I prefer Moda - Kona solids are just too stiff!

This is great info, thank you for posting this! I knew what "PFD" stood for but not what it really MEANT as far as how the fabric was treated.

I have been seeing this lately! There's a short article about them in one of my quilting mags recently, and some quilt shop/guild/club or another just sent me an email talking about it. (Might have been American Quilters Society? In fact I think it was, because there was a member price that was $5-something.) I have a pretty huge stash of solids right now but I've bookmarked the site; next time I am in need of some solids I'm going to give them a try! I like the idea of buying American-made cotton and if it's of decent quality I'll start stashing it.

I am perplexed by the use of solids and for the life of me can't figure out how to use them :(! Silly, I know.

One of the many sites I get e-mails from is Over the Rainbow; I have ordered from them and have been pleased. This weekend, I received an e-mail from them that led to some browsing and came upon this http://overrainbow.com/cgi-bin/Store...es=0&lastmenu= The colors are beautiful, and if I were in the market for solids, I'd certainly give them a try. Grown and manufactured in the US! Over the Rainbow is selling them for $5.95 (preorders).

Oops - meant to also mention I have purchased Kona white @ Joanns for a couple of projects that needed solid white (I can stretch that far, lol) and have had no problems with it at all. There isn't much fabric I buy there anymore, but this was fine.

As far as winding fabric on bolts, it's possible that they were combining partial bolts for the sake of saving room. They often have several partial bolts.

I just searched and the American made fabric is not sold within 200 miles of my house. The Kona sold at my JoAnns is not Kaufman. The quality isn't as good as Kaufman. I like the Kaufman kona solids. I can't say about the Moda because I haven't used them. I'm not sure the shops sell it here. I would like to try it.

It looks like a store local to me might carry the American brand. I might check it out in the morning to see if it's something I can use. I hope so.
Rodney

Kona cotton! I love it.

Maybe, maybe not. The LQS stores here sell RK Kona solids, and they are of thicker colorfast quality. The Hancock Fabrics store sells Kona, but no RK name on the label. They are thinner than worn out sheets, fray terribly, and the colors are not always even. I will stock up when there are sales at LQS, as I am always using them and I want fabric that will last and the 1/4" seams are still there when I start putting the blocks together. Fraying is annoying. We have even driven 70 miles to stock up on Moda solids as I prefer those.

i like them both, but i have definitely had more issues with the rk konas raveling.

aileen

It all depends on where she bought the white Kona from. All Kona is not created equal.

there are American made solids.....I cannot remember who sent email....American Quilter' Society ???

You are obviously very kind hearted, but the bolt they were removing the fabric FROM was NOT Kaufman's Kona Solids while the one they were putting it ON was.

Thanks for posting this thread. I have been looking for some black fabric. Not sure where to purchase. Thanks for the link. I did go to Over the Rainbow and placed an order. I also found a small place in my county that sells, AMB fabric.
Her prices are more expensive. BrendaK

I am actually shocked that anyone would prefer Kona over Moda Bella. When I've needed solids I used Kona and wasn't thrilled and when I found Moda Bella at a quilt show I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. The hand and drape is so superior, but that is my opinion. Northcut has some new solids, but I haven't tried them. I bought my Kona at a quilt shop and they had a ton of colors and they were all thinner and just not as nice. I think you just need to get some samples of each and see the difference. I like when I talk about Moda Bella I am talking about one fabric line - the Kona name seems to have gotten hijacked and you have to be careful where you buy it, and the quality differs.

here's why I use solids for some things
 

[QUOTE=peaceandjoy;6675500]I am perplexed by the use of solids and for the life of me can't figure out how to use them :(! Silly, I know.

The first quilt is scrappy Triple Irish Chain and the second quilt is my Ocean Waves, made with over 4,000 2" hst. Sometimes a busy quilt with some solids like these give the eyes a chance to rest. I, also use them to put embroidery into a quilt. Sometimes I make pillowcases in solids with quilted cuffs - shows off the quilting. I'm going to do that with the Ocean Waves quilt - make the body of the pillowcase black and put some hst in the cuff.
My icon is an example of using solids for embroiderey

My significant other is a hand-dyer, and uses nothing but Moda Bella Solids. The white fabric dyes beautifully and has a wonderful hand--very soft.

Over the years, I've use solids from many manufacturers. In addition to Kaufman's Kona Cotton Solids and Moda's Bella Solids, I've used Marcus Brothers Centennial Solids, Northcott's ColorWorks Premium Solids, P&B's Colorspectrum Solids, and RJR's Cotton Supreme Solids. I think the only major manufacturer I've missed is Michael Miller's Cotton Couture Solids and that's mostly because it's not carried locally for me while all the others are (I also think the collection name is just a bit snooty, but perhaps the fabric lives up to it).

The OP only asked about the Kaufman and Moda lines, but if I had to choose just two out of the six with which I have experience, they would be RJR and Marcus Brothers, in that order. Both have been exceptional in every way for me and are limited only by colors available (RJR has 150, Marcus has 58).

I use Kona but only by Robert Kauffman, sometimes it will state Kona but if the R trademark symbol is missing it is not by RK.

I prefer Kona solids. I don't think they fray as much when you are working with them..........
Just my opinion

I love my kona. I buy it in bulk from Joann's with coupons. I have never once had an issue with it beig funky in any way. The only thing I don't like is cutting black. It always leaves a mess on my mat. But that's any black fabric so black is a rarely used color for me

You're the second person to say Kona black leaves a mess when you cut it. That's never happened to me with any fabric and I'm on my 5th bolt of Kona black. What kind of mess do you mean?

Just got notified my american made solid (one yard) is on the way from P of K AND the color card of all the solid colors is coming too. Can't wait to see the colors in person, then buy some in colors I need for backgrounds. Will wash the material and see how it washes and report back.

Moda fan here. Have tried both and just prefer Moda.

I love Moda Bella Solids. I tried Kona and didn't care for it. Too heavy and it raveled too much.