Just re-reading this thread...in essence, none of us can agree, so try them both for yourself! LOL

I just got an email from Red Rock Threads, they are clearancing out all their fabric, and I noticed they have a lot of Bella solids for about $5/yard.

Bella definitely. I purchased RK Kona at a lqs and it was thin and rough. I needed the color tho so bought it. I hated the hand and it was see thru - the lqs had scads of colors and from what I sampled all the Kona was the same, so I don't even look at it now. I love Bella's hand and I've never had a fray prob with it and I use it lots.

I bought some Bella solid yardage yesterday. Cut off a yard, sewed along raw edges and washed it. Boy, was I glad I sewed the raw edges, it raveled right up to the stitching.

I've used both and have decided that it really depends on the "firmness" of the fabric that I want to use......both fray easily. I do think the Kona is the heavier blend and I do make sure it is the RK brand. I really haven't found any solid fabric that does not fray a lot. I just finished a quilt from a kit I bought 15 years ago.....(I know, it's old, but I'm finally dealing with some stash). I'm sure it was Kona and it frayed like crazy! I find the Kona almost impossible to use for applique.

Just a thought, but those who have a problem with Kona and Bella raveling might want to try the new American Made Brand (AMB) by Clothworks.

It's a shirting weight fabric with a higher thread count (78x74) than Kona and Bella, both broadcloths with a 60x60 count. AMB currently has just 50 colors but I'm sure they'll add to the line as it grows in popularity.

I prefer Bella by Moda more so than Kona. I had some red Kona bleed like the dickens on me once. Never have the Bella reds bleed. The quality of Bella is good too. Like the feel of it, not thin but sturdy. I usually try to buy by the bolt of the basic colors like white, off white and beige as I can always find a use for them. For a future quilt I picked up a bolt plus 15 yds of their plum solid to use for valances, bed skirt and in the quilt. Figure this amount would be enough or I sure hope it will be.

OUCH! Hope you learned that you NEVER wash an unquilted top! No matter what it's made of... That will always make it ravel away into the seam allowance. Not the fabric's fault...

I love the feel of Bella Solids by Moda. There is a new solid out, called Dream Cotton, sold at Marshall's Dry Goods. I was told it was milled at the same place as Bella solids, which tells me it's just about the same thing. I have to say it IS a dream... the yummiest cotton yet.

I don't know about Bella-but Kona feels "heftier" than some of the other quilting cottons I have..

That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but to me, it's almost skirt/bottom weight, as compared to shirt/blouse weight.

Kona is - in my opinion - very unwieldy for needle turn applique.