Metallic/glitter fabrics
 

Looking for advice from you more experienced quilters. Can I use fabric that has glitter in it for a quilt? It is much heavier than regular quilt fabric and is supposedly 100% cotton. I have a pattern for a quilt that uses one yard of three different fabrics and want to use it for a block that will be a 6 inch square. The pattern is called Stepping Up. Thanks in advance.

I've used glitter enhanced fabrics in a quilt. Sometimes the glitter lasts and sometimes not. That's the only difference I've noticed. The difference in weight hasn't been an issue for me.

I use the Michael Miller Fairy Frost fabric often. I have used it in wall hangings and table runners mostly and really like it for machine applique. It holds up well in the wash and I think it feels softer each time it is washed.

Thanks ladies. I did a search here and found a few topics but the content of the posts did not come up. Just the headings. I think I'll just go ahead and try it!

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bkay

Yes, definitely you can use the metallic and glitter fabrics.

Though not all are created equal.

My experience has been that some look just as good after washing/drying as when purchased.
I've had some where the glitter and metallics either disappear totally or partially with washing/drying.
Some lose their glitter just with handling.

The irony (to me) is that I have had different things happen with the same line of fabrics.

Another, that I love, the glitter bits melt with an iron ... I really should get rid of it!
But I keep hoping that sometime I will have a non-ironing project to use it in.
As if, that will happen, for me the one who presses at every step of the process!

For those that are wondering, I am thinking this is the pattern that Evy mentioned ...
https://www.fabriccafe.com/Stepping-...91421-free.htm

Some of the glitter fabrics are downright scratchy. I'm leery of metallics bc of one that changed to an ugly brown after washing. That was a long time ago, maybe they have improved? Well, actually, they must have, or wouldn't still be around.

I do like the pearlized fabrics, like MM Fairy Frost and some of the swiss dots. Just a bit of shimmer. Also not sure how those will stand up over time.

Another grouping where I have found a variation as to how they change (or not) with laundering.

I do wash all my fabrics before I work with them, so at least I know what I have,
before I set to work. But it has been disappointing at times! :(

I will use glitter fabrics in particular applications from small projects to borders on large quilts, in particular/recently my 4th of July quilt has that night sky with starbursts. I do a comfort test and don't buy ones I don't like the feel of. As others have mentioned, some stay marvelously sparkly after many washes, and others fall right off and then stick to other stuff. You just never know, but you do get a better idea after a prewash! Throw in a terry cloth hand towel or something similar to see how much it catches.

I don't usually use glitter fabrics as small pieces in scrap/charm quilts, but I throw in metallic embellished fabrics quite often. They mix and match with the other fabrics just fine.

I'm going to be doing a project soon (that means within the next couple of years...) using all metallic embellished fabrics. Haven't quite figured out what pattern yet, have 2-3 in mind. While I do have some yardage, most of these will be 10" squares I got from my swapping days many years ago. I can go a lot of different ways and I'm waiting for inspiration to strike.