78 x78 or 208......confused! repost

I'm sorry your post got overlooked, Mary Ann. I can only answer this one from my own perspective. I don't go by thread count for anything but my bedsheets. My choice of quilting fabric is determined by its use. If it is a wedding gift or something very special, I buy the better quality fabric at my favorite quilt shop. Throw quilts for around the house or in the car or Jeep could get fabric from Joann's. Practice quilting and smaller things like quick place mats could get fabric from WalMart.

I guess it would be a good exercise to check the thread counts on all three of these choices, but I can tell the quality just by feeling them. I hope this helps to answer your question.

Well, you said it much better than I ever could! Interesting topic though, thread counts. I see a google in my future.

Well the numbers usually refer to TPI - threads per inch. So I imagine 78 X

78 would be a very even weave fabric. The higher numbers are - TP 4"?

I only remember my mother taught me to look for 310 count bedsheets as they were best! lol

Hope someone else can be clearer

I must admit I don't know what the "standard" thread count is for quilting fabrics. I would be interested in finding out. Maybe I should go get some and pull it apart!

Lower thread counts are commonly found in the wide backing fabric now becoming more readily available. This CAN have more give or stretch so I don't usually recommend it for piecing - especially for borders (unless you can cut it on length maybe). As they look more "open" I can see them and know what to use them for and what not to.

Some of the cotton sateens have a very high thread count (over about 250) and I love them for my applique work. But I have my blocks quilted for me (quilting is now beyond me!) before I applique so my preference is based on the appearance of the fabric rather than my preference for quilting it myself. If using the sateen for applique pieces (vs backgrounds), it will require very careful stitching in plain colours as EVERY stitch can show unless you catch it from below. But the same can be said of many plain colours. For that reason I find prinst and tone-on-tone easier to deal with.

I have had no problems either machine or hand piecing fabrics with high thread counts.

Does anyone have a range for thread counts? Could they post it please?

Alice thanks, I makes complete sense what fabric you choose would be according to the project being worked on. Walmart doesn't list many thread counts that I could find. And when I do buy fabrics from there it is to practice. (I practice alot lol).

Peace, Mary Ann

Yes, but how tight is very tight? I've seen some Egyptian cottons and they are pretty tight. They feel fabulous. But maybe I would want a 160 thread count instead of over 200 for hand quilting.......The question now is how do we relate the 78x78 to a 160 thread count. I tried multiplying, it doesn't work..duh!....cool, it looks like we may figure this out yet.

:) Mary Ann

Maybe you will have better luck at googling than I did. And maybe I'll try it again.

Mary Ann

i believe when its 80 x 80 that is the same as calling it 160. its the total number of threads both ways in one inch of fabric. so 78 x78 is close enough at 156 tpi. tho dont quote me on that. jeanne

I just took a peek at the Dharma catalog because they give thread counts for the cotton weave fabric they sell.

Kona cotton is 60x60 It is very nice for hand quilting and quilting in general. A very even weave that is not too tight.

Pimatex heirloom quality on the other hand is133x72. Much denser though not heavier fabric with a decided grain. It rocks for clothes and fine embroidery, but it would not be my first choice for quilting.

You have to consider the weight of the fabric when you are looking at thread count. Useing the fabrics in the above example, the Kona is

4.4 oz/square yard (about the same weight as good quality muslin), whereas the Pimatex is but 3.7 oz/yard^2. That 7/10s of an ounce does make a difference, especially given the thread counts. From that you know that the Kona is woven of much heavier thread than the Pimatex and will hold up better in a project you where you are going to mangle the fabric about a bit, or one where you aren't as confident of your skills and it may need to be frog stitched. The difference in weave will make a big diference there too. In some applications the weave of the Kona would be preferable to the Pimatex. For example if I were doing stacked cutting of any sort, or cutting on the bias, I would much rather use a 60x60 count fabric than a 133x72. Just because it would be far easier to cut accurately.

(4.4 ounces = 124.74 grams

3.7 ounces = 104.89 grams 1 yard = 0.9144 meter)

That is going to vary quite widely.

Different weaves have different counts, different weights of the same weave often have different counts. Indeed different manufacturers from one to the other will use different counts for fabric they all call by the same name. Just flipping open the catalog again and looking at muslin alone, I find 4 different kinds with 4 different thread counts and 5 different weights. (One variety has three different widths, the narrowest of which has a lighter weight and lower count) 68x68 to 80x86 and 3.2 ounces to 5 ounces.

I imagine it would not be difficult to find muslin elsewhere with even more variations.

Best you are going to do is research, reading about fabric, examining various kinds, and sewing them.

Here is a place to start learning about fabric, all sorts of info about all sorts of fabrics.

NightMist

Many thanks - i will read up

Very informative. Thanks. I'll read at fabrics.net a bit before I make my purchase.

Mary Ann

This is so interesting to learn, Nightmist. I had no idea that fabrics didn't necessarily have the same number of threads one way and the other. I've been working with fabric in various ways for about 40 years! And I never knew that. Amazing what there is still to learn in the world! Thank you for the explanation. Don't know how I'll put the knowledge to use - but I will pass it on to sewing friends.

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