Preferred Quilting Fabrics-Fabric Cuts And Cutting Fabric
The preferred quilting fabrics for making quilts are 100% cotton. Most craft and fabric stores have a designated area for quilt fabrics and supplies. Every community has specialty quilt shops. In addition to bolt fabrics which you purchase by the yard, precut fabrics and precut quilt kits are also available for convenience.
There are different names for precut fabrics but I think the two most popular are the fat quarter and the charm pack quilting squares. Requests for the precut fabrics is time saving, less labor intensive, and color coordination selections have been done by the fabric designer or the staff in the quilting shops or the fabric stores.
The fat quarter is made of squares measuring 18 x 21 or 18 x 22 inches. Learn to make your own personal fat quarter. Cut one yard of 44 inch wide fabric into four equal squares. There is usually one inch extra allowing for waste or to keep.
The charm pack contains five inch squares. Cutting one yard of 44 inch wide fabric will produce 8 five inch squares across the width with four inches remaining. The remaining four inches can be converted to three inch squares. If you wish make a 21/2 inch roll which is called a jelly roll. Or make a 11/2 inch roll which is called a honey bun. These rolls provide possibilities for quilt binding.
Scrap quilting is working with scraps held over from other fabric projects. If you are a quilter most of your scraps will be cotton. If you sew with a variety of fabrics, there will be challenges to your creativity because of the different techniques needed to sew non-cotton fabrics. Fabric knowledge will be critical as you mix and match your scraps.
Fabric cutting is important. Squares, rectangles, borders, and sash strips will be cut on straight-of-grain. The lengthwise grain runs along the selvage edge of the fabric. The selvage edge is the outer edge of the fabric where the threads have collected during the weaving process.
Do not include the selvage edge when cutting your borders otherwise the quilt block will not allow the fabric to lie flat. There will be puckering and unnecessary pulling occurring in the finished product.
Cutting circles will capture straight, crosswise, and bias run of the fabric. Flexibility is needed in the circle and if you gently pull on it you will feel and see how the fabric stretches.
As you know the triangle is a square cut diagonally and will have one side which lies on the bias. Attach the bias side of the cut to the straight edge of the adjoining piece. Be very careful when handling the bias cut. Stay stitching or taping will stabilize the stretch if assistance is needed.
Would you like to learn more about quilting? Visit the hobbies section of Tricia Deed at http://www.infotrish.vpweb.com/ and review Quilting Gems. Do not forget to download your free quilting pattern.
About the Author
I have many interests which have permitted me a gypsy-like and an out of the ordinary lifestyle. Currently I would like to introduce and share with you hobbies and business opportunities which may be used for personal recreation or as income for your financial success.
Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt Block Tutorial
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