Quilt questions

[OTMomma]

I think I am going to attempt my first serious quilt and I need some guidance. This is going to be a King Size quilt- I hope. My questions are:
1. Do I need to look for 100% cotton or a poly blend for my squares?
2.Is there anything else special I should check for when picking fabric?
3. Do I prewash? If so- how? And how much extra fabric should I get to account for raveling?

I am sure that there will be more questions once I get started.

Thanks,
Laura

[Kerrie]

Congrats! Are you going to hand quilt, machine quilt or tie?

I generally get 100% cotton. I don't usually pre-wash and so far I've never had any problems with that. I'm sure that others will tell you to pre-wash and if you want to be safe you should.

Good luck!

[brookehanna]

Hi Laura-

Have you taken any quilt classes? They are really helpful for beginners. It gives you a chance to finish a smaller project and hone your skills a little bit. I'd highly recommend doing that first.

What pattern are you considering for you king quilt?

Definately get 100% cotton high quality quilt fabric. Go to a store that specializes in quilting fabrics. You don't want to end up with cheap fabric for an heirloom quilt. For practicing by all means get the cheap stuff at Joann's. I just prewash my fabric in warm, tumble dry on low-medium heat and then iron the fabric before storing it away. You should not get too much shrinkage or raveling.

Definately invest in a good rotary cutter and the largest rotary mat you have room for. Olfa is what I use.

HTH-
Brooke

[AdinaL]

I just started quilting as well. I highly recommend 100% cotton....it doesn't slip like poly blend. Plus I have an aversion to poly anything! :LOL

I am teaching myself, since I can't afford a class currently. But I could afford a book! And even if you take a class - Quilting for Dummies is a good reference. Plus it has some smaller projects that are good for starters - I just did a really pretty pot holder! And it worked! I was so excited!

I prewashed and didn't get too much ravelling. Just a little bit - but it was easy to tell the better fabrice by what ravels less. The higher the thread count means the tighter the weave - which means less ravelling. (I learned that in my costume design class!)

I am so enjoying it currently. I am working on placemats right now that match my purple kitchen table. It is fun!

[OTMomma]

I plan to do Patience Squares- 15" ones, so I won't have to make as many squares. : I have made a few baby quilts before, both tied and machine quilted, but there is a big differnece in a 30" square and a 100" one! I have a book by singer that I am referencing, and I have been watching the quilt lady on PBS. I have no idea if I will try to quilt or tie this one, I might even hire someone else to quilt it if I actually get the top done.
Kerri- I am glad that it will probably be OK if I don't pre-wash. My ironing skills are poor and I like how crisp the fabric is when you buy it.
I do have a handed down rottary cutter and mat. Do rottary cutters get dull?

thanks

[PumpkinSeeds]

Use only 100 % cotton. Joann fabric is good enough for most quilts, and if you can afford it splurge on QSO (quilt shop only) quality fabric. If you're making an heirloom quilt then definitely splurge. A heavy wear and tear quilt use Joann fabric. That's my motto.


I always wash fabric if I'm gonna hand quilt, which is mainly what I do.

Machine quilting doesn't matter if you prewash or not.
I'd recommend machine quilting a smaller project first, because machine quilting a king size quilt as your first project will set you up for a lot of frustration.

I recommend taking a class too. Fons and Potter also make a really nice quilting book to learn a lot of techniques. The title is "quilter's complete guide"

If you just want to piece the quilt together and have someone else long arm machine quilt it for you, you can check out sites like this one:

http://www.elegantmachinequilting.com/
I've not used this, but there are lots of places like this where you can have your quilt machine quilted for you. Do a search.

Patterns:
http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html

[LdyBluNH@aol]

for really cheap fabric to practice on, go to walmart, they have $1 and $2 per yard stuff


i guess the question would be what do you want to quilt?

something small like a placemat size? a utility quilt for the kids to drag around? heirloom that you want saved for years?

these things will affect what you do and buy


things dont have to be fancy to have visual impact

fence rail is just three or four strips of fabric that go from left to right and then go up to down and is so simple to put together but can have tons of zing or be subtle depending on what you choose for colors


i second the fons & porter book. you do small projects along in order to learn the technique.

[Ok]

Years ago I decided that I could make a quilt. So I went and bought 7 (?) different cotton prints (flowers, etc) in colors I thought might go together, and a big flannel panel for the backing. I basically just cut out squares, played with how I placed them near each other... and then started sewing.

For me, laying out the squares and then sewing a line at a time worked well enough. Then I sewed lines together. That gave me the top.

The hard part, in my opinion, has always been what to put in the middle and how to join it all together. I still experiment w/ binding, although I've come to really like thinner & natural quilts. So I usually use 2 percale sheets or something like that for the inner. I want enough weight to help stabilize the quilt. I personally don't like flufffy-type quilts. I like them to wrap around me more easily than fluff allows.

For my first, experimental quilt however I used the bed-top part of a thin mattress cover (ie, I cut off the contour-around-the-mattress part). That worked ok, and was cheap and accessible.

I really like doing quilts the old-fashioned, salvage material from other things. Bag days at thrift stores have given me some of my greatest materials! I've made quilts out of wool, cottons, and flannels. My favorites are flannels. They are thin, warm and luxurious. But I'm making quilts for using.

My mom makes all kinds of gorgeous quilts-- for wall hangings, etc. She's very meticulous, follows patterns, buys expensive prints from quilt shops, etc. If you have the money, time and inclination-- thats a lovely hobby. I just don't have the time and patience. I make quilts b/c I like playing with fabrics and colors.

So, in thinking about the kind of quilt and how to go about it-- I guess the big question: what is the goal? B/c the goal will dictate how to go about the other aspects. Good luck!

[brookehanna]

Originally posted by OTMomma

I do have a handed down rottary cutter and mat. Do rottary cutters get dull?

Yes, they do. There's nothing better than cutting with a nice new blade. Take the cutter you have with you to the fabric store so you can get the right size and brand of replacement blades for it.

[sarasprings]

I'm been thinking about my first quilting project for a while. It's going to be a comforter for DS's bed (he probably won't be sleeping in his own bed for a couple of years still, so I have a while ).

When I found a photo of a strip quilt in a book, I fell in love. I especially like the irregularity of them (strips of different thicknesses) -- it fits my need to not be so precise, I guess.

Good luck on your quilt!

[Meiri]

No it doesn't have to be just cotton. My best friend made herself a really cool quilt all in wool squares.

It is best if the fabrics are all of the same general weight, but even that isn't carved in stone. I made myself a quilt all of scraps and old clothes that we owned, including some bits of flannel from pajamas I made for DS, corduroy from a skirt I wore in college, silk from a friend of DH's daughter's wedding dress, blue jeans from both of us... anything but wool.

I sewed the squarish pieces into long strips, then sewed each strip onto the quilt. The middle is flannel rather than batting, the backing is a 200 (or more, I forget now) count 100% cotton sheet, folded so the extra fabric makes an extra layer over my feet. To hold the layers together I tied and also embroidered designs through all 3: vinelike designs where same colored squares touch, a Medicine Wheel in the middle, a tyrannosaurus rex at DS's request--still have to give him an eye!...
If/when a worn spot appears, I patch it with another piece of cotton or whatever. In a couple of generations it'll look like a Crazy Quilt instead of a strip quilt.

It's so ugly it's beautiful.:LOL

Definately prewash the fabric before cutting.

[OTMomma]

What wonderful ideas! I want to make a quilt to give my mom, but a lot of the details are still up in the air. You have all given me so much to think about, its great!