Quilting Aggi

what if you found some fabrics with elves on them?

Moonpi

Some of those shiny rayon and holographic threads would give you some great results, too. A nice cotton velour could substitute for the velvet, and polyester sateen with an iron on interfacing would work. If you have some nice decorative stitches, the background can be pieced, then crazy-quilted with fancy stitches, maybe varigated thread there.

Now I'm getting jazzed! Do you have any sketches yet?

penski

i agree with everyone else but i also want to add
Welcome to the group !!!!!!!!!!!

Moonpi

I wish this picture was better, but it was before I had a digital camera. The fairy wings on top in the middle panel do not show at all, but you can see the lame "mirror" for Snow White. Red Riding Hood's wolf has a bonnet made of lace, and the bedcovers are lace applied over satin.

A lot can be done, but it won't stand up to everyday use as a bed covering... especially when babies leak from any available orafice.

bearisgray

There are two fabrics that I could be used for the velvety feel in a quilt that would survive washings well:

(Although I'm not sure about current availability - these are fabrics in my stash)

Brushed arnel - remember that stuff that robes used to be made of? Only thing that wrecks this stuff is very high heat - as in a burn - or cuts - very abrasive resistant and washes very well.

Cotton velveteen - behaves a lot like cotton corduroy.

How about a very fine wale cotton corduroy?

Preshrinking is a must for a baby quilt (In my opinion)

For shiny - I don't know. There may be some polyester satins out there. I obtained some satin from my Mom - who got it at a garage sale - that I washed in HOT water (not the best thing to do - but I was going to make it into pillow cases and I wanted to know what it would do) and it survived nicely. I even ironed it on low cotton setting with full steam.

If you are going to do stunts like that - do it on a small piece first so you don't wreck the whole chunk of fabric. I didn't have much invested in this piece, so it was kind of a "whatever happens, happens" thing.

I would recommend washing in warm or cool water (generally not much warmer than body temperature).

Back to the satin - it FRAYS and/or RAVELS. So you would either have to leave wide seam allowances or put fray check on it, or overcast/serge it to keep it from pulling out.

Sturdy satin does work - my grandchildren had satin pillowcases that they loved to shreds.

shaminey

Woweewow! Thank you so much for all the suggestions! I"m taking notes now to bring to my local fabric store. Hopefully there will be some hidden gems I can work from. Since this idea is still in its infancy, i don't have any sketches yet. As I'm reading this I'm getting a stronger feeling that I could go in the direction of more green leafy pattern fabrics, with some silver threading and leaf quilting. I'm going to chat with my partner in crime and see if she thinks we should go with wall quilt or something more functional...that should narrow it down some.

Great ideas everyone. I really appreciate it!
:D

Shaminey

GailG

My opinion is that if the baby quilt will be USED, the fabric should be 100% cotton. If it will be a wall hanging or just "for show" then use whatever fabrics you care to use. When I make little baby quilts I don't make the "Heirloom" variety. I tell the new mom that this little quilt can be thrown in the washer and the dryer. The baby can play, pee, poo, and puke on it and it can be cleaned up and used again. Cottons are so much more comfortable, too.

bearisgray

Gail is so correct that a baby quilt will get "anointed" with one thing or another!

Babies are leaky creatures.