celticrainbow

I have been sewing for over 30 years, and have quite an extensive fabric stash, which I am cleaning out. I am keeping the cotton fabrics, which I can use for quilting. However, I have a lot of poly/cotton fabric, which I understand is taboo for quilts; one should use only cotton fabrics..

My question is, why? What happens if one uses all poly/cotton in a quilt? I have searched the internet for the answer, and have found nothing related to the subject. I know that there will someone out there on this forum, who can answer my question.

Thanks .
Karen, Gainesville, FL :D :D [b]

mgshaw

You can use the blends if a you use all blends. The reason they say not to use them with the cottons is because of the shrinkage difference. If you are making wall hangings or something that wont be washed, anything goes!!!! You can really do anything you want, its your quilt!


Oh and welcome to the board!!!

HMK

The way I look at it is that if you look at the "heritage" quilts and those of the pioneers, they used whatever was available. I know they probably used lots of cotton and poly wasn't in existence but I think you know what I mean. Quilts should provide warmth & love and that's not limited to 100% cotton fabric.

bearisgray

I think a lot depends on the blend.

If everything is preshrunk first, (I'm a prewasher) and you like the way the fabrics go together, I see no reason not to use them.

Some of the blends do pill and that might be one of the reasons not to use them.

The synthetics also burn differently than pure cotton.

Seriously, now that I did a bunch of burn tests on my Mom's fabrics, I will never, ever use a polyester batting in a child's quilt again.

Why? The synthetics burn hotter and smokier, and leave an ash/residue that clings and stays hot longer than cotton.

mic-pa

Before I got into quilting on a serious note I made a quilt with cotton/poly fabric. That had to be more than 25 yrs ago. I cut the pcs out with sissors (no rotarty cutter back then) , used polyester batt and hand quilted it. That quilt is still in use today. OH but the mistakes I made. So be it. So if you want to use what fabric you have, I say go for it. I will say 100% cotton is easier to manipulate and that is all I use now. Enjoy Marge

mic-pa

Before I got into quilting on a serious note I made a quilt with cotton/poly fabric. That had to be more than 25 yrs ago. I cut the pcs out with sissors (no rotarty cutter back then) , used polyester batt and hand quilted it. That quilt is still in use today. OH but the mistakes I made. So be it. So if you want to use what fabric you have, I say go for it. I will say 100% cotton is easier to manipulate and that is all I use now. Enjoy Marge

mic-pa

Sorry about the double post. Must have hit the button twice

nor'easter

I don't use poly batting in any quilt, although the scrim in most cotton battings is poly. Adults deserve the same safety considerations as children. :? That would be my reason for not using a poly blend fabric, especially in anything made for sleeping. It's made from coal and petroleum after all and was developed by DuPont, the makers of Agent Orange and the world's leading polluter. (Oops, that was a 60's flashback! :oops: )

Barb M

bearisgray, can i ask you what it means that some of the blends pill??? Thanks :)

bearisgray

It gets little waddy things on the surface - like when a sweater "pills"

We bought a place in Florida and the previous owner left some
(not very nice) sheets on the bed. We got there late and promptly turned in. I thought I was sleeping on very coarse sandpaper. Needless to say, they were replaced immediately with better ones.

Not all blends do that. Just sleazy ones. I have cotton-poly sheets that are still nice and smooth.

I just prefer to use similar weights of fabrics together on a quilt top.

For example, I don't like to use batiks with the ordinary quilting cottons because the batiks are more closely/tightly woven. But lots of people do.

I also like to put fabrics that have the same washing/drying tolerance together. For example, I would not put a dry-clean only fabric in a quilt that was going to be used by a toddler. Actually, I try to avoid dry-clean only fabrics in the quilts I make, because I expect them to get dirty and need to get laundered on occasion.