Quilting Fabrics Make all the Difference

Expert quilters pass their craft down through the generations to those just beginning to learn this art. Quilting fabrics, they say, are wide and varied according to the taste of the creator and the patterns. Some types of fabrics are more suitable than others, and a poorly-chosen fabric won’t hold up through time. It’s common for a family member to display a quit made by a great-grandmother that is still intact and serviceable.

The Best Quilting Fabrics

Expert quilters teach novices of the craft that 100% cotton is the preferred quilting fabric, especially when it has been carefully washed and pressed. The “batting,” or central interior of the quilt, should be either cotton or polyester. Even the quilting fabric threads used to piece the quilt together should be 100% cotton poly-wrapped thread to insure the durability of the quilt.

Quilting fabrics come from many sources; they can be purchased at craft stores or they might derive from the old clothing and bed linens of a family. It’s very common, at quilt fairs and contests, to hear the artist discuss the history of each quilting fabric. “This piece is from my grandmother’s wedding dress,” or “this bright blue piece is from Johnny’s first pair of shorts.” Children often have vivid memories of their mothers and grandmothers having a stash of fabrics that will eventually be turned into one of the world’s oldest needle creations. Regardless of their origin, quilting fabrics tell a story; the story of each piece being specially chosen with care by the creator because of its color, pattern, and suitability.

Quilting fabrics are cut very precisely into blocks that are the same or very similar in size to the entire design. “Block piecing” and “foundation piecing” is the method of cutting fabrics into the desired size, depending upon the chosen pattern. Quilting fabrics are measured by the “yardage” necessary to complete the project. Patterns can be custom-designed, changed, or reduced in size by the artist. For example, a design that is meant for a full-size bed covering can easily be reduced to form a baby’s quilted blanket. Often, the underside of the quilt is made from a single large piece of quilting fabric. Thus, a finished quilt may have a scarlet underside with a patchwork pattern of many different colors as the top layer; the layers are filled with cotton fabric.

The piece’s “binding” (the narrow strip of fabric used to finish the raw edges of the quilt) and “border” (fabric strips that go around the outside section of the quilt) are also important considerations when choosing quilting fabrics. They should be hardy and suited to keep the quilt from fraying. Chosen with care, the fabrics insure the quilt’s structural integrity that will last for many years.