Foundation for string quilt.
 

I was given flannel scraps and want to make string quilts. I have not done this before and what should I use for foundation? Thanks for the help!

A couple of thoughts, 1) look at your oldest, ugliest, most see-through cotton fabrics, and use up some stash. 2) if you have muslin on hand, try that. 3) if you belong to a guild, or local group that does charity quilts, and the quilt will ultimately be for charity, ask if you can have some of their old, ugly, see-through fabric or muslin.

All suggestions are completely serious -- I just took over Charity Quilts for my guild, and the amount of fabric in my house easily quadrupled overnight. Some of the whites are practically see-through and would be perfect for foundations. Liz

Thanks Liz!

Also, check out your local thrift and consignment shops for bed sheets :)

How about paper. Didn't MSQ have 10" paper squares for sale as a base for strip quilting. After the paper is filled you trim of excess for the square.

I acquired a cheap bolt of "too thin to use" muslin. I wrote "use for strip quilting foundation" on the bolt, and it has served me well.

Use the thinnest fabric you can find. I like the thin muslin. I would not suggest using paper squares as they are a pain to tear off. One thing to be careful, these things are addictive. Ask me how I know.

Phone book pages

One thought that I had about using flannel is the shrinkage - if it wasn't washed before it was turned into scraps it could shrink up something fierce after the quilt is done, and if the foundation doesn't shrink too you could have problems. I usually wash and dry flannel twice before I use it. Of course you can't do that with scraps.

It's also a good idea to use a bigger than usual seam allowance - I've had some 1/4" seam allowances in flannel shred and come apart (purchased at my LQS. :thumbdown:)

Go to Lowe's and buy a roll of "Sediment Shield for trenches". It keeps dirt out of water drainage pipes underground. It comes in various widths, weighs nothing, can stay in your quilt (don't have to tear it off) and is very economical. I'm using it for 12" selvedge blocks I'm collecting.

That was my first thought too, especially since flannel is heavier to begin with.

I generally use inexpensive muslin for foundations. I do prewash it before cutting, cut my squares ( or rectangles) a couple inches larger than I want my blocks - that gives me plenty of room to play with my scraps- then when I get all my blocks finished I trim them to all the same size.
Sometimes I find I have many scraps of white, or a light fabric that are long strips maybe cut from quilt backings and I use those for foundations then it’s all scraps in the quilt. :)

Bought that sediment stuff...works great...roll will last 2 lifetimes! But before that I used tissue paper (gift wrap), or telephone books- don't see them anymore-and now I get perspectives in the mail, same thin paper so I can use them, better than trying to read/understand them. I used fabric once, to heavy, even though it was a low grade muslin...paper is crisper to work with..jmho

I use old bed sheets which I have cut into squares slightly larger than the finished size of the blocks. My wife really likes to buy new sheets every few months, so I have a good supply of fabric to use for foundations. It's a shame, sometimes, that the foundations don't show in the finished quilts; they can really be quite colorful.

I also re-purpose bed sheets.

I have done several string quilts. Most of them with uneven sized strings. I have used several different foundations but the one I like the best is phone book pages. However, I do take the paper off as soon as I have the block squared up. I am working on one for 2 years, as I tire of the same thing. I have 32 done but need over 60. Am going to a quilt retreat in Feb and one in April and hoping to at least finish up making the blocks then. But I so enjoy looking at all the different colors and remembering other quilts I have made. They become addictive.

I am going to look into this option. I like the idea that it can stay in the quilt and is economical. Thanks for the heads up.

I made a quilt with small 6" squares while staying in my RV. I used dryer sheets that my friend saved for me. Worked out pretty good and used my leftovers. Saved me because I had finished my quilt top and was dying to keep making more!

I have used Pattern Ease or Easy Patern for foundation and it makes a lighter weight quilt than muslin. It does not need to be removed. These products are used for tracing patterns when there are multiple sizes on a pattern. It is nonwoven thin fabric similar to an interfacing. I love string quilts and have made tons of them. Have fun!

I use a web mesh stabilizer. I have rolls of it that I use for machine embroidery. It is soft, pliable, washes well and keeps it's shape. I especially like it because it can stay on the block and I do not have to remove it. I use it for all my embroidery quilt blocks. I get mine from a shop in Conroe, TX, but it can also be purchased at almost any shop that sells stabilizer of any kind.

I've never made a string quilt, it's on my to-do list and I plan on using cheapo muslin since I have a bolt that I use for garment mock-ups, I know how to build the blocks but when you're putting the blocks together to make a flimsy
1: are you still using the standard 1/4" seam allowance
2: are you pressing seams to the side or open
3: is it possible to use selvages in a string block, I have tons of selvage edges

My thought would be, have you considered how extremely heavy a flannel string quilt with all the seams and foundation will be? If it is washed, how will it be dried?

Foundation papers
 

My favorite foundation for string blocks is the paper sheets that are used in a deli. I purchase them at Sam's Club for less that $10.00 a box of 500 sheets. My second choice is a grade school paper table purchased from the Dollar Tree.

I use the deli sheets from Sam's too. Cheap and easy to remove.

I thought about using 1/2 inch seam allowance and now I will do that. I cannot was the scraps and It also is a concern.

When I make my string quilts, three of them. I cut squares the size I wanted out of backing fabric, cut batting same size, And sewed scrap strips, made them QAYG. I followed a tutorial on here by Ditter.

I bought parchment paper from the dollar store and use that because I can cut the paper to the size I want, all you have to do is remember to shorten your stitch length.

the 3 I've made I made strip sets and then used those to make large HST using another fabric for one half of the HST--I didn't use any foundation and since you don't have a bias on the outsides, I didn't have issues with distortion.

This is what I do as well, however, I remove the phone book paper first, then starch then square up to the size I want. Since my strings can be uneven and not always on straight of grain I get a block that is squared up AFTER I take the paper off. just in case I stretch it as I take the paper off.

Can the Sediment Shield be pressed? I purchased some light weight stuff, probably for making patterns & it melted. Made a mess of my iron.

If you have flannel scraps that are too small to wash in a machine. I would take them and soak in very hot water, put them in a lettuce spinning to get the wash out and lay flat to dry. This will shrink the flannel and you will also know if any are going to bleed. I made a small flannel quilt and didn't check for bleeding, now I have a red ? pink quilt.

I have used old copy paper; put one line on it and go; I shorten the stitch length so it's easy to tear off; while watching tv or for keeping kids or grands busy removing the paper. I haven't found it that hard to remove.

No, the iron will melt it. I press only from the front side, and carefully.

Good tip! I know stretching does happen sometimes when I remove my paper.

what a great way to use those stock perspectives!!! And to think I just hauled off a bunch to the recycle center.

I have used Kab-net wax paper, it's the type of thing with which a deli would wrap a sandwich. I got mine at Sam's Club or Costco, and the sheets come in a dispenser box that makes them easy to pull out, rather like kleenex. It's enough to last forever and tears off easily.

I totally agree!
 

We have a free table at my guild and sometimes I can pick up really thin fabric (I like to use white or light) and then I cut it into 12" or 10" squares, whatever I need for my current string project.

Suggestion: You might want to have one color or B/W in the center to make the quilt more cohesive. Just a thought. BTW, I have never done a flannel string project. I would love to see what you do with it.

BUT.......just be sure you don't let a hot iron touch it, 'cause it melts. And with that statement, you don't have to ask me how I know:). I just use a big cotton dish towel to cover it for pressing. I do like it tho, doesn't seem to have bias stretch to it.

Austinite, check out Bonnie Hunter's tutorial on string piecing. She is the queen of string blocks!

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/...ng-primer.html

Maryquilts has a tutorial too: http://www.maryquilts.com/wp-content...tringsred1.pdf

to answer your questions: yes 1/4 seam, but with a foundation no one will see them. Good starter project if you are teaching someone to sew. Press to the side. Selveges are great. Google them for tons of ideas

Don't forget to come back here and show us what you made!

These were my thougts, too. I'd, also, do a dense quilting when completed to stabilize it better. I've only used 10" paper squares from MSQC so I can't speak to another foundation. I didn't have any issues with the paper. Just shorten stitch length so it perforated to tear away. Just takes seconds...