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Let’s Talk Fabric

Since fabric is essential to quilting, I wanted to talk about things like choosing fabric, caring for fabric and cutting tips. I talk about this and other fabric facts in this post. Since fabric is so expensive, you want to make sure you have the right fabric for your project and that you know how to care for it while it’s in your stash. There are things to do before you shop and after you shop. So let’s get started!

Before Heading to the Quilt Shop

I don’t get a chance to head to a quilt shop more than 3 to 4 times a year, so before I go I like to have an idea of what I am after. Here’s good tip: inventory your stash before you go to the shop. There have been times where I have returned from the quilt shop with a piece of fabric already in my stash. I guess I really liked it!

If you have a project you are planning to get fabric for, I suggest making “test” blocks from scrap fabric in your stash.

In the above photo, you can see I have a block that was in a project I was planning. I pulled scraps from my stash to audition color choice. If you don’t want to make your quilt project in the same colors as the designer, this is a good way to decide on your color scheme prior to heading out to the shop. You can then use these blocks to make mini quilt gifts for friends or family. Candle mats, oven mitts, whatever!

At the Quilt Shop

One question that I am asked often is: “Should I buy more fabric than is noted on the pattern?” The answer is not 100% yes. Here’s my advice. If the project you are shopping for is from a designer who’s patterns you have made often and you have never run out of fabric, then trust the fabric amounts they list on the pattern. If the pattern and designer are new to you and you are not sure they figure extra fabric into their fabric requirements, add a little extra if it makes you comfortable. Here are the reasons you may need extra fabric:

  • When squaring up the fabric, it’s possible to lose some of the length if the fabric was wound a bit wonky onto the bolt.
  •  Or if you like to pre-wash your the fabric, there could be shrinkage.
  •  Finally …. cutting errors. We all have them!

After deciding how much fabric you need, stack bolts of fabric (or precuts) in a well lit area of the shop to see if the fabrics “play well” together. If you are not sure about what colors look good together here’s a tip. Once you pick out a bolt you like, look at the selvage:

 Those little icons printed on the fabric are the different colors use in the printing of this fabric. Use those to find additional bolts of fabric in those colors for coordination. They don’t have to be from the same line of fabric either!

Finally, if you really like a piece of fabric and think you will use it in other projects, get it now. Fabric companies turn over lines of fabric constantly and don’t often reprint a line unless it is super popular. Also, even if a fabric is reprinted, your favorite shop may not choose to carry it again if they decide to buy newer lines.

When You Get Home

Pre-wash or not?

I fall in the “not” category. I find that the fabric is easier to cut without washing because the fabric retains the sizing it came with. I also like that “antique” look when the quilt is washed after quilting. So, here’s some pros and cons below to ponder in making your decision. Keep in mind this is not a complete list, just things I consider the most important when making my decision.

  • Pre-washing Pros:
    • All the fabrics that are going to shrink will shrink so the finished quilt and pattern will not be ruined by fabrics shrinking differently.
    • Certain fabrics might bleed, like purples and reds, and transfer to other parts of a quilt when the finished item is washed.
    • Chemicals used in the processing of the fabric are removed in pre-washing. Some people are allergic to these chemicals so this is a benefit to them.
  • Pre-washing Cons:
    • It takes time. The extra steps of washing and ironing adds time to the prep when getting ready to make a quilt.
    • It washes out the sizing. Some quilters like this sizing which tends to make the fabric easier to cut. I like the “stiffer” fabric that, for me, seems to cut easier.
    • Most of the quality fabrics today do not shrink much and the fabric dyes are much more stable to prevent bleeding. There’s also laundry products, like Shout® Color Catchers, that prevent color transfer.
    • Fabric edges fray which can distort the fabric. This will require you to waste more fabric when squaring up.

If you want to pre-wash fabric and are worried about fraying here’s a tip: you can prevent most of the fraying by cutting a corner off the fabric or cutting the non-selvedge edges with pinking shears.

When You Are Ready to Cut

Finally, before you cut your pieces from the fabric, here are a few tips.

First: Read the pattern and find all the pieces that need to be cut from each fabric and plan your cutting. In my patterns, the pieces to be cut from each fabric are all listed at the beginning of the pattern and listed from largest piece to smallest:

Some patterns do not list everything at the beginning of the pattern, so that’s why I recommend you read the pattern first before you begin to cut. 

Second: Be sure to square up the piece of fabric prior to cutting. Squaring up your piece of fabric is a very important step that should not be skipped. Especially if you are cutting long strips that you will sub-cut into smaller pieces. If you start with a distorted strip, all the pieces you cut from that strip can be off in their measurements. These is even more important if you are making strip sets and sub-cutting those. You need to square up fabric because when it is rolled onto the bolt by the manufacturer, the fabric is folded and the selvage ends of the fabric can shift in the process.  In the photo below the strip on the left was cut from the fabric before it was squared (note how it bows away from the line on the cutting mat) and the strip on the right was cut after.

If you do not know how to square up your fabric, I have a mini tutorial video showing the process here:

I hope that video was useful to you! Now you are ready to start cutting your fabric and getting to work on your newest quilt project. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. I will draw a name from those of you who comment to win a copy of my newest pattern, Trinkets.

Just about all the pieces in this pattern are cut from strips and strip sets that require your fabric to be squared, so you will get a lot of practice! The drawing will be on Monday August 16th. Good luck! ***We have a winner! Congrats, Susan!***

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Quilt Fabric Stash Building, Care & Storage

Last week I shared some mini video tutorials for common quilting techniques. One that I shared was how to square your fabric before you start cutting out pieces for a project. This week, I am going to talk about fabric stash building for scrap quilting and how to store fabric as you accumulate it. Before I had a system, I would often come home from the quilt shop with fabric I already owned. Now we all know how expensive quilt fabric is, so I don’t like to make that mistake… unless I really like the fabric. I also have another mini video tutorial this week. So, let’s get started!

Fabric – Wash or not?

Once you get your fabric home, the first decision is …. do I wash it or not? There are some pros and cons to both schools of thought. I do not pre-wash my fabrics because I think the fabric is easier to cut because of it’s “crispness” from the sizing. Here are some pros & cons to help you decide what is best for you:

Pre-washing Pros:
• All the fabrics that are going to shrink will shrink so the finished quilt pattern is not ruined by fabrics shrinking differently.
• Certain fabrics might bleed, like purples and reds, and transfer to other parts of a quilt when the finished item is washed.
• Chemicals used in the processing of the fabric are removed in pre-washing. Some people are allergic to these chemicals so this is a benefit to them.

Pre-washing Cons:
• It takes time. The extra steps of washing and ironing adds time to the prep when getting ready to make a quilt.
• It washes out the sizing. Some quilters like this sizing which tends to make the fabric easier to cut. I like the “stiffer” fabric that, for me, seems to cut easier.
• Most of the quality fabrics today do not shrink much and the fabric dyes are much more stable to prevent bleeding. There’s also laundry products, like Shout® Color Catchers, that prevent color transfer.
• Fabric edges fray which can distort the fabric. This will require you to waste more fabric when squaring up.

If you decide to pre-wash your fabric, you can prevent most of the fraying by cutting a corner off the fabric or cutting the non-selvedge edges with pinking shears.

This also works well for fat quarters and fat eighths. For these smaller pieces of fabric, in addition to above, I put them in lingerie bags. This keeps them from getting tangled up with each other.

Be sure to separate lights from darks and wash on a gentle cycle in cold water. I toss the fabrics in the dryer on “air fluff” only for about 10 minutes and then hang the pieces on a drying rack to finish the drying. This cuts down on the wrinkles a bit, that way you can save ironing for when you are ready to cut.

Building the Stash

Tip#1 – Cutting up Fabric:

One of the fun parts about scrap quilting is building a stash. Since scrap quilting can require fabrics from 1/2 yards down to fat eighths and strips, building the stash also requires you to find a good way to store it!

First I’ll share my stash building secret: If I like a piece of fabric, I buy a yard of that fabric and cut it into the smaller pieces so I have that fabric in every size! Here’s a mini video tutorial I filmed to demonstrate how I do this:

See how easy it is?

Tip #2 – Storing the Stash:

So now I have these stacks of fabric and rolled fat eights and maybe some strips. So how do I store these? For the half yards and fat quarters, I use plastic tubs and separate the fabrics by colors. Here are some of my tubs:

And here is how I label the tubs and store them:

Now what do I do with all of these?

Well, you can store them in the tubs I use above. Or you can store them in drawers like I do. I found some old card catalog drawers at an antique store and that’s where I store mine. If you are using something like I do, make sure to line the drawers with acid free paper or fabric so the fat eighths are not damaged.

Finally onto the strips. I like to save 1 1/2  and 2 1/2″ strips because I use them the most. I used to just throw them into a basket and try to fish out the ones I wanted from there, but I ended up with a jumbled, frayed mess. So now, here is how I store them:

These are the same tubs I use for the 1/2 yards and fat quarters, but I fashioned separators using acid free cardboard. I simply cut the cardboard into strips that fit inside the tubs and secure them with packing tape. Now I have separate slots to put colored strips. It’s so easy to make a log cabin block now!

Now you are ready to scrap quilt, right? That’s all for this week. Leave me a comment below and ask any questions you have. I will draw a winner from the comments for my scrappy quilt, Seaside Cottage, that will put your stash to good use!

The drawing will be on Monday, January 25th. **We have a winner! Congrats, Kathy Brown!**

Happy Quilting & Stash Building!
Deanne

Quilt Fabric Talk – Tips and Such!

It’s time to pick out fabric and ready it for the quilt pattern you’ve been coveting. You look at the back of the pattern and say “challenge accepted”! I’m going to share some of my tips and some other information on quilt fabric that will make this challenge for you fun… not a chore.

Tip #1 – How Much to Buy?

Always buy a bit more fabric than required. Unless a pattern specifies that the fabric amounts listed already include extra, add about 10% to the amount you buy. For example, if a pattern calls for 1/8 yard, I’ll buy 1/6 of a yard. If it calls for 1/4 yard, I’ll buy 3/8 yard. It never hurts to have a bit extra and you can always use the leftovers to build your stash! Here’s a few reasons why I do this:

  • When squaring up the fabric, it’s possible to lose some of the length if the fabric was wound a bit wonky onto the bolt.
  •  Or if you pre-wash my fabric, there could be shrinkage.
  •  Finally …. Cutting errors. We all have them!

My patterns already include a bit extra in the amount required, but not every designer does that. Here’s what the back of one of my patterns look like. Most patterns will have these requirements on the back.

Tip #2 – Pre-wash the Fabric or Not?

There are pros and cons to each. Some quilters swear by it and wash and iron the fabric as soon as they get home. Others, like me, do not pre-wash most of the time. I find that the fabric is easier to cut without washing because the fabric retains the sizing it came with. I also like that “antique” look when the quilt is washed after quilting. So, here’s some pros and cons below to ponder in making your decision. Keep in mind this is not a complete list, just things I consider the most important when making my decision.

Pre-washing Pros:
• All the fabrics that are going to shrink will shrink so the finished quilt pattern is not ruined by fabrics shrinking differently.
• Certain fabrics might bleed, like purples and reds, and transfer to other parts of a quilt when the finished item is washed.
• Chemicals used in the processing of the fabric are removed in pre-washing. Some people are allergic to these chemicals so this is a benefit to them.

Pre-washing Cons:
• It takes time. The extra steps of washing and ironing adds time to the prep when getting ready to make a quilt.
• It washes out the sizing. Some quilters like this sizing which tends to make the fabric easier to cut. I like the “stiffer” fabric that, for me, seems to cut easier.
• Most of the quality fabrics today do not shrink much and the fabric dyes are much more stable to prevent bleeding. There’s also laundry products, like Shout® Color Catchers, that prevent color transfer.
• Fabric edges fray which can distort the fabric. This will require you to waste more fabric when squaring up.

Tip #3 – Washing the Fabric or the Quilt

If you decide to pre-wash your fabric, here’s a tip to help prevent fraying.  You can prevent most of the fraying by cutting a corner off the fabric or cutting the non-selvedge edges with pinking shears.

This also works well for fat quarters and fat eighths. For these smaller pieces of fabric, in addition to above, I will put them in lingerie bags. This keeps them from getting tangled up with each other.

Be sure to separate lights from darks and wash on a gentle cycle in cold water. I toss the fabrics in the dryer on “air fluff” only for about 10 minutes and then hang the pieces on a drying rack to finish the drying. This cuts down on the wrinkles a bit, that way you can save ironing for when you are ready to cut.

If you decide not to pre-wash the fabric, but wash the quilt, you can follow the steps I take:

When I wash a large or small quilt that I have made, I use the Shout® Color Catchers I talked about earlier and I have experienced no color transfer. Just be careful! If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t do it.

I always wash the quilt on the gentle cycle with cold water. I dry it on low, or even just “air fluff” for about 10 minutes and then lay it out flat or gently over a drying rack to finish drying. You need to be careful with draping large quilts over a rack because the weight of the wet quilt can pull at seams. With a large quilts it’s best to find a clean, flat area to lay it out to dry.

Next week, I’ll talk about some more fabric tips and also some cutting tips. Come on back next week for some more tips! But before you, go leave me a comment below on your thoughts on the fabric tips I’ve shared or some things you’d like me to share in the future. I’ll enter you in a drawing for my pattern Seaside Cottage just for commenting!

The drawing will be on Monday, July 6th so you have a couple of weeks to enter! **We have a winner! Congrats, Jane Harrington!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Fabric 101 – Good Things to Know!

Do you know the difference between straight of grain and bias when it comes to fabric? Right side and wrong side of fabric? Why pre-wash fabric or not? I’m sure most of you know, but it doesn’t hurt to have a refresher. Here’s some things about fabric you should be familiar with as a quilter.

1. Selvages

Selvages are the finished edges of the fabric. Fabrics are woven with threads going lengthwise and crosswise. This is called the grain of the fabric. Fabric has two selvages and measuring from selvage to selvage is referred to as “width of fabric”. The selvages are often marked on one side with the name of the fabric company, designer and other information about the fabric:

And the other side is often blank but still noticeable by the thickness or texture:

When figuring fabric yardage for a project, make sure you consider how much of your fabric width is unusable because of it’s selvage. For my patterns, I assume a usable width of 40″ although a fabric may say it’s 42″ wide. That way, you’re assured to have enough fabric for the project.

2. Grain of the Fabric

The lengthwise grain (warp) of the fabric is parallel to the selvage. This is where the fabric is  most stable.

The crosswise grain (weft) is perpendicular to the selvages. It is a little less stable than the lengthwise grain.

It’s important to know this because some patterns will tell you to cut certain pieces on the lengthwise or crosswise grain.

Before  rotary cutting became as common as it is today, it was very important to know this because quilt pattern templates were often marked with arrows for placement on the correct grain for cutting. Now, we generally cut all pieces out with a rotary cutter starting with strips cut from the lengthwise or crosswise grain.

3. Bias

Bias of the fabric is at a 45 degree angle from the selvages of a piece of fabric.

On the bias,  the fabric is the least stable and has the most stretch to it. That’s why binding cut on the bias is used for quilt tops with scalloped edges or for a circular quilt. Also, any seam sewn on the bias (like in half-square triangle squares) must be handled with care when pressing or          ripping out a seam so the fabric is not stretched out of shape. Once fabric is stretched on the bias, it usually stays a bit distorted.

See how stretchy it is on the bias?

I like to cut strips on the bias to make stems for applique projects because I can shape them into curves unlike straight strip stems. 

Test it yourself at home on a piece of fabric from your stash.

4. Right Side vs Wrong Side

This is generally easy to determine. The wrong side of the fabric usually has no design on it or it is very faded so you may be able to see a shadow of the design. The wrong side of the fabric is where you will draw sewing lines and other markings required by the pattern.

An exception to this is batik fabrics because they are dyed all the way through. The design on one side may be a little more pronounced that the other, but both sides can be used and often are.

  • Regular 100% cotton right side
  • Regular 100% cotton wrong side
  • Batik fabric – both sides basically the same

Both sides of solid color fabrics may also be used interchangeably, although one side may have a slight difference in the finish.

For traditional needle-turn applique, you trace template shapes on the right side of the fabric. The traced line is used as a guide as you are turning under the seam to stitch the shape.

5. Pre-wash or not?

The decision to pre-wash your fabric or not is a personal preference. Washing removes excess dye and sizing from the fabric. However, many quilters like to cut unwashed fabric because the sizing creates more stability. Also, fabric dyes over the years have improved to a point where there is not much that bleeds out. If you are unsure if the fabrics you have chose for your quilt will “play nice” once in the quilt top, you may want to pre-wash them all. Reds, purples and dark blues are often the ones you have to worry about.

If you are pre-washing, make sure to separate lights and darks like you do with clothes. Also, if pre-washing a pre-cut like a fat quarter, pink the edges or cut corners off the edges to minimize fraying.

I personally do not pre-wash fabrics. If I want to wash a quilt after it is quilted, I throw it in a cold wash (with soap made for washing quilts) with several color catchers. To date, I have had no problems. But, like I said earlier, if color bleeding is something you worry about, go ahead and pre-wash. Within a project it’s best not to combine pre-washed and not pre-washed fabrics.

6. How much fabric to buy?

Patterns will tell you how much fabric to buy with a list on the cover. Unless the designer lets you know that a bit extra has been added in, it’s a good idea to buy 1/8 to 1/4 yard more, depending on the size of pieces being cut from it. Here’s the back of one of my patterns:

I recommend buying more to allow for cutting errors, fabric shrinkage if you pre-wash or if the fabric you choose has a smaller width than the fabric the designer used in the pattern.

When I write a pattern, I assume 40″ of usable fabric width and I do add in a bit of extra fabric in the amount required. Hopefully with my patterns, you won’t run out of fabric!

That’s it for now. I’d love to hear your thoughts on fabric in the comments below.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne