Fabrics Tips
Read these 5 Fabrics Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Quilting tips and hundreds of other topics.
Scrappy Quilt Tip
If you are having trouble with fabric placement in a scrap quilt, try placing your cut pieces into a brown paper bag. Pull out the pieces from the bag without peeking and use whatever comes up next. You may come up with some odd combinations, but they should look great when the quilt is completed.
Watch Those Reds!
The dyes used to create red fabrics are notorious for running when washed. Take extra care to prewash these fabrics separately until no more red shows in the rinse water.
Fabric Choices
Just about any type of fabric can be used in a quilt, but if you are just getting started, you will want to stick with a good quality 100% cotton fabric. Avoid fabrics that are too thin--they will easily stretch out of shape.
Hand Quilting = Thin Batting
Make your quilting life easier by choosing a low-loft batting if you plan to do your quilting by hand.
Invest in a Quality Iron
One of your most important tools is the iron you use as you are piecing your blocks. My favorite type of iron is as heavy as possible. The more weight in your iron, the less pressure you need to use on your fabric. This lessens the chance of stretching and distorting your seam allowances.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D. |
