Working With Homespuns...Tips?
 

I've decided to jump in and try a, "Hobo Quilt." I'm using homespun fabrics for the first time. Some of these blocks, (I'm doing a sampler quilt,) have such small pieces and lots of seams. The homespun fabric keeps fraying and doesn't want to lie flat. Any tips on how to deal with this fabric? Thanks!

~ Cindy

Lots of starch!!!

Pick a different pattern? I used them once in a lap quilt and I am not excited to do it again...also you might want to prewash...I think I had some bleed.

First wash the fabric and dry in dryer on hot. Homespuns are loosely woven and will shrink differently. Then iron and use lots of starch or Best Press before cutting the pieces.

I always wash homespuns first before sewing. Homespuns are great for rag quilts, I have made several.

definitely prewash and treat any bleeders....I had one that wouldn't stop bleeding, had to toss it.

I used homespun type fabrics in a couple of quilts with no problems. They had been prewashed.

I liked the fact that you could just use the plaid or check design which was on the grain of the fabric as your cutting line for squares.

Should homespuns be washed first if making a rag quilt with them? A homespun quilt is on my to do list.

If the pieces are really tiny, perhaps a light weight iron on stabilizer would help.

Thanks for the tips everyone. I did not prewash mine, as some were in a charm pack and would be difficult to wash and might unravel. I never pre-wash my fabric anyway. I may regret not washing these...fingers crossed. I'm not using starch either. I may resort to that. I have to drive a long ways to drive to a store that carries non-arosol starch. The canned stuff just gets clogged up and makes me a very unhappy quilter. The stabilizer is a good idea. some of these pieces are tiny. I paper-pieced one block, as per instructions. I might paper-piece some other blocks, as well.

So far, the blocks are coming out nice, except for one, which looks a little lumpy. I think that's OK though...it's a Hobo quilt, after all, and it can look a bit off. That just adds to its charm. Once it's quilted, it will be fine.

~ Cindy