Buying fabric at Walmart, Joann's, etc.....
08-25-2011, 05:51 PM
#141
Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: New Castle, PA
Posts: 56
[quote=DogHouseMom]Because you are doing hand applique I think it will be important to choose fabric with a close weave. A fabric that has a looser weave is going to ravel more and will make needle turning difficult if not impossible (especially if your new at it). The looser the thread count the more difficult it will be to get good straight lines and make nice smooth curves.
You should be able to see and feel the difference between a tighter weave and a looser weave. Some extreme examples are a batik (tightly woven) and a homespun (loosely woven). Or to use your bed sheet example of feel and look - the difference between a 200 thread count and a 600 or 800 thread count.
I CAN feel and see the difference in some of the Joanne's Fat Quarters I recently purchased for a small wall hanging project. I would not ever consider using these for applique.
Batiks are typically a tighter thread weave, and batiks are dyed. Calico's and other fabrics are screen printed. The main difference in dye vs screen print is that dyed fabrics the fabric is either in a dye bath or liberally painted on and the color goes through the whole cloth.
Screen prints use a series of die plates (large rubber or silicon material - like a rubber stamp), there is one for each color used. The fabric moves through a series of these die plates and is imprinted with ink on the die plate. The color "sits" on the top of the fabric, it doesn't go through.
And then there are homespuns, mostly plaids, and these are made by weaving different color threads - so like a batik the color is all the way through. These may still be quality fabrics, using quality cotton - but the nature of the weave lends them to a limited number of uses - typically not applique, but they are used quite often in pieced quilts. Although come to think of it, I have felt some homespuns that are a nice tight weave that I would use in applique.
The quality of the fabric has more to do with the type of greige (raw material) used, and the process used to weave it.
Some fabric, a lot of the Asian prints come to mind, are a thicker greige/weave, a bit stiffer to the hand. I personally wouldn't want to needle turn one of these.
If I were going to take the time to hand applique a Baltimore Album I would use the best quality I could find.
I'd start by visiting a LQS - finger all the different type of fabric. Purchase what you think feels like good quality, nicely woven, soft fabric. Buy a fat quarter of one batik and one screen print. Then go to Joanne's and do the same thing. Take them home and make small tests blocks of each of them - just cut a simple applique of a heart (has curves, straight lines, and points) and hand applique it to muslin (or the other half of one of the fat quarters) and see how each of the fabrics behave. You'll know more by working with each of them than you will from any of us talking about it.
And I have to add ... new to quilting and wanting to do Balitmore Album. You go girl!!
08-25-2011, 05:54 PM
#143
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Vacaville, CA
Posts: 221
I copied this from QuiltBug. It's worth reading and may help you in your decisions.
How do you choose the best quality fabric for your quilt? Quilt shops, magazines and patterns will tell you to always use quilt shop quality fabric, but what does that mean exactly?
To understand what "quilt shop quality" fabric is, we have to go back to the beginning. Cotton cloth before it is printed at the mill is called greige (pronounced gray) goods. The higher the thread count of the greige goods, the higher the quality of the cloth will be.
Average cotton cloth has a thread count of 60 x 60 threads to the inch, sometimes called 60 square. It may be thin or stiff and it shrinks a lot in the wash. Expect your batting to migrate or beard through these widely spaced fibers over time. Better fabric - which is what you usually find in quilt shops - has a thread count of 68 x 68 or more and is made with longer staple cotton thread. This makes it feel a little softer, accept dye better and have a longer life. It will still shrink a little in the wash, but not as much. PFD (prepared for dying) and batik fabrics can have up to a 200 thread count and generally don’t shrink at all.
The first time a mill prints cloth, they will usually do so on lesser quality greige goods in order to test the colors and the placement of the designs. Look at the selvage of fabric you have just purchased. See those color dots? They aren’t there to help you choose co-ordinating fabrics, although many people use them that way. They are there for the manufacturer to make sure the color was correct and that it printed in the correct place.
The printing process manufacturers use can be quite complicated. Fabric designers work about a year in advance to come up with the concepts which are then converted into colorized designs. These designs are sent overseas to the mills to be test printed and returned to the manufacturer for approval or correction. Most of the quilt fabric we use today has been printed in Korea or Japan. Classic Cottons is the only company that prints in the United States.
In the 1920's - 1940's, mills would test their prints on low quality greige goods. These low quality greige goods later became feedsacks. In todays market, these first run tests often become the flat folds that you purchase in discount stores. These flat folds may be printed on lesser quality fabric which won’t last, or they could be printed on good fabric but the colors and/or designs weren’t up to manufacturers specifications. Some flat folds are printed as deliberate knock-offs of a popular design. If you compare it to the original design, you will see that the colors are bit off, or a part of the design (like a leaf or a vine) is missing.
Quilt fabric also goes through a multi step finishing process, which sets the dyes and makes the fabric softer. Inexpensive fabric skips the last couple of steps, resulting in stiff fabric that wrinkles easy and is very susceptible to bleeding and/or sun fading. Fabric that is quickly printed to take advantage of a trend like hot a hot cartoon character often skips those last few steps because it is less expensive to make and manufacturers believe people buy it without planning on any long term use.
Whenever you make a quilt, use the best quality fabric you can find. Don't frustrate yourself by using second or third best. You will be happier with the process and prouder of the end result.
How do you choose the best quality fabric for your quilt? Quilt shops, magazines and patterns will tell you to always use quilt shop quality fabric, but what does that mean exactly?
To understand what "quilt shop quality" fabric is, we have to go back to the beginning. Cotton cloth before it is printed at the mill is called greige (pronounced gray) goods. The higher the thread count of the greige goods, the higher the quality of the cloth will be.
Average cotton cloth has a thread count of 60 x 60 threads to the inch, sometimes called 60 square. It may be thin or stiff and it shrinks a lot in the wash. Expect your batting to migrate or beard through these widely spaced fibers over time. Better fabric - which is what you usually find in quilt shops - has a thread count of 68 x 68 or more and is made with longer staple cotton thread. This makes it feel a little softer, accept dye better and have a longer life. It will still shrink a little in the wash, but not as much. PFD (prepared for dying) and batik fabrics can have up to a 200 thread count and generally don’t shrink at all.
The first time a mill prints cloth, they will usually do so on lesser quality greige goods in order to test the colors and the placement of the designs. Look at the selvage of fabric you have just purchased. See those color dots? They aren’t there to help you choose co-ordinating fabrics, although many people use them that way. They are there for the manufacturer to make sure the color was correct and that it printed in the correct place.
The printing process manufacturers use can be quite complicated. Fabric designers work about a year in advance to come up with the concepts which are then converted into colorized designs. These designs are sent overseas to the mills to be test printed and returned to the manufacturer for approval or correction. Most of the quilt fabric we use today has been printed in Korea or Japan. Classic Cottons is the only company that prints in the United States.
In the 1920's - 1940's, mills would test their prints on low quality greige goods. These low quality greige goods later became feedsacks. In todays market, these first run tests often become the flat folds that you purchase in discount stores. These flat folds may be printed on lesser quality fabric which won’t last, or they could be printed on good fabric but the colors and/or designs weren’t up to manufacturers specifications. Some flat folds are printed as deliberate knock-offs of a popular design. If you compare it to the original design, you will see that the colors are bit off, or a part of the design (like a leaf or a vine) is missing.
Quilt fabric also goes through a multi step finishing process, which sets the dyes and makes the fabric softer. Inexpensive fabric skips the last couple of steps, resulting in stiff fabric that wrinkles easy and is very susceptible to bleeding and/or sun fading. Fabric that is quickly printed to take advantage of a trend like hot a hot cartoon character often skips those last few steps because it is less expensive to make and manufacturers believe people buy it without planning on any long term use.
Whenever you make a quilt, use the best quality fabric you can find. Don't frustrate yourself by using second or third best. You will be happier with the process and prouder of the end result.
08-25-2011, 05:58 PM
#144
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Lemoore, Ca
Posts: 1,467
I agree, not eveyone can afford LQS, some are outrageously pricey. I have quilts that my mother had made for me by my aunt and the material is still standing and it was not bought at a high price , just plain cotton.
I believe we do what we can afford.
I believe we do what we can afford.
08-25-2011, 06:14 PM
#146
Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Newport, Oregon
Posts: 14
I do mostly applique and my rule of thumb is to examine the weave of the fabric. Sometimes I hold it up towards the light and if I see a lot of light coming through I don't buy it. Then when I take any fabric home it immediately goes into the laundry room and gets washed and dried before it goes into my sewing room. This shrinks the fabric and tightens up the weave. I do use a lot of batiks for my applique and have had no problems needling it. I use an applique needle rather than a regular needle. These needles are much thinner than the others.
Have fun on your applique journey.
Gitlisgal
Newport Oregon
Have fun on your applique journey.
Gitlisgal
Newport Oregon
08-25-2011, 06:52 PM
#147
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Neuquen - Argentina
Posts: 2,288
Originally Posted by DogHouseMom
Because you are doing hand applique I think it will be important to choose fabric with a close weave. A fabric that has a looser weave is going to ravel more and will make needle turning difficult if not impossible (especially if your new at it). The looser the thread count the more difficult it will be to get good straight lines and make nice smooth curves.
You should be able to see and feel the difference between a tighter weave and a looser weave. Some extreme examples are a batik (tightly woven) and a homespun (loosely woven). Or to use your bed sheet example of feel and look - the difference between a 200 thread count and a 600 or 800 thread count.
I CAN feel and see the difference in some of the Joanne's Fat Quarters I recently purchased for a small wall hanging project. I would not ever consider using these for applique.
Batiks are typically a tighter thread weave, and batiks are dyed. Calico's and other fabrics are screen printed. The main difference in dye vs screen print is that dyed fabrics the fabric is either in a dye bath or liberally painted on and the color goes through the whole cloth.
Screen prints use a series of die plates (large rubber or silicon material - like a rubber stamp), there is one for each color used. The fabric moves through a series of these die plates and is imprinted with ink on the die plate. The color "sits" on the top of the fabric, it doesn't go through.
And then there are homespuns, mostly plaids, and these are made by weaving different color threads - so like a batik the color is all the way through. These may still be quality fabrics, using quality cotton - but the nature of the weave lends them to a limited number of uses - typically not applique, but they are used quite often in pieced quilts. Although come to think of it, I have felt some homespuns that are a nice tight weave that I would use in applique.
The quality of the fabric has more to do with the type of greige (raw material) used, and the process used to weave it.
Some fabric, a lot of the Asian prints come to mind, are a thicker greige/weave, a bit stiffer to the hand. I personally wouldn't want to needle turn one of these.
If I were going to take the time to hand applique a Baltimore Album I would use the best quality I could find.
I'd start by visiting a LQS - finger all the different type of fabric. Purchase what you think feels like good quality, nicely woven, soft fabric. Buy a fat quarter of one batik and one screen print. Then go to Joanne's and do the same thing. Take them home and make small tests blocks of each of them - just cut a simple applique of a heart (has curves, straight lines, and points) and hand applique it to muslin (or the other half of one of the fat quarters) and see how each of the fabrics behave. You'll know more by working with each of them than you will from any of us talking about it.
And I have to add ... new to quilting and wanting to do Balitmore Album. You go girl!!!
You should be able to see and feel the difference between a tighter weave and a looser weave. Some extreme examples are a batik (tightly woven) and a homespun (loosely woven). Or to use your bed sheet example of feel and look - the difference between a 200 thread count and a 600 or 800 thread count.
I CAN feel and see the difference in some of the Joanne's Fat Quarters I recently purchased for a small wall hanging project. I would not ever consider using these for applique.
Batiks are typically a tighter thread weave, and batiks are dyed. Calico's and other fabrics are screen printed. The main difference in dye vs screen print is that dyed fabrics the fabric is either in a dye bath or liberally painted on and the color goes through the whole cloth.
Screen prints use a series of die plates (large rubber or silicon material - like a rubber stamp), there is one for each color used. The fabric moves through a series of these die plates and is imprinted with ink on the die plate. The color "sits" on the top of the fabric, it doesn't go through.
And then there are homespuns, mostly plaids, and these are made by weaving different color threads - so like a batik the color is all the way through. These may still be quality fabrics, using quality cotton - but the nature of the weave lends them to a limited number of uses - typically not applique, but they are used quite often in pieced quilts. Although come to think of it, I have felt some homespuns that are a nice tight weave that I would use in applique.
The quality of the fabric has more to do with the type of greige (raw material) used, and the process used to weave it.
Some fabric, a lot of the Asian prints come to mind, are a thicker greige/weave, a bit stiffer to the hand. I personally wouldn't want to needle turn one of these.
If I were going to take the time to hand applique a Baltimore Album I would use the best quality I could find.
I'd start by visiting a LQS - finger all the different type of fabric. Purchase what you think feels like good quality, nicely woven, soft fabric. Buy a fat quarter of one batik and one screen print. Then go to Joanne's and do the same thing. Take them home and make small tests blocks of each of them - just cut a simple applique of a heart (has curves, straight lines, and points) and hand applique it to muslin (or the other half of one of the fat quarters) and see how each of the fabrics behave. You'll know more by working with each of them than you will from any of us talking about it.
And I have to add ... new to quilting and wanting to do Balitmore Album. You go girl!!!
Many data!
LQS I do not have in my country and my Wal-mart do not sells fabric. What little I have purchased has been looking at the "drawing" and the colors of the photos online. And when it comes to my hand, not always what you expected!
But my first job in the world of Patchwork was Baltimore and I'm doing another (not yet finished the first).
Hahaha! Must be a "tip" of new quilter!
I really think it is all about how you feel working with each fabric and the technique used!
A big hug!
08-25-2011, 07:40 PM
#148
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Athens, Georgia
Posts: 1,700
Originally Posted by DogHouseMom
Because you are doing hand applique I think it will be important to choose fabric with a close weave. A fabric that has a looser weave is going to ravel more and will make needle turning difficult if not impossible (especially if your new at it). The looser the thread count the more difficult it will be to get good straight lines and make nice smooth curves.
You should be able to see and feel the difference between a tighter weave and a looser weave. Some extreme examples are a batik (tightly woven) and a homespun (loosely woven). Or to use your bed sheet example of feel and look - the difference between a 200 thread count and a 600 or 800 thread count.
I CAN feel and see the difference in some of the Joanne's Fat Quarters I recently purchased for a small wall hanging project. I would not ever consider using these for applique.
Batiks are typically a tighter thread weave, and batiks are dyed. Calico's and other fabrics are screen printed. The main difference in dye vs screen print is that dyed fabrics the fabric is either in a dye bath or liberally painted on and the color goes through the whole cloth.
Screen prints use a series of die plates (large rubber or silicon material - like a rubber stamp), there is one for each color used. The fabric moves through a series of these die plates and is imprinted with ink on the die plate. The color "sits" on the top of the fabric, it doesn't go through.
And then there are homespuns, mostly plaids, and these are made by weaving different color threads - so like a batik the color is all the way through. These may still be quality fabrics, using quality cotton - but the nature of the weave lends them to a limited number of uses - typically not applique, but they are used quite often in pieced quilts. Although come to think of it, I have felt some homespuns that are a nice tight weave that I would use in applique.
The quality of the fabric has more to do with the type of greige (raw material) used, and the process used to weave it.
Some fabric, a lot of the Asian prints come to mind, are a thicker greige/weave, a bit stiffer to the hand. I personally wouldn't want to needle turn one of these.
If I were going to take the time to hand applique a Baltimore Album I would use the best quality I could find.
I'd start by visiting a LQS - finger all the different type of fabric. Purchase what you think feels like good quality, nicely woven, soft fabric. Buy a fat quarter of one batik and one screen print. Then go to Joanne's and do the same thing. Take them home and make small tests blocks of each of them - just cut a simple applique of a heart (has curves, straight lines, and points) and hand applique it to muslin (or the other half of one of the fat quarters) and see how each of the fabrics behave. You'll know more by working with each of them than you will from any of us talking about it.
And I have to add ... new to quilting and wanting to do Balitmore Album. You go girl!!!
You should be able to see and feel the difference between a tighter weave and a looser weave. Some extreme examples are a batik (tightly woven) and a homespun (loosely woven). Or to use your bed sheet example of feel and look - the difference between a 200 thread count and a 600 or 800 thread count.
I CAN feel and see the difference in some of the Joanne's Fat Quarters I recently purchased for a small wall hanging project. I would not ever consider using these for applique.
Batiks are typically a tighter thread weave, and batiks are dyed. Calico's and other fabrics are screen printed. The main difference in dye vs screen print is that dyed fabrics the fabric is either in a dye bath or liberally painted on and the color goes through the whole cloth.
Screen prints use a series of die plates (large rubber or silicon material - like a rubber stamp), there is one for each color used. The fabric moves through a series of these die plates and is imprinted with ink on the die plate. The color "sits" on the top of the fabric, it doesn't go through.
And then there are homespuns, mostly plaids, and these are made by weaving different color threads - so like a batik the color is all the way through. These may still be quality fabrics, using quality cotton - but the nature of the weave lends them to a limited number of uses - typically not applique, but they are used quite often in pieced quilts. Although come to think of it, I have felt some homespuns that are a nice tight weave that I would use in applique.
The quality of the fabric has more to do with the type of greige (raw material) used, and the process used to weave it.
Some fabric, a lot of the Asian prints come to mind, are a thicker greige/weave, a bit stiffer to the hand. I personally wouldn't want to needle turn one of these.
If I were going to take the time to hand applique a Baltimore Album I would use the best quality I could find.
I'd start by visiting a LQS - finger all the different type of fabric. Purchase what you think feels like good quality, nicely woven, soft fabric. Buy a fat quarter of one batik and one screen print. Then go to Joanne's and do the same thing. Take them home and make small tests blocks of each of them - just cut a simple applique of a heart (has curves, straight lines, and points) and hand applique it to muslin (or the other half of one of the fat quarters) and see how each of the fabrics behave. You'll know more by working with each of them than you will from any of us talking about it.
And I have to add ... new to quilting and wanting to do Balitmore Album. You go girl!!!
THANKS FOR THE FABRIC LESSON!
I buy from lots of places, too, and if I question the source, go home and wash it!
08-25-2011, 09:06 PM
#149
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SW Minnesota
Posts: 1,590
Originally Posted by cjomomma
Some folks on here will tell you to buy only LQS but I won't. I shop Walmart fabric and have been extremely happy with the quilts I make. You just want to make sure that the fabric isn't too thin. Honestly I've seen fabric at the LQS that I wouldnt put in a quilt. Every place has their good and bad fabric. For me it's all about the price tag, I can't afford the expensive stuff especially when I can find the same item cheaper else where.
08-25-2011, 09:29 PM
#150
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Henderson, NV
Posts: 1,624
Patti, it is your quilt and you buy what you can afford. It will be a work of art no matter how much $$$ you spend on the fabric. I get mine from Hancocks, JoAnns, WalMart. I don't buy the super cheap stuff but you will learn how to tell what will work best for you. KSue
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