Originally Posted by
AriMeij
Hi
I had a question whether to use cotton or polyester for quilting/piecing. I know there is another thread talking about this but my question is more specific...
I am a beginner and I am going to use a jelly roll for the first time. Now I read that the jelly rolls (specifically from Kauffman) shrink a lot but that is preferable not to pre-wash them because of the potential distortion of the grain and the amount of fraying it can happen. Also because it’s crispier without pre-wash and that makes cutting easier...
anywho, this got me thinking: polyester does not shrink, cotton shrinks. With this in mind, wouldn’t it be best to quilt in this case (without pre-washing fabric) with a cotton thread of weight 40? Then when the shrinkage occurs it would not pucker as much?
Excuses for my long question but this is something I am unable to find a clear answer on... 😅
thank you
You may not get equal shrinkage on both fabric and thread.
I just finished a quilt using preshrunk cotton, used quality 60 and 80 wt. cotton threads to piece. I decided to wash it in cold water. Dried on low heat. Now I have rumpled seams. I'm sick that this happened. I want to iron it but fear breaking threads. Interesting thing, I ironed seams while assembling. Why wouldn't the thread shrink then? And can I iron it without breaking thread?
I think from now on I'll use polyester thread to piece.