Purchase the best quality cotton fabric you have afford
With the addition of my weekly quilt blocks, I have added some very new quilters. and today I want to talk about quilt fabric
One of the best things about quilting is the Wonderful Fabric’s you get to purchase.
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And with that I have to add,
This is the way I do my fabric, you do you !
Purchasing fabric is fun, please, always buy the best fabric you can afford and what you like. For quilts you will use 100% cotton fabric. Fabric will cost between $6 and $17 per yard. If you are just purchasing for a maybe project, I do mostly cuts 1 to 2 yards. If you have a quilt pattern, follow the recommendations, but as I say in my books, “Please think of purchasing more fabric than needed, as a pattern designer I have no idea how you will cut and use your fabric.” One way to pick fabrics
I recommend for quarter cuts or pre-cut 2 1/2 inch or 5 inch packs. (They go larger but start with these sizes and “I” DO NOT WASH precuts)
Purchased cotton yardage, wash, dry and iron your fabric before starting any project. Please think of purchasing more fabric than needed, a pattern designer has no idea how you will cut and use your fabric. From My Quilt Ladies Site HOW to Pick Fabrics
When talking about fabric it always brings up the conversation of washing fabric. Here is what I do,
I wash and dry all my fabric BEFORE sewing cutting and piecing a quilt. You only have to pull out one finished quilt from the washer and see bleeding to know you must/should wash all fabric.
Cotton fabrics bleeding means, the dyes used on the fabric will become loose when washing. It’s said that it’s common is cottons, but all fabrics can bleed. Dyes will/can stain other fabrics in a prewashing, the biggest problem is the dye transfer after a quilt is finished.
When cotton fabric is made it is stretched on a loom, pulling the fibers straight. A stabilizer is applied to keep fabric straight and that is what you are washing off. Washing allows the fabric to relax and return to a more natural state. A dryer lets the fabric relax or shrink. All cotton fabrics are different you cannot know the amount any fabric will shrink.
Knowing a cotton fabric will not bleed and not shrink is worth a bit of time for the perfect quilt in the end.
SEE Beth Ann’s BOOKS on Amazon and
PDF download quilt patterns on Etsy
When prewashing quilt fabric, I use my daily machine washer detergent, the same type that will be used when the complete quilt is washed. Same with the dryer, use the setting that will be used when the quilt is completed.
With 100% cotton fabric after washing and drying you will need to clip away all the threads that have twisted. If fabric is wrinkles you can shake it to smooth out more wrinkles, or press the fabric with a dry iron.
It’s a habit for me to wash/dry as soon as I purchase fabric. You will develop YOUR way of caring for your quilt fabrics.
When using/cutting the fabric I will press and starch it BEFORE any cutting and square up the fabric so that all cuts with a rotary cutter are straight. I use what I use for clothing as my starch just plain old Niagara brand, it makes it just a bit stiff and will washed very easily.
All this being said,
“I do not EVER wash contest quilt fabric before sewing, or quilting the quilt.” That is just me, you do YOU !
SEE Beth Ann’s BOOKS on Amazon and
PDF download quilt patterns on Etsy
Beth Ann and as always, Thank you for making my dream a reality ! !
