Question about Muslin
 

I am always asking for help. Thanks to all of you that are so willing to share your knowledge. I ordered some bleached muslin from Joann's. It was one of the most expensive (though none of them cost that much) ones. I want to try a wholecloth. It is sooo thin. I would like to know if it will be ok to use for a wholecloth before I spend hours marking it. Thanks.

Hmmmm, maybe for the backing but probably not for the front. someone who knows more will help you figure out what to use for the front.

I've looked at all the muslins at Joann's and was amazed at how thin they were. My friend bought me some so I could back a quilt her father made years ago. Like nativetexan said, I think it's okay for the back of a quilt, but not for the front, or anything you want to look at very often.

I wouldn't. I would be concerned about the batting showing through, especially if you're using something with nubs, such as Warm & Natural. I think for a wholecloth I'd pick out some Kaufman Kona or Moda Bella, they come in a range of solid colors and are of good quality and thickness.

Moda makes a good muslin. I like Moda Bella too.

http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/Item...-Muslin--m-205

I agree - use it on the back of the quilt, but find something nicer for the front. If you're going to spend the time quilting a wholecloth, then use the best you can afford.

Janet

A lot of times if you prewash muslin, it will shrink and the weave will tighten up a lot. I don't normally prewash but, with a muslin like this, I would try washing a piece first to see how it turns out (before washing the whole piece). My bet is it will be fine after washing. (For a whole cloth quilt, though, I'd probably want to use a Moda or Kaufman Kona muslin. Be aware that not all Kona muslins are Kaufman Kona. Kaufman Kona is the good one.)

Roc Lon Muslin is a very good muslin with a 70 +/- thread count. Joann carries Roc Lon, but their muslin is not the 70 thread count -- I think it may be considerably less than 60 which is why it costs less there. You can find Roc Lon on line. However, I agree with the other ladies that Kaufman Kona, Moda Bella are great cottons for wholecloth. They are both 60 count and your should get some nice hand stitches on them. I just bought a Michael Miller solid for a crib wholecloth that I love the sheen. I haven't hand quilted on it yet as I'm still designing the quilt. A number of the British and Welsh wholecloths are made with cotton sateen. I haven't quilted on it but my research tells me that if you want your stitching to show, that's the fabric to use. Of course, it's more costly than Kaufman or Moda. I have some cotton sateen that I plan to make another crib quilt. If I like it, I may use it for a king wholecloth. If I'm going to put that much work into it, I want it to look the best I can make it.

I forgot to mention Oakshott fabric. I wasn't familiar with it until I read Barbara Chainey's blog. She's a British quilter and says this is all she uses. I googled Oakshott and it appears you can find it in the US. Again, it's pricier than Kaufman, Moda and Michael Miller.

I've used Joanne 120" wide 200 ct muslin for the back of quilt and painting. They've been fine.

For a whole cloth, that's a LOT OF WORK, I'd be sure every step is as good as I can do.

Some people don't like muslin, but I like it fine. You are going to use batting between the layers so it won't be see through when you're done.

I also echo Prism's comment up there about how it shrinks up. ;)

I agree with the comments above. Most times I am not a "name brand" shopper when it comes to fabric, I usually go by feel and sight. However when putting this much work into quilt, or when shopping on line, quality really matters.

I used Moda muslin in the quilt in my avatar along with Ricky Tims hand dyes. I buy it by the bolt from Hancocks of Paducah so Im sure I get the same dye lot. Not all muslin is created equal!

I purchased some heavyweight unbleached muslin at Walmart ($3.97/yd.) that I am using for hand embroidery and really like it. I am not sure how it would be quilting as it is firmer than most other cottons.

I use Muslin a lot for backing but I don't know about the front. I guess it would work. It does okay for the backs.

Just a few comments, Roc Lon makes several qualities of muslin. I think there are seven or eight different quality muslins produced by Roc Lon. I prefer the Roc Lon that says permanent press, preshrunk( there is still some shrinkage but not as much as non-shrunk) it is Roc Lon 403 or 404 depending on bleached or unbleached. This is such a staple for me I buy it by the bolt.
Kona is a registered trade mark of Robert Kaufman , no other company can use it. The quality is very good. Moda muslin is also very good quality.
I have had recient good luck with wide muslin at JoAnns marketed under the Legacy Brand. I went for the Wide Kona , they were out , but the bolt of wide Legacy was a surprise at how nice the quality really was.

I just finished a blue/green/white batik quilt for my son. I wanted a really nice feel, sturdy, thick, true white fabric for the piecing and the back. After several different purchases at different kinds, I found that the Legacy Studio Bleached White 112" wide is the best. It is the same price as the Roc-Lon and Sew Essentials, but a much better quality, IMHO. You might want to check it out. I have always loved the feel of the Legacy Studio prints and now I love the solids too. I hope that they start making more solid colors. HTH

For my wholecloth quilt I used 108" fabric for the top and backing, It worked beautifully!

I think the confusion about Kaufman Kona is because there is a manufacturer by the name of Kona Bay. Solid colors made by Kona Bay are not the same quality as Kona solids made by Kaufman.

I think if I were going to do a wholecloth, I would want a quilt shop quality white for the front, you could use the muslin on the back, but I believe you will be happier with a better fabric to do all that intricate work on.

Oh, please be careful! A couple of years ago I used some muslin in my stash to make a scrappy quilt and discovered that the muslin shrunk (shrank?) and wrinkled up like an accordian when I washed it. Had to take the whole quilt apart. If you feel you must use muslin, wash it first! Measure before and after washing. A wholecloth takes so much time I'm sure you will want it to display your ability and not how you can make a pretty prune.

Personally, I would not use it it it is that thin. I buy muslin by the bolt, but the one I buy is not that thin. I don't think they make muslin like they use to. I cannot find the thick kind anymore.

I bought some tea-dyed Roc-Lon muslin at WalMart that SAID "Preshunk" on the label on the end of the bolt.

I soaked it in hot water and it shrank A LOT! (I measured before and after)

I liked the feel of it a lot better after it was soaked, washed, and dried.

But the shrinkage was noteworthy. (I'm very gllad I ignored the label!)

If I have learned anything, it's trust your instincts. If you are concerned about the thinness, you probably won't be happy in the long run.

Oh, by the way Ricky Tims hand dyes are made with muslin! It goes through several hot water baths to set the dyes.