Some flannels are just soft. Riley Blake's Northern Lights flannel collection is soft and has a story to tell: polar bears under the aurora, fair isle bands, drifting snow and the northern sky itself, all brushed to that sink-your-hands-in finish flannel lovers chase. It's the collection for the quilt that lives on the back of the couch from November through March.
The Prints at Linda's
- Polar Bears, Glacier — the feature print: polar bears wandering an icy aurora landscape
- Aurora, Turquoise — the northern lights themselves, rippling across the sky
- Fair Isle, Glacier — sweater-band stripes for borders and instant Nordic charm
- Let It Snow in Sky and Red — drifting snowfall tonals
- Sky and Ocean — the near-solid blenders that hold the palette together
Prints run $14.68–$14.92 per yard.
How I'd Use It
Big blocks. Flannel wants simple piecing — the nap and loft eat fine detail, and the prints here are gorgeous at scale. A rail fence or giant-star layout in Polar Bears, Aurora and Fair Isle with Let It Snow as the background makes a couch quilt in a weekend. Fair Isle is your border fabric; run it horizontally and the quilt looks like it's wearing a sweater. For rag quilts and self-binding baby blankets, this collection is about as good as it gets.
Flannel rules apply: prewash (expect 3–5% shrink), a 90/14 needle, longer stitch length, and a walking foot when quilting. The reward is warmth no quilting cotton can match.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Northern Lights heavier than regular quilting flannel?
It's Riley Blake's standard quilting-weight cotton flannel — substantial and double-brushed, but still easy to piece and quilt on a domestic machine.
Can I back a cotton quilt with Northern Lights flannel?
Yes, and it's one of the best uses: prewash the flannel first, and the finished quilt gains warmth and drape. The Sky and Ocean blenders make ideal backings.
What patterns work best with flannel?
Large, simple shapes: rail fence, big half-square triangles, giant stars, brick layouts and rag quilts. Save the tiny paper-pieced points for smooth cottons.
