Poly/Cotton blends
#32
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Here and there
Posts: 1,669
The first quilts I made were poly/cotton. That was 30 or more years ago and those quilts are still like new despite having been washed many times. I use 100 prcent cotton now because it's all I can find, but if poly/cotton were more readily available, I would use it. froggyintexas
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 405
I like sheets for the backs. otherwise I use what I have that is available.
A short note: I was at the HostFest in Minot N.D. watching someone make lefse. He noted that I was quite interested and asked if I made lefse. yes I do His advice was to use poly/cotton when making them (and steaming them). A dish towel is cotton and is made to absorb moisture. You do not want this when making lefse. LQS did not sell poly/cotton when I got home I checked and sure enough I had sheets made from poly/cotton
A short note: I was at the HostFest in Minot N.D. watching someone make lefse. He noted that I was quite interested and asked if I made lefse. yes I do His advice was to use poly/cotton when making them (and steaming them). A dish towel is cotton and is made to absorb moisture. You do not want this when making lefse. LQS did not sell poly/cotton when I got home I checked and sure enough I had sheets made from poly/cotton
#34
Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 5
"And Mdegenhart is right, the cotton will separate from the polyester over time with repeated washing, resulting in pilling. 100% cotton will fade, fray & thin, but you don't get the horrible pilling like a blend. That said, quilt with what you like. Cotton makes me happy, so I quilt with all cotton fabric, thread & batting."[/QUOTE]
Hi, Back in the late 50's and 60's, I think much of the fabrics were polyester/cotton as was thread. I noticed that quilts given me for my wedding came apart at the seams after a few years of use. The thread seemed to 'cut' the seams at the seam line rather than the thread breaking. Has anyone else noticed this? Also my husband's poly/cotton handkerchiefs seem to lose the cotton after many washings and all that's left is the thin polyester (which isn't much good as a handkerchief anymore.) I assume that is what will happen with the polyester/cotton fabric in quilts. And your polyester/cotton sheets get really thin after a lot of use. The cotton gets abraded against the stronger polyester threads and falls out. That's my theory. Am I wrong? Eunice
Hi, Back in the late 50's and 60's, I think much of the fabrics were polyester/cotton as was thread. I noticed that quilts given me for my wedding came apart at the seams after a few years of use. The thread seemed to 'cut' the seams at the seam line rather than the thread breaking. Has anyone else noticed this? Also my husband's poly/cotton handkerchiefs seem to lose the cotton after many washings and all that's left is the thin polyester (which isn't much good as a handkerchief anymore.) I assume that is what will happen with the polyester/cotton fabric in quilts. And your polyester/cotton sheets get really thin after a lot of use. The cotton gets abraded against the stronger polyester threads and falls out. That's my theory. Am I wrong? Eunice
#36
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,140
Hi, Back in the late 50's and 60's, I think much of the fabrics were polyester/cotton as was thread. I noticed that quilts given me for my wedding came apart at the seams after a few years of use. The thread seemed to 'cut' the seams at the seam line rather than the thread breaking. Has anyone else noticed this? Also my husband's poly/cotton handkerchiefs seem to lose the cotton after many washings and all that's left is the thin polyester (which isn't much good as a handkerchief anymore.) I assume that is what will happen with the polyester/cotton fabric in quilts. And your polyester/cotton sheets get really thin after a lot of use. The cotton gets abraded against the stronger polyester threads and falls out. That's my theory. Am I wrong? Eunice
Finally, the detergents we have in this decade are far better than those in the past. In earlier decades, detergents were much harsher & many people believed it was best to wash in warm/hot water & dry in warm/hot temps as well. That treatment will certainly cause fabrics to degrade much faster than washing with a mild detergent (no dyes or perfumes), no bleach, in cool/cold water on the gentle/handwash cycle followed by drying on low heat or laying flat to dry. In the 70's, 80's & 90's, people also seemed to store items in plastic bags a lot. While plastic bags can keep some things out, they also can keep other things in. So I'm not sure everything can be blamed on the material. There are advantages & disadvantages to each type of fabric. The most important thing is that it results in a happy quilt recipient in the end. If someone is super happy with a quilt that lasts 20 years versus moderately happy with a quilt that lasts twice that time, it's hard to make a case against the fabric even if it does develop some issues over the years.
Quilt with what you like. Synthetic fiber artists aren't lazy & 100% cotton fiber artists aren't snobs. We all have our favorite choices & there's room enough in the quilting world for every one of us.
Last edited by Bree123; 09-05-2014 at 05:39 PM.
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