Holiday quilting warning

Absolutely! If you paid a lot of money at a proper fabric store for something that bled dye all over the place, they *might* give you a refund just to keep a customer happy. But they might also tell you there was no label anywhere indicating the fabric was machine washable! Lots of fabric is sold as "craft fabric". Sure it's 100% cotton, but all possible corners were cut during manufacture, and it isn't really meant for heirloom sewing. It's for one-use holiday deco, pillow covers you keep on the couch a few months and then change, and such things.

Time for some fabric education: Go to a quilt fabric store. Not JoAnns, not Walmart, not Hancocks, but someplace that sells mostly quilting supplies. Find their most expensive fabric (not batiks, but regular fabric). Feel it -should be soft but lots of body (a good hand). Should hold a real crease if you run your fingernail over it, but come up more or less smooth if lightly scrunched in your hand. Hold it up to the light. If you can read signs through it, I'd be surprised. Have a look at the back -the print quality will be lighter, but the design should still look well-defined. And it will maintain these qualities even after you take it home and wash out the sizing. But even this expensive fabric can occasionally bleed color. It's rare, but not unheard-of! Red dye is especially vicious. Things that add to price are more colors in the print and metallic accents, so take this into account.

Have a look at the library for Harriet Hargrave's book "From Fiber to Fabric" -very interesting reading! Roberta in D

"Jean B." schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@>

Reply to
Roberta Zollner
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One would hesitate to say "Told you so" to a proper Southern lady like Polly. Roberta in D

"Sandy Ellison" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:C10B4A88.90D0% snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net...

Reply to
Roberta Zollner

I was raised well : I told you so is a no - no in our family

commiseration is the thing for this kind of situation!

Reply to
Jessamy

There was a huge alligator on a quilt at the show today! . In message , Butterflywings writes

Reply to
Patti

Now there's a Quilt Inspector of the highest level. . . lowest level? whatever. Did he approve of the quilt? You could tell by the smile. Gators smile real good. Polly

"Patti" wrote > There was a huge alligator on a quilt at the show today!

Reply to
Polly Esther

Pause to google. Okay, there are some quilt fabric stores near here. I can start reconnoitering tomorrow. I would rather throw business their way--to the degree I can afford to do so.

I also see that book is my my library network, so I can order it.

Thanks!

Reply to
Jean B.

Eeek! So, it looks like one has to wash the fabric, or risk soem strange and undesirable results after the quilt is made. It sounds like it might be prudent to get a small amount of fabric (if it's a local source) and see how it fares ere getting lots of it. Speaking of that, what is a decent amount to get (assuming all contingencies, which means the maximum one could possibly need)?

Reply to
Jean B.

Oh yes, there was a smile! But, come to think of it, I don't remember any teeth - that can't be right? . In message , Polly Esther writes

Reply to
Patti

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

Jean B. wrote: Speaking of

About 6 inches more than the store has on the bolt :)

Julia in MN

Reply to
Julia in MN

I loathe prewashing--seems too much like doing laundry to me. :)

My lazy way out is to rub a damp white washcloth lightly over the suspect fabric. It any dye comes off, then I prewash, or more likely, stick it back into my stash and pick another fabric. :)

Reply to
Valerie in FL

LOL! That plays right into my acquisitive nature. I guess it's a stupid question. What I really need to do is figure out what I'm going to do, and then the amount will be obvious. BUT, it is hard not to look ahead--esp. when one sees scrumptious fabric.

Reply to
Jean B.

So you don't care if it shrinks?

Reply to
Jean B.

No, Jean, it was not a stupid question - it's just that whatever you buy might not ever be enough. There are some basics, I'd guess that we like to have on hand. That's one you, yourself will have to decide. You'll never know if you'll have this wild need to make a kingsize something or a lap quilt or a baby quilt. It's good to have a pantry sort of stocking of what you love the most. When Jean said you needed to buy 6 inches more than the store had, she accurately covered the answer. No such thing as too much of a fabric that calls you. Sometimes, it's possible to find more of something you find wonderful. Not always. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

I don't know about Valerie's thoughts but I don't care if my fabric shrinks. My thinking is that if it does, it will help to disguise my less than perfect piecing and quilting. It may help my quilt to get that loved and well used look even sooner. I also don't pre-shrink my batting for the same reason. This is very much a persoanl preference issue. People do what works for them and their quilting style. Since there are no quilting police, that is quite OK.

Mary

Reply to
Mary in Rock Island IL

Jean, trust me, if you love it just buy a piece. Doesn't have to be a big piece if your pocketbook is feeling thin. Don't worry about having a use for it. One day, it will just fall right into a project. Once you own more than a shoebox-full of fabric, give it a critical eye now and then. If it's starting to look a bit monochrome, make an effort to buy some oddball (to you) colors. Just a little bit of color freakiness adds zing. Your almost-namesake Jeanne will tell you to buy lime, and it's not a bad idea, especially if you tend toward a quieter palette. The goal is to have a full color wheel of colors in your stash. Roberta in D

"Jean B." schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@>

Reply to
Roberta Zollner

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