What is Minky Dot Fabric?

Recently I had someone ask me what Minky Dot Fabric is.

I started selling this item not too long ago as I am seeing more and more people using it it rag quilts, bibs, burp cloths, diaper bags, etc. I made a bath robe for my mother for Christmas as well. The squares I cut and sell have been going pretty well. And as more and more customers come along, some have no idea what Minky Fabrics are.

So I did some reading on it and discovered some things as well that I would like to share. I Google just about everything these days, so that is where most of this information is coming from. That and my own experiences!

I did discover that Benartex has the top of the line product called Minkee Blankee. People who use Benartex Minkee claim it is the softest and the best there is. The price of this product is also at the top of the line and can sometimes cost up to $20.00 per yard.

I do not know of any other Brand names claiming rights to this fabric, but there are some companies such as Joann's and Hobby Lobby that sell a similar product at a much lower cost when on sale.

Minky Fabrics are 100% polyester.
They have embossed dots, hearts, stars, etc. on them or they can be striped or plain just to name a few.
These fabrics are very comparable to a velour fabric and to touch it feels like petting a rabbit or mink. That is where it got its name I guess. The nap is longer like hair.
They also come in a ton of colors and more colors are starting to be made from what I am seeing.

Minky fabrics are very messy to work with though. Every time I cut a batch I go through several sheets of my lint roller. I usually lint roll all the squares before I ship too so they look better.

The squares I cut do not stack well. Since they are slick on the backside they tend to slide around some on each other. Minky is also a bit of a trick to sew since it slides. Be sure to use some scraps of it to practice with before you start sewing your project to get the settings on your machine in sinky with Minky!

One thing I read was not to use a hot iron on Minky. Especially on the embossed shapes such as the dots. In making mom's bath robe, I was ironing seams as specified in the pattern directions and learned the hard way not to iron it. Sigh!

Another thing I just read was not to microwave this product. You ask why? -Me too!! But in health care, some workers will do that to heat a blanket for patients. Minky will melt. So please "don't miky the minky!" lol

Visit any of my store links here on my blog to buy pre-cut minky dot squares from me!

Blessings!