Quilts are a fundamental part of our daily lives in winter because they keep us warm and cozy.
Most of the time, not much thought is put into the kind of quilt we buy, since a lot of us have the common misconception that all quilts are made of the same type of fabric.
While this may be true to some extent, it would be wrong to assume that quilts cannot be made from more than one kind of fabric.
But what kind of fabric is best for quilting? To find out the answer to this, read our article where we will be discussing it.
What Kind of Fabric Is Best for Quilting?
Below we will be sharing with you some information on the best fabric for quilting. Read on to find out what they are!
Home Décor Weight Cotton
Home décor weight cotton falls on the heavier side of the spectrum and is more suited for quilted pillows and other objects such as bags, throw cushions, and so on. This is because, if you use this fabric for your quilt, you will find that it does not drape too easily.
This kind of fabric is usually 54 inches wide, which makes it rather helpful for décor schemes that need more yards of fabric.
However, if you still want to use this kind of fabric on your quilt, do make sure that the batting of your quilt is light so that the two can balance each other out.
Essex Linen
This fabric is a mixture of linen and cotton. It is often used by quilters worldwide due to its amazing, soft texture and lightweight.
A lot of times, this fabric is also used along with weight cotton since it helps to even out the weight of the heavier fabric.
Voile
You might not be aware of this, but nowadays voile is also used by quilters. Before this, voile was more commonly used to make apparel such as dresses, skirts, blouses, and so on. But this fabric’s good quality and lightweight made it highly popular amongst quilters.
This is because not only can voile be used by itself but also together with something heavier to even out the overall weight distribution.
Moreover, using voile will also give the top of your quilt a more silk-like finish if the top part of the quilt is made of this fabric.
Quilter’s Linen
Along with being great for home décor projects, quilter’s linen is also a great material for quilts. It is a 100% cotton fabric whose looks and texture resemble those of linen.
Similar to the ones mentioned on this list earlier, quilter’s linen can also be used alongside weight cotton.
The plus side of using quilter’s linen for your quilting project is that it is totally safe to use it with other fabrics. Moreover, you will not have to worry about anything going wrong when using quilter linen.
Weight Cotton
Weight cotton is one of the most common types of fabric used for quilting since this too is made totally from cotton. This fabric is widely accepted and used by quilters worldwide, even though it does shrink a bit when washed.
However, compared to other fabrics that are a bit cheaper, weight cotton will shrink less. Moreover, if you opt for weight cotton of higher quality, your fabric is less likely to bleed when you wash it.
We would still suggest you conduct a test wash on your desired fabric before you wash it, just for reassurance.
One tip that we would like to offer is that, regardless of the type of fabric you buy, always wash and dry it before you start your project.
Silk
Yet another fabric that is perfect for quilting is silk. This fabric material is super smooth, durable, and feather-light. However, do not let this fool you, because silk will also keep your quilt very warm.
Silk is also aesthetically pleasing to look at, which is another feature of this fabric that makes it so popular with quilters.
Batik
Originating from the Java island of Indonesia, batik is a coloring process used on clothes. It is generally done by a wax-resist. Batik fabrics will make a great choice if you wish to use them for your quilting project.
The main reason behind this is that fabrics that have undergone the batik process usually have a higher number of threads.
Why so? Because batik is a coloring process that requires the cloth to go through a lot of washes, and with each wash, it will shrink by a few centimeters or so.
Due to the larger number of threads in a cloth that has undergone this process, the fabric is less likely to shrink when you wash it. As a result, fabrics that have the batik print on them make an overall better choice for quilting.
Cotton Chintz
By now, you may have already guessed that cotton is very suitable for quilting. Similar to its other counterparts, cotton chintz is also a popular choice among quilters, especially if you are someone who would like to give their quilts a bit more color.
As mentioned before, make sure that you wash and dry the fabric before you start working on it, just so that you know how much it has shrunk.
Also, when washing the fabric, stay on the lookout for color bleeding, since a lot of fabrics made of cotton tend to have an extra layer of color on them.
Before you get started, try doing a patch test on your purchased fabric, so that you know what to expect.
If you see that the fabric that you bought is turning the water into a different color, wash the cloth separately in order to prevent the color from ruining your other clothes.
Which Fabric Should You Not Use for Quilting?
Now that we know what some of the top fabrics for quilting are, let us take a look at some fabrics that we should not use when working on a quilting project.
Synthetics
If you are going for patchwork quilting, you must stay away from synthetic materials at all costs. This is because this kind of fabric has a greater likelihood of melting.
Since you will have to use a good amount of steam when doing patchwork projects, choosing this fabric will only disappoint you.
Knitted Fabrics
Another piece of fabric that you should steer clear of is the knitted kind. Unlike synthetic fabrics, this will not melt.
But when you cut it into small squares before you begin the patchwork, the fabric will lose its initial shape.
As a result, you will be left with a disproportionate and awkward-looking quilt, which is not something you would want.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of our article for today. We have put a lot of care and effort into this article so that you will be able to know what kind of fabric is best for quilting.
And we hope after reading this, your quilting project will become easier and you will not have to worry about anything going wrong. Happy sewing!