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techniques val right now skip to content val right now tag techniques fabric quality for quilting published on june 12 2018 by valrightnow 10 comments my meter is in the middle this morning this morning i have been once again reading online about the difference between lqs and chain store fabrics my quilting has advanced to the point that i am more comfortable spending more money on the fabrics but curious if fabric standards have changed over the years and considering just how i should look at my fabric purchases having just finished a major quilting endeavor i cringe to think that it won t hold up over the years no matter what fabric is in it love sweat and much joy does indeed go into a big quilt project and it would be nice to know it will be around after a few washings i have learned to feel the fabric the hand of it the differences in thread count does it bounce back when you crush it in your hand and all those kinds of tests i have learned that it probably is a good idea to wash and press before using depending on the final use of the item being made these are all things that i knew from being a seamstress for years before taking up quilting i still find myself drawn to pretties in chain stores sales and simply the other part of quilting collecting fabrics using good fabric from a chain store sometimes fits the bill for me for backing for fun prints or for fillers also when testing a pattern or trying something new i might use a lesser quality yes i do have some fabric quarters that came from the chain store when i first started quilting and that don t compare they will have to be used for who knows what bookmarks bibs or nothing here are a couple of pictures grabbed from my stash this morning i know you would have to do the touchy feely thing but these are all a mix of fabrics from lqs chain store and even sheets i plan to use them all when i was reading online this morning i ran across this comment that i found compelling maryann had this to say don t be fearful buy what you like but pay attention to it if it is a cheaper fabric but you must have that color or that pattern just be aware of it s possible weaknesses example if it s not a good tight weave then don t use 1 4 seams use wider ones not all fabric is created equal but all fabric is wonderful and can be useful if you pay attention and get to know what you are working with quilting since 1975 and i think it helps to remember our grandmothers who made their quilts from shirts and dresses and flour sacks and hoarded every scrap that came their way your thoughts i would love to hear what you think sometimes i fear we become too snobby about everything in life forgive me no judgement intended let s just have fun and love what we do and remember be in joy and happy quilting share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email like loading categories quilting tags blogging fabrics techniques thinking experience is a good teacher published on march 17 2018 by valrightnow 11 comments practice makes perfect is a pretty common concept and it is true that said i am thinking about what we learn from experience experience is a good teacher since this blog is focused on quilting i want to talk about some of my experience over the 3 years or so that i have been at this craft more specifically i want to talk about prepping your fabric i hope some experienced quilters will join in on this topic with comments about what they do sharing can only help each other and especially help those starting out that is unless they tend to be like me and have to learn for themselves it is not my most proud revelation but true today s topic is an example i am following along with meghan and the sienna burst qal this week is all about getting ourselves set up for success to start tackling the blocks starch iron cut mix and match fabrics and learn all about hrt what i want to drill down on even more in this post is about the starch side note i previously posted on quilter s moonshine meghan offers up her own version that i have heard works very well too you need starch lots of it preparation meghan says to starch iron cut i decided i was going to do every step this time as directed in my experience i have seen how fabric can shrink up when being pressed with either water or starch you might think this only happens with lower end fabrics i hope the pictures i am including below will help you see that it happens and not only with cheaper fabrics this is my first piece of fabric it is kona cotton an acceptable quilting fabric from robert kaufman you will note that i have folded it flat and removed the selvedge another post for selvedges one day i love them on the cutting mat you can see where the edges fall right side at the 1 mark left side at 22 zoomed in a little to show the 22 marking the other side is at the 1 marking now i will press with starch yes the following pictures are the same fabric just different lighting now i have pressed one time with starch do you notice those bumps those are created from the fabric shrinking in some places and not others probably not enough saturation with the starch second and third pressing with starch has been done now that looks good i attempted to get videos of the process you can see the bumps almost disappear when the starch is sprayed on them this process took three times starching and pressing prepping about 1 25 yards of fabric used about 12 ounces of starch yep that is why frugal frieda here likes the homemade version now i hope the pictures below will tell you in plain sight why this preparation is important remember above the fabric was laid out on the mat starting at the 1 mark and it measured to the 22 mark the following pictures are after the starching process we have lost 1 2 in width notice the difference in the bottom that was straight notice the variation in width and length across the piece of fabric that was straight before starching and pressing these are the trimmings left after cutting the fabric to be straight squared up and ready to cut so why is this important what experience has proven to me is that if this process is not done first your blocks will likely be really out of shape and proportion when you starch and press them after you have made them this results in seams and blocks that don t match up and much frustration also if your fabric is preshrunk and crisp before you sew you will have a much better chance at perfect points if you want to learn by doing go for it that will work too but once you have progressed to the point of buying quality fabrics working more challenging patterns and expecting a well finished piece you will understand just do it prep your fabics from one who learned by doing had some good outcomes and some very frustrating finishes happy quilting share this email a link to a friend opens in new window email like loading categories quilting tags facetfully process pledge quilting quilting preparation quilting steps techniques 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