American Baby Company 100 Cotton Value at Amazon
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Buying quilting fabric seems like it will have to be beauteous simple. And, frankly, when I started out quilting, it was simple. At least I made it that way. I wandered through the fabric store and found fabric I liked – the pattern, the color, the design. But generally, I purchased fabric just because I liked it. As a result, my quilting fabric stash included all types of fabrics – polyesters, cotton/polyesters, rayons, and numerous wools. After a few quilting experiences (some of which were finelooking bad), I learned the vantages of dissimilar fabrics. Now I look at a few dissimilar things when I consider fabrics to buy. Generally I prefer natural fibers. It’s probably a sense of connecting to quilters of yesteryear. Or it may be that a comment made to me years ago with regards to “wrapping a baby in plastic (polyester)” just stuck with me – in a negative sense. While I prefer natural fibers, I have made a good deal of fun quilts that include lame, and an occasional polyester or poly/cotton blend, because it offered a lot of design gain that I couldn’t find in cotton – like a sports logo. This is one of a series of articles with regards to dissimilar types of fabric quilters use in their quilts. For simplicity, I will focus on the natural fibers cotton, wool and silk. I have used them all (although not in the same quilt). So you will get my firsthand experience and observations. Personal opinion as it is.
Since you may go online and find a great deal of articles and internet sites that describe the arousing and attention holding way fabric is made and dyed, I’ll let them do the describing with regards to that, and I will focus just on what quilters want to recognise – how will it be working with that type of fabric? Since 100% cotton fabric is without doubt or question the most frequent quilting fabric, let’s get started there. There are assorted specific reasons quilters prefer 100% cotton: o Cotton is easy to work with. After you sew a seam, you may without apparent effort finger press your seam allowances in the direction you want them to go. (That means that your fabric will stay put without pressing it each step along the way.) o Cotton sticks together while you sew your pieces. Polyester have a tendancy to slip and slide, calling for pinning or basting, lest your patches end up being sewn all cockeyed. o Cotton has a little “give” to it that synthetics don’t have. This allows you to pull and tug a bit (as well as bunch it up a little) in order to get the seams to match and make your corners square. o Cotton breathes. Whether you are making a baby quilt or a bed quilt, 100% cotton fabric will concede air to circulate while capturing the warmth. How this works is just a mystery to me, but it seems to be true. o Cotton absorbs the dyes better. Maybe it’s just me, but I think that the colors are more vibrant and the patterns have more depth. o Cotton is durable. It has stood the test of time and continuous use. o Cotton may be torn (or ripped). Although this may be a gain or a drawback, it means that you will be competent to determine incisively how the fibers line up. You will be competent to “square up” the edge just torn, since it will not rip throughout the threads. Part II explores the types of 100% cotton fabric, and some of the considerations as you buy and use these fabrics in your quilts.
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