Quiilter's Resources, Terms and Tips

Quilter's Resources, Terms and Tips

The Difference Between Chain Store Fabrics and Quilters′ Grade Fabrics

The brand new quilter, anxious to begin her first quilting class, brags to her classmates that she was able to buy all of her fabric at a discount chain store for $2.99 yard. When I hear this, I cringe, my stomach knots up and my head begins to ache. As a quilt shop owner and teacher, I sometimes overhear quilters exclaim over the expense of fabric. How can I explain to the novice or bargain hunting quilter, "Yes, there really is a difference between quilt store fabric and chain store fabric."

A quilt takes time and patience to construct, Harriet Hargrave, a well-known author and quilter in the industry says, "it takes the same one hundred hours to make a quilt from poor quality fabrics as it does from high quality fabrics. How valuable is your time?"

All fabric starts out as griege (pronounced gray) goods, which is cotton cloth as it comes from the weaving mill. The greige goods are purchased by a converter (a person or company who then decides on the design, color, and finish of the fabric). Examples of converters are P & B Textiles, Benartex, Moda, Timeless Treasures, to name a few.

The higher quality of greige goods, the higher quality of printed fabric it produces. Many aspects factors into the quality of the greige goods. Premium greige goods have a thread count of at least 60 by 60 threads, and in most quilting fabric the count is "68 square". This means there are 68 threads woven both horizontally and vertically per linear inch of fabric. The length of the cotton fiber (long versus short) and the weight and thickness in the threads used to weave the fabric also determine the quality of the fabric. Permium greige goods with a higher thread count will produce a silkier finish, not pill or beard and have enhanced print definition. Batiks and some special fabrics made for dyeing have up to a 200-thread count, which is why they feel stiffer than regular cotton fabrics. Premium greige goods are printed using multiple color screens. The little colored dots on the selvage strip indicate the number of screens used in the printing process. The finishing process, which determines the feel and the colorfastness of the fabric is also extensive in premium greige goods.

Chain store fabrics are made from lower grade greige goods. These fabrics have a different printing process, and are often poorly finished, which leads to color bleeding and a stiff feel. Some very important steps are cut in order to reduce the cost of the final product.

There are times when we may see the same design on different quality goods. This happens when converters sell to both quilt store and chain stores. If you look at the two fabrics side by side, you will see that the lower grade fabric will have a washed-out look and the color screens may not line up evening with the print design. The fabric may also have bearding (where fibers stick up out of the fabric surface) as a result of using short fibers. It may also fee stiff.

In this industry, the age-old adage really is true: you get what you pay for. After lovingly picking out the fabrics and pattern, patiently cutting and sewing the top together and then doing the finishing steps of quilting and binding, surely you want it to be around for future generations. In our fast paced world, where time time is really valuable, don't spend it making a quilt that will not hold up in the wash!

So the next time you are wandering through fabric racks, look carefully at the fabric and you will see, yes, there really is a difference. Choose quality fabric to ensure a beautiful finished quilt that you will be proud to claim as your own.

There is one more point that should be addressed. That is the issue of service and expertise. Most quilt shops are well staffed with knowledgeable, friendly quilting experts.

In conclusion, there is most definitely a difference in fabrics. You get what you pay for. Premium brands offer a vast quality advantage over cheaper alternatives for just a modest increase in cost, especially when you consider the effort, skill and love that will go into your use of the fabric. Textile fabrication is a large subject. If you would like to learn more Harriet Hargrave′s From Fiber to Fabric is an excellent resource to learn more about the fabric industry.

Article suggested by Susan Wittrup, reprinted with permission or Maret Anderson, owner of Seams Like Home Quilt Shoppe, Anchorage, Alaska

Quilting Terms Glossary

Applique

A design made by cutting one or more fabric shapes and applying them to a background fabric. There are many methods of applique

Backing

Fabric that is used on the back of a quilt. In general, the backing needs to be four inches larger on all sides than the quilt top.

Bargello

A style of piecing where you sew fabric strips together horizontally then cut and arrange the pieces vertically in steps to form a geometric design that looks like a wave.

Basting

A means of temporarily holding the three layers of the quilt sandwich -- top, batting, and backing - together in preparation for quilting. Hand quilters use long loose stitches, and machine quilters use safety pins.

Batting

The middle layer of a quilt. This can be cotton, wool, silk, polyester, or a blend. 100% polyester is not recommended for machine quilting as the quilt layers tend to slip. Called "wadding" in Great Britain. Choose batting at least four inches larger on all sides than the quilt top.

Bearding

When the batting seeps through the surface of the quilt. Can be caused by cheap, low thread count fabrics, fat needles, burrs on your needles, or cheap quilting thread.

Bias

The true 45-degree diagonal of a woven fabric. Bias has the greatest amount of stretch. Curved-edged quilts must be bound with bias strips. To achieve a flat quilt top, care should be taken to avoid bias edges on the outside of blocks or borders

Binding

Strips of fabric used to cover the raw edges of a quilt sandwich. Crosswise grain or bias strips are appropriate binding for straight-edged quilts. Curved-edged quilts must be bound with bias binding.

Block

The basic unit of a quilt top. Care should be taken that the outer edges of a block are not bias edges. Either crosswise or lengthwise grain will work for the outer edges.

Border

The outer edge of the quilt used to frame the central section of the quilt top. Can be plain, pieced, or appliqued.

Calico

A multi-colored patterned type fabric. Usually a tiny floral print. Called "muslin" in Great Britain.

Chain piecing

The recommended method of sewing patchwork on the machine. Patches are butted up one after the other, without lifting the presser foot, and without cutting the threads connecting them. Saves time and thread, and avoids thread snarls. The ends of the thread only have to held when sewing the first patch.

Charm quilt

A one-patch quilt where each patch is cut from a different fabric.

Cornerstone

square of fabric joining sashing to sashing

Crosswise Grain

threads of a woven fabric running perpendicular to the selvage.; Crosswise grain has a slight amount of stretch, which makes it appropriate for binding straight-edged quilts.

Directional Prints

A printed fabric that has a clear direction.; There are both 1-way directional and 2-way directional prints.

Fat Quarter

A quarter yard of fabric, formed by first cutting a half yard of fabric and then cutting the half yard in the other direction to make two fat quarters.; Thus fat quarters can range from 18"; x 20"; to 18"; x 22 1/2",; depending on the width of the fabric.;; A conventional 1/4 yard is 9 inches wide x the width of the fabric. Fat Quarters are often a more useful configuration for both patchwork piecing and applique, plus they don′t wrap around the machine agitator as bad during pre-washing.

Feed Dogs

The mechanical teeth on the sewing machine bed that moves the fabric through the machine.;

Finger Pressing

A method of temporarily pressing with your fingers. Sometimes used during the preliminary steps of block construction, to avoid stretching bias edges with your iron.

Finished Size

The final sewn measurement of a patch, block, or quilt without the seam allowances.

Four Patch Block

A block design based on a 2 x 2 grid.; A simple four-patch block will comprise of four square fabric patches.

Foundation Piecing

A method of assembling a block by sewing fabric pieces to a foundation of fabric. This gives the block added stability during piecing. Foundation piecing consists of sewing the printed fabric on top of the foundation which is left inside the quilt. Paper piecing is sometimes referred to as foundation piecing, but the process is different. See paper piecing.

Free Motion Quilting

Machine quilting with the feed dogs down. The quilter is in full control of moving the quilt and can sew in any direction.

Fusible

An applique technique that involves adhering a webbing to the back of the fabric and fusing the fabric to the background with the heat of the iron.

Fussy Cutting

Carefully selecting a specific area or image of the fabric.

Grid

Squares of uniform size.

Grain

The lengthwise and crosswise threads of a woven fabric.

Hand Quilting Stitch

A small evenly-spaced stitch used to hold the layers of the quilt together and to form a design on the surface of the quilt.

Hanging Sleeve

A tube sewn on the back of the quilt so that it can be hung.

Hue

Color

In the Ditch

Quilting on the edge of an applique shape or right next to a patchwork seam on the low side of the seam. Both a machine quilting and a hand quilting style.

Intensity

The strength of a color. Color intensity is diluted when white, black, gray, or any other hue is added.

Loft

A term used to describe the thickness and height of the quilt batting.

Long Arm Quilting

Machine quilting using a commercial long arm sewing machine. Fundamentally different than standard machine quilting on a domestic machine, as in this system the machine head is moved, while the quilt is held stable. The three layers on the quilt are set up on a roller system, which makes basting unnecessary.

Lengthwise Grain

Threads of a woven fabric running parallel to the selvage. A good choice for borders.

Meander Quilting

A loose meander throughout the quilt top done on both domestic and long arm machines. Similar to stippling but the quilting lines are much further apart, not not require marking.

Medallion Quilt

A quilt with a center block surrounded by multiple borders.

Mitered Corner

A method of constructing borders by joining a Vertical and Horizontal Strip of fabric in a 45 degree angle.

Muslin

A plain cotton fabric available bleached or unbleached.

Nine Patch Block

A block design based on a 3 x 3 grid. A simple nine-patch block is comprised of nine square fabric patches.

Paper Piecing

A technique of sewing your fabric under a thin substrate of printed paper. Excellent method for making perfect points. When the block is completed, the paper is removed by tearing it out.

Quilting frame

A large free-standing floor apparatus made of wood or plastic tubing used to hold the three layers of the quilt together during the hand quilting process.

Quilting hoop

A circular, square, or oval apparatus made of wood or plastic tubing used to hold the three layers of the quilt together during the hand quilting process.

Quilt sandwich

The three layers of the quilt together comprised of quilt top, batting, and backing.

Quilt top

The top layer of the quilt sandwich - it can be pieced, appliqued, a combination of piecing and applique, or whole cloth.

Rag Quilt

A quilt style where the seam allowances are intentionally exposed and allowed to fray.

Sashing

A strip of fabric used between blocks to set them together.

Seam Allowance

The distance between the cut edge of the fabric and the stitching line. In quilting, the seam allowance is usually 1/4 inch.

Selvage

The finished edges of the woven fabric along the lengthwise grain. The selvages should be cut off and not included in the seam allowance.

Setting

the arrangement of completed blocks forming the quilt top.

Setting square

A plain fabric square used to set completed patchwork or applique blocks in a quilt top.

Shade

A graduation of a color made by adding black to lessen its saturation.

Stash

A term used to refer to a quilter′s fabric collection. Important to a serious quilter as certain colors are not available every year, and fabrics are rarely reprinted.

Straight of grain

Lengthwise or cross grain - not bias.

Stippling

Very closely stitched background quilting resembling puzzle pieces. Can be done by hand or machine.

Tint

A gradation of a color made by adding white to it to lessen its saturation.

Template

A shape cut from cardboard or plastic used to cut units of a pattern for patchwork or applique.

Tone

A graduation of color made by adding gray to it to lessen its saturation.

UFO

An abbreviation meaning unfinished quilting projects.

Value

The lightness or darkness of a color.

Walking Foot

A necessary sewing machine accessory for straight-line machine quilting and binding. Ensures an even feed of the three layers of the quilt.

Whole Cloth Quilt

Quilt top that is composed of one fabric only. Minimal piecing may be required if the quilt is wider than the fabric. Usually a solid fabric is used in order to display the quilting.

Quilting Tips

Always read all instructions before starting the project.
Measure twice and cut once
Check your pattern and sew a test block before cutting all your fabric.
Always buy a little extra fabric.
Change your rotary blade often. A dull blade is actually more dangerous.
Keep your rotary cutter out of the reach of children and pets.
Always rotary-cut away from your body.
Get in the habit of closing the rotary blade after each cut.
Be aware that a rotary cutter can slice off the tip of your finger or fall to the floor and slice your foot so treat it with caution.
If the new blade in your rotary cutter is shredding your fabric, check to see if you have accidentally put two blades in the cutter.
Change your sewing machine needles often. At least once every 8 hours. A badly worn needle will actually make a thumping sound while sewing.
Try using a sharp needle instead of a universal needle for precise machine piecing.
When selecting sewing machine needles, remember the lower the number the finer the needle. For hand needles, it′s the opposite.
When cutting strips, check them often to make sure they are straight. If the strip has a bend or swerve it is time to square up the fabric again.
When quilting, it is important to understand the difference between ironing and pressing. Ironing is a back and forth motion. Pressing is an up and down motion. The only time ironing is appropriate in quilting is during yardage preparation! After cutting and piecing, remember to PRESS. Ironing will distort the bias.
If you are making a quilt for a particular bed, it is recommended that you measure your bed, instead of using conventional bed size charts. For example, in the past, 84 inches wide was considered fine for a queen-sized quilt. However, this width is just too skimpy for some of the modern pillowtop mattresses. In addition, be aware that the denser the quilting, the more the quilt will shrink, and size your quilt accordingly.
These three magic numbers will help you rotary cut with ease: 1/2 inch, 7/8 inch, 1 1/4 inch

squares and rectangles: finished size + 1/2 inch
half-square triangles: finished size + 7/8 inch (cut once diagonally for two triangles)
quarter-square triangles (flying geese unit): finished size + 1 1/4 inch (cut twice diagonally for 4 triangles)

Here′s a test to find out if you′re really achieving that perfect quarter inch seam allowance:

Cut 3 1-1/2 inch strips.
Sew them together lengthwise.
Press the strip set carefully.
Measure the center strip. It should measure 1 inch EXACTLY!

The perfect seam allowance is actually a SCANT quarter inch. This is due mostly to the fold of the cloth over the seam allowances. In addition, hand sewers use a slightly larger seam allowance than machine sewers, as there is twice as much thread in a machine-sewn seam.
The general rule is to never sew over an unpressed seam. However, during block construction there is a danger of distorting the bias if seams aren′t carefully pressed. You may find finger-pressing faster and safer than conventional pressing. Just turn the seam in the proper direction, and use the heat of your fingers to press the seam. Just the part of the seam you are about to sew over needs to be pressed, not the entire seam. Be gentle and do not pull or distort the fabric. Pin and sew the next section of the block. After the block is completed, or at least after a section has been completed with no bias sections on the outside, press with an iron in the conventional manner.
Sometimes it is necessary to pin before sewing patchwork. Do yourself a favor and use pins with a thin shank. Thick pins will only be a nuisance and will many times shift the seam.
Value, the relative lightness/darkness of your fabrics, can be more crucial to your quilt design than the actual color of the fabric. You will find your blocks leap to life if you make a concentrated effort to combine lights, mediums, and darks into your quilt. For example, blue and green may be a beautiful color combination, but if you used only blues and greens of the same relative value your quilt will not come to life. In fact, if may be hard to see the piecing at all! Why do all that work if no one can see it?
There are several ways to determine the value of your fabrics.

Take your fabrics to a black/white copy machine. The fabrics will copy in shades of gray and it will be much easier to arrange your fabrics from light to dark. However, some older black/white copy machines do not have good color receptors, particularly for red.
A digital camera is a better solution than a copier, as they are required to process all colors. Then use your computer software to turn your fabric picture to greyscale.
Another way is to examine the fabrics in a dimly lit room. The human eye doesn′t see color in dim lighting so this is an effective and fast way of determining the value.
Another method works best for the nearsighted! Take off your glasses, back away from the fabric, and squint!

Try freezer paper for your foundation when paper-piecing. Iron after each patch, and the fabric will stick temporarily. No more danger of the fabric pleating or folding while you are sewing the next patch! But if you do get in a bind and have to rip seams, use Scotch Magic tape to repair your paper foundation as it will not gum up the needle.
One nice way to try out a new pattern is to use Christmas prints for your test block. After a few years you will have a nice pile of Christmas blocks to incorporate into a sampler.
Whether you are an applique artist or prefer patchwork, try a little starch before cutting your patches.
Don′t forget to starch both your completed top and backing fabric heavily before machine quilting. You will find there is much less risk of pleats when free-motion quilting.
Use either bias or cross-grain strips for making binding. Cross grain strips are cut from selvage to selvage. Because of the way the fabric is woven on the machine, there is a slight stretch to cross grain strips. Straight-of-grain (or lengthwise) strips are cut parallel to the selvage. There is very little stretch to the straight-of-grain (lengthwise) strips and it is not appropriate for binding.
You must use bias binding if your quilt has curved edges.
If you did not quilt all the way to the edge, baste the edges of your quilt before binding in order to compress the edges.
Avoid putting seams in the binding in the corner of the quilt. Before sewing on the binding, pin the binding to the place you are considering starting and quickly lay out the binding along the perimeter to check where the seams are going to hit.
Always sew on your binding with a walking foot.
Consider cutting bias binding 1/8 wider than what you normally cut for cross-grain binding. The bias seems to stretch and may seem a bit too narrow if you don′t.
Batting and backing fabric can help stabilize a wall quilt so it will lie flat on the wall without ruffling. Try orientating your backing fabric so that the lengthwise grain is vertical. In addition, many battings have a grain. Test for stretchiness, and put the most stable grain vertically.
Are your borders ruffling around the edges? Does your finished quilt top not lie flat? Is your finished quilt not square? Try this method! When sewing on your border strips, NEVER just sew on longer strip and then whack it off at the end! Many times, the edges of your quilt have stretched. You must measure through the center of the quilt. Cut two strips exactly that length (for example, the top and bottom border strips). Find the center of the strip and the center of the quilt top. Pin that spot and pin the both ends. Now carefully pin the entire border, while you distribute the extra fullness evenly. Disengage your walking foot or even-feed foot. Put the biggest part next to the feed dogs. 90% of the time the center will be next to the feed dogs, with the border strip on top. Let the feed dogs do the work to ease in the larger area to the smaller area. You may have to hold the fabric firmly while sewing if there is a lot of extra fabric to be eased in. Press. Do the other strip the same way. Now measure through the center of the quilt the opposite direction and repeat! No more ruffles! And your quilt will be perfectly square!