Quilting Questions Answered

The e-Forum column is dedicated to you, the quilter. I would like to encourage you to participate in the e-Forum by submitting any events, thoughts, questions and hints to “Ask Margrit” and submitting your information via e-mail. If you submit information regarding quilting events in your area, we will post as many as possible. Please submit at least 2 months prior to the event.

Here is a sampling of recent questions that I thought all of you might find interesting. I look forward to hearing from you and addressing your questions.

Q: Do people quilt with 100% polyester fabric? I know 100% cotton is best but just curious.

A: You can use almost any fabric for quilting. Cotton is one of the easiest fabrics to use, but you can piece with almost any fabric. Depending on the look I want, I have mixed fabrics such as silk, velvet and cotton. You also need to consider the way the piece will be used. Is it for a wall hanging that will probably never be laundered or for a baby quilt which will be lovingly used and need to be washed a lot?

Q: Could you please explain fussy cutting to me?

A: Fussy cutting is cutting a particular design from a piece of fabric. For example, if you have a floral fabric and you want to make one floral design the center square in your block, you would cut a template from a piece of see through template plastic the size of the center square, center the template over the floral design and cut it out. In essence you are simply custom cutting your fabric. You can use this technique for any piece in a block.

Q: I bought some jacquards and was wondering if there are any hints for sewing with them?

A: Jacquards, with their added texture, give a look of elegance to your quilts. Jacquards are woven differently than regular cotton, which is what gives them that wonderful silky look. Here are some helpful hints for sewing with the Marbleous Jacquards.

Try to keep the ripping out of seams to a minimum as this could cause raveling.

When piecing use fine pins (such as silk pins or fine quilting pins) to pin your pieces together.

Use "sharp" needles instead of the "ball point" or "universal" needles in a size 10 (70) or 12 (80) for sewing. Make sure that the needle has a sharp point and has not dulled through overuse. The sharp needle has a sharp tapered point instead of the more rounded point of a ball point needle.

Use around a 2.5 (approximately 10 to 12 stitches per inch) stitch length when sewing with the jacquards.

Q: I would love to make a kaleidoscope quilt and I am wondering if there are any templates I can purchase to make this quilt? I have tried using the paper templates to transfer to other materials but I am not pleased with the results so far.

A: There are several rulers available for making kaleidoscope wedges. Check with your local quilt shop for the ruler. Have you tried gluing the paper pattern to a sheet of see-through template plastic and then cutting out the templates? That way you don't have to redraw the design and you do not get any distortion.

Q: I was wondering how you would back and quilt a wool quilt top. Would you use batting, or eliminate batting and just put wool on the back and quilt by hand?

A: The one thing I can tell you is if you don't want it so heavy it can crush you; don't use a wool backing unless it is a very light weight wool. I made a wool quilt and finally decided to use a lightweight cotton batting and a flannel backing. They do have lightweight wool batting that would work just as well. If you don't want to use the flannel backing a cotton one should be fine with the wool.

Q: With the advent of the charm packs, how do you go about prewashing them? Do you just forgo that step?

A: I would probably not pre wash the squares. However, if you are concerned about the color running, you could soak them in a sink of cold water, gently wring out excess water and let them dry on a towel. Press and store until you are ready to use them.

Q: I live in a very warm climate and am looking for a suggestion for batting choices. I am making a large bed quilt, and want it to be as light weight as possible, but still want the depth, texture and dimension that heavy quilting gives. Any ideas?

A: I would recommend a lightweight cotton batting. If you are machine quilting a batting that is 80% cotton 20% polyester works as well, It is a little harder to hand quilt than a 100% cotton batt. Check and make sure that you can quilt at least 3 to 4 inches apart. A cotton batting will give you the look and feel of the antique quilts. Also, cotton is a natural fiber and will better absorb body moisture.