (see part two for these suggestions)

Happy snuggling!

Kate