Minky dot fabric...what is it and where do i find?

What exactly is Minky Dot fabric?  I've heard different things about it such as it is Chenille, it has raised dots, sometimes it's 100% cotton, sometimes it's 100% polyester....what's true and what isn't? Is it better to have cotton or polyester blend? Where do I find it? Are all Minky Dot fabrics created equal?  Any help would be much appreciated

I know Fabric Depot (https://www.fabricdepot.com/index.php?page=searchPage&searchstring=minky) has minky dot fabric and it's nice stuff.  It's not thin like some cheap minky out there.  I would say that the cheaper it is, the thinner it is. Most if not all minky is 100% polyester.  Most Chenille is polyester as well and in my opinion, it is much harder to sew since it sheds and unravels like crazy.  Michael Miller has come out with a new organic terry which is luscious, but expensive.

Minky is a very soft plush fabric made of polyester that is great for baby blankets, etc. Minky Dot is Minky with raised "dots" that give the fabric a nice texture.

I use Minky and Minky Dot for the baby blankets I sell on Etsy (http://modernjax.etsy.com). It can be difficult to work with -- the cut edges shed quite a bit and you have ti pin it well before sewing because it stretches like crazy. I have seen quilts that include Minky but I am not brave enough to try that!

I buy most of my Minky from http://www.minkydelight.com/. They have an awesome selection and I have never been disappointed. They also sell "short cuts" -- you can sometimes get a really good deal.

I have also bought Minky at JoAnn Fabrics. Their color selection is drastically less than the online stores, but they run specials -- right now it is 50% off!

Enjoy!

I have made baby blankets with several kinds of minky and love the cuddly stuff the best.

I have found the minky with dots at hancocks and hobby lobby. Joann's has a good selection as does hancocks. 

I think the correct "fabric name" for Minky is Microfiber Chenille.  It is usually polyester, but i think it also has some of those crazy recyled fibers in it sometimes.  Basically, it's like finer, softer, synthetic version of the old-timey looking cotton chenille. 

Minky is a brand name of a prouct made by Versailles.  Minky Dot is their trade name for the line that includes embossed dots all over the surface of the fabric.  Versaille's product is superior to the microfiber fleece sold at Joann (which is not Minky).  As Irene mentions, there's a difference in the weight.  There's also a huge difference in the softness of the fabric and the quality of the colors.  There is another type out there (that I haven't seen much of lately, actually) called Minkee, that is okay, but still not as nice as Minky.  I want to say that Minkee was made by one of the major manufacturers of printed cottons, but I can't remember which one. 

I also recommend Fabric Depot, which has a huge selection of Minky, Alexander Henry's Cuddle Up and Snuggle Up -- which is similar -- and some similar products from a brand called Shannon that I don't know much about, but that I've used with good results.  I've also used the stuff from Joann and, while I didn't find that it was any more difficult to work with, it just wasn't nearly as nice.  (It's similar to the difference between their quilting fabric and "real" quilting fabric.)

I actually opened Sew,Mama,Sew! selling only minky!  I think what the previous posters said are right on.  Elizabeth is right--the Versailles product is the top of the line for quality.  Avlyn manufactures Oh So Soft, which is also a very good quality minky.   I think Michael Miller makes the Cuddle Up and Snuggle Up, not AH.  JoAnn and Walmart carry knockoffs that aren't as nice.

Here are some minkee sewing tips that I used to include in minkee orders.

• Add additional seam allowances because minkee may curl slightly. 1/2” is recommended.
• Use a walking foot and sew with minkee next to feed dogs.
• Use universal needles size 80/12 .
• When making bound blankets, baste around outside edges through backing and Minkee before sewing on binding.
• The manufacturers suggest washing in cold and lying flat to dry. Many customers have found that the dryer is fine, but you should try a swatch.
• Try using water soluble glue or tape when you are sewing minkee to another fabric to minimize stretching and skewing while sewing.
• Use a long stitch length.

Yikes!  Yes.  It's Michael Miller, not Alexander Henry.  (It's kind of an odd texture -- not the tight swirls like on Minky -- but I've found it in some cool colors like teal and avacado that the Minky doesn't come in.) 

Kristin - thanks for your awesome hints! That's exactly why I came here tonight. I've got to sew a stroller blanket with a VERY furry/sheddy minkee on one side and an AH cotton on the other. I will get out my walking foot, and put the minkee on the bottom so the feed dogs will move it forward. I'm also going to add a few more pins so it doesn't shift on me.
Many thanks!

And, whatever you do.....DON'T IRON IT!!!!

you'll iron those cute little raised circles right out    as I found by mistake AFTER I made the cutest little blanket for someone.

carri

Yes, don't iron it! I did the same thing.
Also it is very stretchy

I was asked to make a 'snuggy' blanket for a 7 yr. old little boy, and I got the Minky from Fabric.com.  Good luck!

In case you are Canadian, http://www.pinkpandafabrics.com just started carrying minky dots recently and they have quite a few colours.

I've never sewn with this and found these suggestions
to be oh, so valuable!
Thank you to all who have saved me a lot of aggravation,
as I too, would have been making some (if not all of these
same mistakes).
I've been wanting to make some blankets with these, and now I have no reason not too, right??
Elaine

So can someone tell me how you can tell the difference if you're not buying the Minky fabric in a store (say you buy it at Ebay or Etsy)?

What are some of the prints that Versailles has out right now that are actual Minky brand?

I have a feeling I wasn't always getting "Minky", but it was advertised as such. :  (

Thank you!

anyone know a good wholesaler for Minky?