Thank you for all the time you invested in this post! I appreciate all the advice!!!! Unfortunately my mom doesn't make quilts, they have all been passed down from family or given to us as gifts. But I know she would love one made by me, so I am looking forward to making her one!
Thank you for all the tips! They are very helpful, I didn't think about doing a small piece of the fabric in the water, I will do that for sure!!! I will be sure too keep you all updated (which means I will be asking more questions!) on my progress and when I break out my machine for my first stitches!
Originally Posted by
cathyvv
Welcome to the QB. You are jumping into the quilting world, no doubt about that! Lots of questions in your post and that's a good thing.
- Washing fabric - is both a preference, and for some of us, a necessity. Some of us wash fabrics to get the sizing and chemicals out of it as they can cause allergies. Reds and other highly saturated fabrics tend to bleed the dye into other fabrics in a quilt, so always test for color fastness. Just cut a small piece of the fabric and put it in a glass of cold water. For example, with red, if the water turns from clear to red or pink, the fabric bleeds. Wash the fabric in cold water/detergent and use a color catcher to absorb the dye that washes out of the fabric.
When you use flannel fabrics the recommendation is to wash and dry flannel two times. It has a looser weave, so shrinks more than 'regular' cotton, and it is full of lint. You will understand the lint thing when you look at the dryer filter after drying the flannel.
Starching fabric - some people swear by it, some people sneeze by it. I am a "sneezer", so can't use it.
- Patterns: Perhaps you could look into making a sampler quilt, where you make different blocks of the same size with the same fabrics, then put them all together in one quilt. That way you can try the blocks you're looking at, and then decide whether you want to make an entire quilt using the block. Also, if your Mom lives close enough to you, she might be able to provide you with tips on technique.
- Size of quilt: I agree with the recommendation to start with a baby quilt. Learn the basics, get some mastery of them, and then up the degree of challenge and size. And Christmas will be here before you know it, quilts take longer than you think, so don't promise them to anyone for Christmas.
- Quilting the quilt sandwich - backing, batting and top - is a challenge all it's own. It can be done on a domestic sewing machine (DSM). It is, in my opinion, hard work. However, if you can do it, it's also a great accomplishment. This is another good reason to start with a baby quilt.
An alternative to quilting the sandwich is to tie it. This method has been around forever and works well. It is not unusual to see an old, tied quilt in good shape and still in use. If you decide to tie a quilt, follow the instructions for the batting to determine how far about the ties should be. Some batts say 4", some 8" and so on. That applies to quilting on your DSM as well.
Yet another alternative is to use one of the "quilt as you go' techniques for your quilt. I've never done it, so have no opinion on whether is it better or worse than the previously mentioned techniques.
- Your sewing machine - Sounds like it is just fine for you to use on a first quilt, second quilt, maybe on all the quilts you ever make. When you know that you like quilting as a long term hobby, then invest in a better sewing machine when you can afford it.
Enough from me. Enjoy your quilting.