Anybody ever use home dec fabrics for quilting? I'm trying to make a little baby girl quilt and some of the fabrics I've found on line that seem to go best are home dec fabrics. I'm curious if anyone has used them and found them workable in a quilt (I need softness in it for the baby...).

I tend to quilt with anything that falls on my hands. I have used even the upholstery samples that come stappled together for showing. I have a friend who gave me some when a line became discontinued and that quilt I made was great. A little tough to quilt, because is very high count threads, but with a jean needle, is doable. I also opened my seams, rather than folding to the darker, since with that thickness nothing will show.

I have also used terry cloth, minky, silk, and even embroidered organza. You name it. One of my next ones is going to have lace and a brocade I got in NYC. Just let your imagination roll and don't stop by rules. Set your own. You will find some difficulties along the way, but you can figure out a way to overcome them.

Maria

Hmmm, not sure, but if you mean what I would call 'upholstery' fabric (what you would use for cushions, curtains, sofa's etc) I would think that it is much thicker than typical quilting 100% cotton, and I would think that most of it would be man made fabrics. Sometimes it is 'treated' with fire-retardant chemicals?

I am totally supposing with this info, I guess it depends on the type and style of fabric you can find. I use some for cushion cover backs, found it difficult to work with (it didn't crease very well on the seams, and frayed quite a lot)

I wish it was as good as 100% cotton, as there is a rag market near me that sells nothing but home decor fabric, and it is CHEAP!

I have one of those shops near by. I would not rule out a visit. I got a lot of it at some point, made a small quilt and used it as a rug. (nothing like a rug you choose 100% of the colors and style). If you serge the edges before sewing that takes care of the fraying. The seams don't lie flat initially, but you can hold them down with your quilting.

Maria

Some of the home dec fabrics are really soft feeling, I think I would want to be able to feel it first, especially in a baby's quilt.

Is it washable?

if its for a baby to be used you want something washable.

if you're going to be hanging it on the wall in the babys room you can use whatever fabric you like.

I've used curtain fabric for children's quilts intended for playing, picnics, car travel, etc., rather than for bedding. It makes tough little quilts, that seem to wash well. I open the seams, and back with fleece rather than using batting and a backing fabric. My local home decor shops often give away sample (small) curtains that are intended for shop display, at the end of the season, and I unpick these, and two will make a small quilt.

I had a bad experience with dec. fabric. It was my very first king size quilt. I was still a beginner. Made a very pretty quilt for my mother for christmas and after I washed it the seams started spreading apart. Kinda not fixable. My mother is a sweetheart and still puts it on her bed :)

(The weave wasn't tight enough)

I generally stick to cotton for quilting but I have used some blends in more artsy work. Whatever you use for the little one, it should be soft, and it should handle repeated spit-up with an easy care program.