Chintz - will it work?????
 

Has anyone ever used chintz to make a quilt? I have so much of it - some from the 50's and some from the 70's. I know that it's tightly woven and will probably be a pain to work with, but unless I want the Laura Ashlely curtain look throughout the house I'm going to have to do something else with the chintz. I think it is also called "polished cotton", so maybe I can pre-wash and get some of the "polish" out. Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks in advance.

I bought 2 tops at an estate auction that were made of this polished cotton. Of course, they are not quilted yet but they look good. I say go for it.

Folks make quilts out of denim, which is much heavier. I would go for it, but wash the fabric first. The glazing might be removed, but the fabric may come out softer.

Sewing since the days of chintz. If pre-washed some will soften and some will retain their crispness. Most are a tighter weave like high count sheets so I would plan simple quilting. The finished product should wear like iron.

Wasn't there a time in quilt history when chintz was sought after and wanted? I've seen a few tops along the way that have been constructed with polished cotton...looked cool

Chintz has been used in quilts since the 1700s....I have a family quilt (donated to the Textile Museum in Colonial Wiliamsburg) ca. 1780 (THEIR dating!) which has chintz appliques on it.

I probably would not handquilt one with lots of chintz in it though.

Jan in VA

Yes absolutely you can! And it is not hard to sew with either. I made this set for my bedroom with a black floral chintz mixed with some regular cottons and it worked up with no problems. It was machine quilted by a LA and I did not hear any complaints about it being hard to quilt. So I say go for it![ATTACH=CONFIG]521482[/ATTACH]

Love the quilt - it looks so elegant!

I've made a quilt out of chintz, didn't have a problem, and the quilt came out great.