CQ: Shinies?

I started out with one idea in answer to your question. As I read on, that idea changed (wow! I'm mutable >gI'm working on a section of my CQ where I want to trapunto (can I use

There is a cotton lame'. It's not metallic-glittery-shiny like tissue lame', but it has some true sheen with a hint of metallic. It will also stand up to washing and ironing! A BIG plus! There's also a shiny silver knit like I used on the Tin Man's chest piece. The rest of his costume is that flimsy, shreddy tissue lame'- I despise that stuff! LOL

Good luck!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Okay, first thing to think about is the washability of the fabric. That lets out any acetate, (which is also not always color stable..... it fume fades.) And some of the metallic fabrics (like the "metal" which is printed onto a white or black knit) will rub off. (Upset me a bit when some copper stars I appliqued to square dance outfits for my folks ended up mostly white. sigh.) There are several types of fabrics with metallic highlights either woven in or printed on. Depends on the effect you want. You may need to resort to tissue lame, fused to a lightweight interfacing to help control ravelling and stabilize it.This will not hold up as long as regular cotton fabrics, though. To get a "rib" effect, it depends on the size of the ribs you want... If small I would suggest corded pintucks, using a twin needle. You can get twin needles in several different sizes.... the numbering system is such that you have the distance between the needles as well as the size (and type) of the needles. Using a darker thread for one needle can also enhance the shadow effect. Remember to check on the width of your zigzag opening when selecting a wider spaced needle set. (They range from tiny 2.0 mm to 6.0 or 8.0 mm for some of the newer machines. Older machines may only take up to a 4.0 spacing. ) A pintuck foot also helps to keep tucks evenly spaced and "un- squashed".

Good luck, Pati, in Phx

On Sep 29, 7:35=A0am, "Dr. Zachary Smith" wrote:

I understand that the 'shine' is due to the nylon component within the cotton. (I had remembered my beautiful little stash of it - just didn't mention it for Doc). . In message , Leslie& The Furbabies in MO. writes

Pati,

Thanks for cluing me in on how unclear my OP was! :-) That's the way it goes sometimes. I'm not looking for anything metallic; I should have said shiny and slippery. Texture is very important, especially when designing for the visually-impaired (I'm not in this particular case, but I'm gearing up for one eventually.) I also should have included that I want nothing knit/stretchy, and no quilting cottons, flannels, etc. I thought the shiny/slippery would cover that but now it's obvious I don't know what I don't know...

Some of the fabrics I'll be using are theoretically "dry-clean only" but I'm ignoring that on advice (orders) of someone whom I cannot win the argument with (if you catch my drift)... But thanks for the tip about colorfastness - I will add that to my notes.

The washboard may have been a bad analogy. The ribs will be 3/4" -

1" wide minimum, and likely stuffed with poly-fill or batting. The effect should be as if I were using a high-sheen satin or similar.

I don't understand what you said about stitches & needles (yet) but I'm printing it off for my notes. It looks like something my "coach/ consultant" knows... Thanks again,

Doc

What about using the silk that is woven with two different colors of thread? I have a piece that has gold threads in one direction and then purple threads in the other direction -- it is gorgeous too! This is a heavier silk -- often dupioni, has a lustrous shimmer, and changes colour depending on how you look at it. Absolutely nothing has the same look as silk and it does shine, IMNSHO. You can find a bunch of it on e-Bay. You don't have to buy from e-Bay but you can get some different sellers. If you are interested, I can give you the name of the people I buy mine from. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

That stuff is silk? I have some of that and the other color combo too (turquoise & magenta?) I'll be using them, but in a different way/location. I understand why you're suggesting them, but in this particular application, I want/need pure color and the qualities of a satin. Maybe I should just go with that but I don't know about the embroidering, wrinkling, wear, etc...

Doc

Satin embroiders beautifully but will wrinkle if you don't put some sort of interfacing on it. I would recommend a very light weight knit fusible to help the satin keep from wrinkling and make it wear better. I used it on the silk kimono jacket and it is a lot nicer to use that the regular iron on stuff! You can also get silk satin (usually it's made of acetate) that is truly lovely. That would be *really* nice for your crazy quilt! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

If your other fabrics are primarily synthetic, I would look for an imitation silk moire fabric. That would be shiny, give a lot of visual interest and still have the slippery texture you are looking for. Your best odds of finding any will be in home decor fabrics. A genuine silk moire is wholely inappropriate for quilts. The moire effect will not hold up to washing. The fakes are woven, not calandered. For that matter in home decor you might find some jaquards that vary a lot in slipperyness and degree of shine across a single fabric. Something like that might suit if it isn't too heavy.

If you want genuine silk, I would look for either a charmeuse, which is sturdier than a plain satin weave, or a heavy habotai, which will still give you shine, though not as much, hold up as well as the rest of the silk, and be a heck of a lot less expensive.

NightMist

I can highly recommend Super Satin by Versailles. I believe it will meet all your plans nicely. I've used Super Satin many times for baby blanket backing with Minkee - just about the most good-enough-to-eat fabric there is. It launders very nicely - the pillowcases that I've made for chemo folks are holding up quite well. Doc, you can order a yard from

for just $ 6 and have plenty to run all the experiments you need. I have easily embroidered on it using a tear-away backing; I don't have a SM embroidery unit - just satin stitched baby's name. Also - an easy way to get the trapunto effect would be to simply stitch channels with a lightweight fabric on the back. Next, you could snake something (fat crochet yarn would be good) in the channels to product the ribbed effect you want. HTH. Polly

On Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:35:30 -0500, Dr. Zachary Smith wrote (in article ):

Silk Dupoini maybe?

No idea which would be the best fabric, but I'd probably go with Pat's chintz, or cotton sateen. Can't go wrong with cotton, mostly.

I do like Pati's suggesti>Okay, first thing to think about is the washability of the fabric.

Your WHAT hurts?

I don't really know. They often don't say on remnants; sometimes there's just a sticker/tag with a price. Lately, I've seen some polyesters I would swear were natural - generally cotton. I'm running on/with what I've been told - that with everything anchored to the foundation it won't matter, and seeing many of the CQ blocks I'm seeing, that seems to be true.

I'm finding most of my stash in home decor (or heavy fashion fabrics). I don't understand a lot of what you're saying yet, but I'm copying/ pasting furiously to consult DW's ponderous tomes and/or to take to the shops and learn.

What I want is what I want, and I'm so woefully ignorant I can't even express myself - a victim of my own ineptitude! :-) If I knew what I wanted, I'd know, but instead I have to describe what I'm trying to acheive and that's oh so inadequate! I know it when I see it, and there are options - I just don't know how each will hold up to the rigors I'll be putting it through. I guess I'm taking my darts to the fabric shops and throwing them...

BTDT - I hate slubs.

Doc

One more thought, Doc. Any questionable fabrics you'll want to launder before using it in your CQ blocks- laundered in the way you'd launder the entire finished quilt. Just cut a 2 or 3 inch square, wash it in the machine or by hand as you'd wash the finished product, dry the same as the finished quilt. Then re-measure. If it's smaller due to shredding or shrinkage or pulled out of square it doesn't matter how perfect your shiny might be. It won't work in your quilt. You could try it again with a piece of fusible interfacing attached to it- that might solve any issues, too. Just don't set yourself up for a big frustration or disappointment, please. Quilting is too much fun to let it make ya crazy!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Hi Furparent,

Too late.

Doc

Julia in MN

In that case I would recommend a good polyester satin, in a heavy weight, not the flimsy stuff. Jo-Ann's has some that is pretty good and not too expensive....Casa, I do believe. (It is a grouping of dyed to match satin, lace and sheers, in the special occasion apparel fabrics.) Do finish the edges of your piece before manipulating it, and cut oversize. Polys will ravel like crazy just sitting there. As to wearability, any satin is more prone to show wear because of the way the fabric is made. The shine comes from relatively long "floats" where the "top" yarn covers several of the "bottom" yarns. But it should give you what you want. And for that size channels a twin needle will be way too small. I would probably do a "trapunto by machine" technique for this. (Layer puffy batting with the satin. Put water soluble thread on the machine (top thread only) and stitch all the channel lines. Trim out the batting in the areas you want "flat", very carefully very close to the stitching. Layer with backing fabric and change thread on machine to regular thread. Stitch over the water soluble thread to secure the batting in place. Steam or lightly spray with water the water soluble thread and it will go away leaving only the permanent stitching showing. Goes faster than you think it will. ) Doing it this way keeps the "puff" on the top of the backing, instead of allowing it to fill in both top and below making a cord type of effect with the "connecting" low spots actually at the middle of the "cord". (And I hope that makes sense...... )

Have fun, Pati, in Phx

On Sep 29, 11:25=A0am, "Dr. Zachary Smith" wrote:

Actually there are several fibers that are woven with different color yarns for warp and weft. Some is silk, some acetate, some cotton (chambrey and denim come to mind. ) Satin can be made of different fibers.... silk, acetate, polyester, rayon and even cotton. Problem is that sometimes people confuse "fiber content" with "weave" of the fabric. sigh.

Pati, > That stuff is silk? =A0I have some of that and the other color combo too