Avoiding stiffness in machine quilting
 

I have a project in the works using unbleached Osnaburg and a compatible fabric. One of the nice qualities of these fabrics is the way they drape. Aside from not quilting too closely, do you have any other suggestions for how to preserve the suppleness of the finished quilt? The current plan is to use Warm & Natural batting, but there's plenty of time to change that. Would a layer of flannel be better?

The design of the quilt (Rail Fence) allows for stitch-in-the-ditch or another type of straight-line quilting, if that's preferable. Would using a longer stitch produce a more relaxed result? All thoughts welcome!

contrary to popular belief, close quilting does not affect the drape of a quilt as much as type of batting used and type of thread. Yes, very heavy quilting with a heavy cotton thread (like King Tut) can also affect "stiffness" but the batting will make more of a difference in the end. It is my experience that W&N is the stiffest of the bunch. Especially when quilted close. If you want a cotton batting and want to quilt closely I would recommend going to one of the Quilters Dream cotton battings. Other battings that will maintain lovely drape and softness and impacted minimally by dense quilting would be wool, bamboo and silk. Hobbs 80/20 blend will also maintain drape better with closer quilting. But when I refer to close quilting I am talking very dense background fills like pebbling, mctavishing or micro meander (aka stipple). If doing straight line it would consist of spacing no less than 1/4" apart. If you are quilting 2" or more spacing then you will not have any issues with stiffness no matter what batting and thread you use. And W&N has a tendency to soften up a lot with use and repeated washings. Much like a pair of jeans.

Thank you, that's really helpful. I just ordered some Quilter's Dream, figuring I'll use it even if it ends up that it's not in this quilt. I probably should have mentioned that this quilt is for a beach house (East Coast), so its task would mostly be warding off the chill at night, or early and late in the season. In other words, I'm not going for a sumptuous, cozy hi-loft quilt. I was planning on using cotton thread unless it's stiffer.

In my opinion, Quilter's Dream is the Cadillac of batting. I hope you are able to get the results you are looking for.

I can't answer any questions about stitch density or suppleness of quilted item, but the only times I have seen osnaburg mentioned is in Nannette Holmberg's books on making faux chenille quilts and garments. That gave me the impression it frayed easily.

I have seen Thermore by Hobbs suggested for use in quilted vests and jackets. It is advertised as non-bearding, for "fine, quilted projects", and hand or machine washable. It is resin treated polyester fiber.

If you want to quilt with cotton thread, look for a thin one. King Tut is beautiful, but it's 40 wt and will produce stiff results. I've had good luck with Presencia 60wt Cotton Thread. They do make thinner cotton, but I've only seen it in small spools, and it might be too delicate. You might want to consider a 70 wt polyester.

I imagine it does; it's pretty loosely woven, with ~30 threads per inch. I'm hoping I can handle it without too much trouble. The design is a simple one and I can starch, if that will help. Is fraying a concern beyond the assembly stage? In other words, once the quilt is put together, do I need to worry about fraying?

I'm getting a great education here - many thanks!

The only batting I use when I want close intricate machine quilting is wool or silk blend and Glide thread, top and bobbin. I use W&N for utility quilts for the kids with no close quilting.

With loosely woven fabrics, you often use a larger seam allowance because the more open weave can cause it to pull apart at the seams. 1/2" vs. 1/4". Also, Osnaburg can often shrink a lot putting stress on the seams. Having stated both of these, however, heavy quilting should help stabilize the fabric.

I'll preshrink the Osnaburg, twice if that's a good idea. That should help with shrinking once it's assembled, shouldn't it?

My original idea was to quilt concentric rings, and according to what I'm reading here, it should be OK. How close should the lines be, considering the loosely-woven fabric and the hope to keep things from getting stiff?