Verifying the fabric you are using is 100% cotton
 

I sure hope I am posting this to the right area. I was given a roll of un-labeled black fabric, which I would like to incorporate into a quilt, and want to be sure it's "quilt usable".

It's my understanding that you can do a "burn test" to verify whether or not fabric is 100% cotton, and wondered if anyone knows anything about it. I took a piece and lit a corner and it did hold a flame. I then took a piece of fabric I knew to be 100% cotton, and it kinda appeared to burn pretty much the same way. The black fabric DID have a little 'stiffness' to it after burning, whereas the other didn't.

My plan is to cut the black into small squares and use them as "leaders and enders" to sit next to each of my machine, pairing them with my colorful scraps. Hopefully one day a quilt will emerge.

Anyone who could offer any advice would be greatly appreciated.

The Happy Treadler :)

100 % cotton burned leaves ash. Poly melts. I use both in my quilts.

For me the poly or poly-blends melt and curl instead of burning to ash. Also take note of the smell. They smell different when burned. Good luck! :)

It not always a bad idea to have a bit of poly in a fabric . Black fabrics that are 100 percent cotton do not typically stay that beautiful dark rich black. A case on point is black cotton docker style pants .. I have many pairs in various degrees of fading. Black fabrics that have some poly content will hold color better. Do a wash test and see if it pills or otherwise does not perform as you need it to.

Here's a good chart for burn tests
http://lindrix.com/fabcontent.html

Thanks for the quick answers. I'm wondering because this fabric does burn slowly but just has small melting appearance, if it would still work in a quilt. I'd think it tells me there is at least SOME cotton in it. If it was paired up with the 100% cotton fabric, maybe it would still be OK to use.

This is a great link, thanks!