Two different Kona companies?
 

Two different Kona Companies? I never knew this. One is made by Kaufman and the other is Kona Bay, As someone who has had trouble with the last Kona purchased I'd love to know which is the best of these companies and which one to stay away from.

Kona Bay closed its doors in 2017 and doubt they had anything to do with one another.

I used it one time in a project and it frayed. There is usually some other fabric selection that can work well into the quilt mix.

I can't remember when or where I bought some Kona fabric but I do remember it frayed and bled like the dickens so never ordered anymore afterwards. I went with Moda fabrics and so far I haven't had any issues.

check the bolt label. kauffman is genuine kona. any other is a knockoff.
i've never had quality issues with kauffman kona, but i haven't bought any for quite some time. although i doubt it, i guess it's possible the quality has gone downhill just like it has in most of the name-brand, allegedly high end brands.

i'd still order the real thing if the price is right.

Kona cottons are horrible. A few years ago, I finally ordered several 1/2 yard cuts of various white quilting cottons and tested them for fraying. First off, the method most of us use for getting a straight cut (hold fabric by selvages, line up until the fold hangs straight) will get close to straight of grain, but not on grain. People about become apoplectic when fabric is torn, but it's a lot more accurate. You might lose 1/4" to 1/2" in cutting that edge off, but I've lost well over an inch on some fabrics after they are cut from the bolt.

The other method is to pull a thread, but most quilting cottons are woven way to tightly to do that.

In my totally non-scientific experiment, I found Kona to be the worst by far. Art Gallery Fabrics, which I have always loved, was the best by far, with Riley Blake's Confetti Cottons a close second. All of the others - Bella, Paintbrush Studios Painter's Palette, Northcott Colorworks and American Made were all more or less the same, as far as fraying goes.

If you have access to FB and want to see my testing and results, you can find it here (be sure to read the intro to the album first): https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...2001936&type=3

I don't really bother with using the absolute best fabric. If it feels good and looks good and cotton I will use it in a quilt if it is the print or color I want. Future generations need quilts that are frayed and thin to cut up just like we do now with old quilts that can't be quilts any longer.

If I need or want to make sure something on grain, I will do the pull a thread thing.

especially if I am short of fabric.

A few years ago, I participated with an online group that did a monthly "block lotto". If we were using black, the rule was to use Kona black so that all the blacks would be the same. I bought my Kona black at JoAnn fabrics. It was terrible. I complained to the group, but they must have thought I was "nuts". I finally sent the part I had left to the manufacturer. They said it wasn't Kona.

bkay

If Kona isn't off a Kauffman bolt it isn't Kona fabric. Kauffman Kona has always been reasonably priced.