What is the definition of cotton quilting fabric?
Nov 19, 2008 | quilting fabricsI know what cotton jersey, cotton poplin and cotton flannel is but what is cotton quilting fabric?
The best way to experience the difference in the cotton choices you named would be if you could see and feel the difference.
Cotton jersey, as you know is stretchy, mainly used in T-shirts, sometimes in stretchy bedding.
Cotton poplin is normally of medium to heavy weight, a durable fabric, mainly used in clothing manufacturing. It is stiffer than quilting cotton.
Flannel is a very soft, woven fabric that is napped on one side. Quilters tend to shy away from flannel, because most flannels seem to be a bit stretchier than cotton quilting fabrics, due to the differences in the weave of the warp and weft threads (warp threads are the lengthwise yarns through which the weft is woven) and the fabric can shrink differently in the length and cross wise direction when washed. Some quilters use good quality flannel in their quilting, but recommend pre-washing the fabric, before cutting the shapes and sewing it, to pre-shrink the fabric and not have surprises later. To put some more body back into the fabric to make it easier for handeling/piecing you can spray starch it.
Cotton fabrics for quilting are normally carried in quilt shops and online quilt stores that specialize in quilting fabrics, in a wide variety of prints. These are of a light to medium weight woven fabrics, that normally have a print on one side. I say normally, because you can also purchase hand dyed fabrics for quilt making (I dye my own fabrics for this) which would be usable from either side, because the color bonds to the fibers, coloring the fabric all the way through on both sides. Then there are also cotton batiks, which have a denser weave and would be harder to hand quilt, but they are fantastic for hand applique, because these don’t ravel on the edges as much when you turn under the edges. Batiks, due to the way they are fabricated, also don’t have a “right or wrong” side like the printed fabrics, so they can be used either way. http://www.dharmatrading.com/info/batik.html
Here’s a link for you with many different fabric choices:
http://www.fabric.com/quilting-fabric-shop-by-category.aspx?Source=LeftNav
I hope this explanation helpl.
November 16th, 2008 at 6:37 am
Cotton is a soft, natural, vegetable fiber that grows around the seed of the cotton plant. The breathable textile made from cotton fibers is the most widely used in the world. Most fabrics made primarily of cotton are machine washable unless they are decorative, such as bark cloths, etc. Cotton is a fabric of medium strength and dyes well. Nevertheless, cotton also absorbs moisture, serves as a haven for dust mites and compresses.
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November 16th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Lightweight woven cotton. It’s usually printed with some kind of pattern.
References :
November 16th, 2008 at 8:06 am
The best way to experience the difference in the cotton choices you named would be if you could see and feel the difference.
Cotton jersey, as you know is stretchy, mainly used in T-shirts, sometimes in stretchy bedding.
Cotton poplin is normally of medium to heavy weight, a durable fabric, mainly used in clothing manufacturing. It is stiffer than quilting cotton.
Flannel is a very soft, woven fabric that is napped on one side. Quilters tend to shy away from flannel, because most flannels seem to be a bit stretchier than cotton quilting fabrics, due to the differences in the weave of the warp and weft threads (warp threads are the lengthwise yarns through which the weft is woven) and the fabric can shrink differently in the length and cross wise direction when washed. Some quilters use good quality flannel in their quilting, but recommend pre-washing the fabric, before cutting the shapes and sewing it, to pre-shrink the fabric and not have surprises later. To put some more body back into the fabric to make it easier for handeling/piecing you can spray starch it.
Cotton fabrics for quilting are normally carried in quilt shops and online quilt stores that specialize in quilting fabrics, in a wide variety of prints. These are of a light to medium weight woven fabrics, that normally have a print on one side. I say normally, because you can also purchase hand dyed fabrics for quilt making (I dye my own fabrics for this) which would be usable from either side, because the color bonds to the fibers, coloring the fabric all the way through on both sides. Then there are also cotton batiks, which have a denser weave and would be harder to hand quilt, but they are fantastic for hand applique, because these don’t ravel on the edges as much when you turn under the edges. Batiks, due to the way they are fabricated, also don’t have a “right or wrong” side like the printed fabrics, so they can be used either way. http://www.dharmatrading.com/info/batik.html
Here’s a link for you with many different fabric choices:
http://www.fabric.com/quilting-fabric-shop-by-category.aspx?Source=LeftNav
I hope this explanation helpl.
References :
I’ve been sewing things since I was a kid and then got into quilting, which I now teach locally.