A friend gave me a stash of lovely corduroy in various colors, weights, and wale widths, wanting me to make her a quilt.

I decided to do a modified log cabin with an 8" center square and 2 sets of 2" strips.

Unfortunately she seems to want it done by machine and I much prefer doing both the piecing and the quilting by hand, as I can get things to match up more easily that way.

I'm wondering if the problem is that I made my strips too narrow (2" wide) for the wider wale ones to stitch right.

Also the tiny wale width strips seem to be stretching as I sew.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I have never tried making a quilt with corduroy. Sure hope someone here can help. I'd like to see a picture when it's done. Sounds very cozy.

Me neither...not til this one, anyway. At this point it's never again either!

Mom:
It sounds as if you may have bitten off more than I would like to chew. Corduroy is a b---- to sew. It ravels unmercifully and will fray and stretch even after they're sewn. I grew up making clothes when corduroy was really in style and hated every stitch I made on it.
If I WERE to make a quilt using corduroy, I'd make a very small one. If at all possible, I'd serge it together and back it with a light weight flannel so I wouldn't need to use a batting. Weight will be a problem in keeping such a quilt together after it's finished. I would never hand stitch this project, let alone hand quilt it.
Good luck to you!
Good luck to you. If you

I have never used corduroy either.

I think the pattern is mismatched with the fabric. I've done sqaures and corduroy and that was hard enough.

Years ago, I made a crazy patch quilt, all different types of corduroy. I zigzagged the edges and then used 1/2" seams, don't know if this will help you...

Are you able to use a fusible backing on the small cord pieces? That seems like it would help to not stretch.

I would also suggest support support support... in the way of serging, machine stitching and extra quilting on the top when you're all done.

GOOD LUCK!

You are going to run into trouble along at least two sides because the ribs won't line up. I'm not sure that a wider piece would help that much. All I can recommend is PIN PIN PIN!

I wish you luck with your quilt . Years ago I bought a pack of precut quilt squares for a patchwork quilt . Not knowing then about quilting :roll: . I sewed thw squares together , no problem . Then I get the bright idea of using corduroy strips for the back [ dumb idea by the way ]. A friend had given me the corduroy strips . Well I got it together and my daughter used it on her bed [ teenager at the time ]. It frayed so much the back all came apart ! I had even zigzagged it , didn't help . Maybe the fusible interfacing might help . But this will be a very heavy quilt ! This is just one of my goofed up experiences :shock: Good luck , Annie

I have nothing constructive to add...only UGGGHHH ... What a project!!!

I've sewed for almost 50 yrs. and quilted about 30 and I would not attempt to make a quilt with those fabrics.

Honestly, I would give the friend her stash back and offer to make her a cotton quilt or denim quilt instead.

So I would be better off just doing it all 8" squares? Had kinda thought so already but there's still all those 2" strips...and I had put about a third of it together already, just not at all happy with the results.

What can I do with all the gazillion 2" strips? Can't stand the thought of wasting all of them...

At least there's plenty of fabric left to cut out more squares (like 2 tuppers full - just not much left of some of the prettiest colors).

That was one reason I was doing the log cabin type design...so the ribs didn't have to match up.

Now that I'm thinking of doing just squares I'll turn them alternating horizontal/vertical orientation of ribs.

That was one of the reasons she wanted it out of corduroy (besides the lovely soft feel)...they do a lot of outdoorsy camping type stuff and she wanted it warm and heavy and had all this lovely corduroy that was just begging to keep her all warm and cosy...

If you really want to finish this, I would stabilize the fabric the machine sew with small stitches. I don't know if I would put a batting in also. Tough call.

Does anybody have any ideas on the corduroy being used maybe in a rag quilt?

Good Luck!!! :D :D

If you have some log cabin block done, you could arrange those in a square. The use large square and build around the center of log cabin blocks.

I have made a quilt with that way and I used parchment paper to stabelize it. That way it won't stretch and you can tare the paper off when you are done. Good Luck

I would think it would be way too heavy for most washing machines when it comes time to wash it. I won't make anything except out of 100% cotton or a cotton/polyester blend, like used for clothing. I certainly would not hand sew something that would be used for outdoors, no matter what it is made of, too much time and work and don't think seams would hold. Good luck, glad it is you and not me !!!

Corderoy isn't generally a fabric used in quilt making. Especially one with so many seams as the log cabin. I have made a rag quilt with corderoy. Really pinned a lot because it stretches really bad. And used a smaller stich length. Had lint everywhere. And had to clean my machine several times during the process. The finished quilt did turn out with the raveling technique. It was a heavy quilt. Only a lap size. I made it for my grand daughter to take to school for the nurses office. good luck on your quilt :)

Could you turn your 2 inch pieces into sashing? My mom made me a quilt with corduroy and it is HEAVY. Nearly unusable, but I love her effort. It's beautiful, just not practical.
Good luck.
Lois

i would take the 2 inch strips and lay them side by side on some fusible interfacing and iron them to it. then cut the fusible in between the strips. that will give them stability. good luck.

I'd just put the gazillion 2" strips into a bag for Goodwill; I'm pretty sure they will see that a paper mill gets it so it can be recycled into ragstock paper.

For the prettiest colors, maybe you could sew the strips together to make a square. As someone else mentioned, you could back these with a stabilizer or fusible so they don't distort with handling.

I honestly don't know if starching would help stabilize corduroy until the quilt is finished, but I would give it a try. It's best to starch before cutting, though. I paint on a 1:1 solution of water and Sta-Flo laundry starch, throw saturated fabric in the dryer, then iron with steam. You could try this on a so-so piece first.

I only made one corduroy quilt when I was a beginner. I cute the strips 3" and serged them, so no raw edges and nothing to trim. Also, I did not put batting in only a backing. My nephew used it as his nap time quilt. It was on the floor a lot and it was pretty durable. If you have a serger that would be how I'd recommend you go. Also, with corduroy you have to think of the nap and how that's going to look. Good luck. Show us your finished quilt.

I agree with an earlier suggestion about putting fusible backing on it . .that will keep it from stretching and will also help in keeping it all straight!

Question about using the fusible backing...Won't that also make the pieces stiff? When I've used it for applique on flannel bibs it did. Or did I get the wrong kind?

I'm sorry but I think she should be grateful you will take the time to make the quilt for her. She should let you do it your way.

You have the right idea, but I would have used wider strips, at least 3/4 inches. The first thing I would have done before cutting is mark each piece with marker which does not fade (I used a ball point pen) where the cut would be. The next step before cutting is make a narrow zig-zag stitch just inside the marked line. This will get rid of most of the raveling and will make your seam more stable. I also would zig-zag the seams, again more stabililty. I've done this with crazy patch pillows. Believe me it works. It also works with napped wool and other fabrics that tend to ravel.

I think you should make big sq's and put a back on it.call it done.

if I were you I would try running a seam of zigzag on the edges that stretch and see if that helps the ones on the bias should not stretch as mush

There are probably craft projects that could be done with your strips. I understand the desire not to waste them but if it was me...my sanity would be at stake.

Yes, all the fusibles would make the pieces stiffer. The light-weight ones are much better than regular-weight, but they still do add stiffness to the fabric.

Mes Libby-the pieces are all straight strips, but when I sew them some of them stretch and others don't, hence the variation in the finished size of some of the blocks.

Don't know if this will help but i remember in school a lot of years ago that we had to staystitch around all edges of cordary and wool i have only did one quilt and it was of wool denium and cordary and then tied but i did staystitch around all edges to keep them from stretching and raveling

it will take deeper seams to cover staystitching

I agree with those who say, bag the strips and pass them on to Goodwill. Use the rest to form large squares. I would make a rag quilt with it. OR bag the whole thing and return to sender. Tell her you can't do it. And tell her you are sure that she can find someone who would be willing to tackle this project.

i did a king with corduroy called card trick it is a lil hard to work with the thickness of it but i used my walking foot and it went really well and gave the quilt great definition you will have a mess of lint when done but it was worth it for me i dont think small pieces are going to work well or i wouldnt go there just my opinion

I have used corduroy for rag quilts. Lap sized and only a thin piece of flannel for the batting. Worked well - a lot of lint, but raveled well. As for the strips, if you know of someone who crochets, they could use them (tied together end to end) and make a raggy crocheted throw. Good Luck!

When you put your blocks together, put the one with the most give on the bottom, your feed dogs will take up the fullness. Like several others suggested, get rid of the 2" strips. Also you might take a slightly wider seam, maybe 3/8" or even 1/2". I wouldn't use stabilizer, it will make your quilt to heavy. Back it with flannel and you won't need batting.