Is it my imagination?
 

I got a lot of fat quarters at an estate sale, and they are higher quality than anything I have ever bought myself. I am loving making sampler quilt tops with them. My question is about solids -- I buy the Moda or Kona, but they seem a looser weave than the prints. Is this true? I can't think of any reason, so it must be me...

I have thought the same thing. I love the colors of Kona Cotton Solids but they do seem to ravel more. I thought it was my imagination too.

I wash mine first, seems to tighten up the weave a bit. :)

I think kona is a broadcloth so it is a looser weave, not sure about moda solids as i haven't used them.

Ive never had a problem with either- but then again i hadnt noticed the change.. IM still using stash from a few years ago.. the older broadcloth is what i had issues with.. too thin..

What they call broadcloth at Hancock's is, I think, a cotton/poly blend. Is that what you mean? What brand should I be buying to get as fine a cloth as these prints (which are from different lines)?

OK, Kona cotton is 100% cotton made by Robert Kaufman. The best place to find it is Hancock's of Paducah @ $5.98 a yard. It is NOT a broadcloth which has polyester in it. You can see the cheap broadcloth they sell at the huge chain fabric stores that we all get flyers and emails from.

I use to buy broadcloth years ago to make shorts. It was never thin, I found it to be heavier than 100% cotton. I do think it had polyester in it, all of it's good qualities is why I used it for shorts. The old 100% cotton was almost impossible to iron the wrinkles out of.
I don't buy name brand fabrics as they don't seem to be better quality than the cheaper fabrics I buy. I always buy by feel.

at my not so LQS I found name brand designer fqs that were rough and open and personally not so nice of a 'hand' than some. I asked who they were made by, but they were in a tied bundle and she couldn't see. So I guess even name brand doesn't always mean quality?

I have also noticed that cotton has changed over the last 20-30 years. What used to be called a percale sheet does not exist any more, what is called percale now would have been a cheap muslin sheet then. The 100% cotton I get at Hancock's to make shirts out of is rough and needs ironing, not so fun in summer. I hate to think I need to pay $12+/yd to get decent weave, knowing it all comes from China these days.

Did the photo of my dog appear? I have followed direction an never seem to get the picture in the right place. Must be doing something wrong but don't know what.

Yes, cute dog is front and center.

Yes, the solids of all fabrics seem thinner to me...

There is a lot of variation in 100% cotton, I do wash all of it before I use it. I have not encountered and problems with the current Kona Bay with which I have been working.

I buy Moda solids exclusively as I found my Kona bled............blacks and reds. Moda solids seemed to be the same quality to me though as their prints.

Perhaps the reason fabrics feel different is the thread count and thread weight in the fabric. Batiks are a higher thread count with finer weight thread. Most cotton fabrics used in quiiler fabric are about 75 thread count and some solid colors like Kaufman are 68 and some fabric even less thread count. And the finishing process of fabric also makes a different in the feel to our touch. So glad as quilters when we can see, touch and decide what we like. Happy quilting

I find the Kona solids thicker than the other fabric i buy and I only buy from LQS. I buy top of the line.

I have used the Kaufman Kona fabric. I feel that it is a coarser weave than other cottons. It does seem to fray some but I haven't had it fray enough that it was a problem. I thought I used to get the Kaufman kona at JoANns and Hobby Lobby. The color selection wasn't good but they had some. Mone don't seem to carry it any more. The have Kona but it definately isn't Kaufman. I haven't used Moda.

I've searched on the web but still can't get a straight answer. Closest I came was Broadcloth is a plain weave but Homespun is a twill. Here in Australia what we call Homespun is a plain colour. What you call Muslin we call Calico. The LQS also sell what they call Quilters Muslin but which is actually Calico that has been processed more. The difference is the price. Calico $1.99 - $5.99 per metre depending on width and quality, Quilters Muslin $25.00 per metre. I buy Calico by the roll and process it myself. It ends up ivory/off white colour and is soft and lasts for years.
As for our homespun I think that must be what you call broadcloth but we now get different qualities (generally from India or Pakistan) but it's still only $7.99 per metre. I started using Moda Bella Solids a couple of years ago and like the quality very much. I know my BFF likes our Homespun. We can also buy a mottled one as well. Makes the colour a lot more subtle. I remember Broadcloth and Headcloth from school. Headcloth was used for handtowels and tray cloths.

I can tell a big difference from different fabric manufacturers. I will look at Northcott fabric first when looking for fabric for a quilt. I have a short list of brands of fabric I will buy.

Northcott solids: http://northcott.net/?sid=2&layout=2...26&colorid=704

If it was an estate sale the fabrics could be older. I remember when I was in high school I sewed all my own clothes and the fabric was so mush more quality then. I can actually feel feel the difference. I still had a lot left over but gave them away. Now I am sorry. I have also found that the colors feel different. They must dyd different.
Lynda

I have been a huge fan of Kona for years but am finding the new pieces I purchase aren't as nice as the ones I have lingering in my stash. I purchased some of the Moda Bella and solids and fell in love with them. When (or if) I use the Kona I will be replacing with Moda Bella and solids.

There is cotton broadcloth and there is cotton/poly blend broadcloth. Kona Cotton Solids and Moda Bella Solids are both 100% cotton broadcloths with a thread count of 60. Quilt shop quality cotton prints are in the 68 to 75 thread count range. That's why the solids feel looser to you. Prewashing tightens the weave if that's what you want.

Broadcloth does not refer to the fiber content, it refers to the manufacturing method.

I was going through fabric that I have had for thirty years or more last week and I started noticing how much better it was than the fabrics I have bought in the last couple of years. It was fabric that was made in the USA. Some is from my DM's stash and I know it was bought very cheap but it had a better hand than some I have payed ten dollars a yard for.

This is one reason I like to buy local. I like to feel the weave. If it's real thin and depending on the cost, I may or may not buy it. I always take it home and pre-wash whatever I buy.