ILoveToQuilt

I want to make a quilt using plaids. I can't seem to find many "quilting" weight cottons in plaids, but do have some. I can find lots of homespuns and shirting weight plaids (old 100% cotton men's shirts). Can these different weight fabrics be used together in a quilt? If so, do I need to stabilize the shirtings or regular cottons? Homespuns seem to be thicker/heavier than the other fabrics, or so it seems to me.

Thanks for your input!

maryb119

Why not? I mix fabrics all the time. If the colors go well together, then use them.

dottie dodge

I mix them all the time too

PaperPrincess

I also mix them, but prewash everything first because they all shrink at different rates. Homespun shrinks a lot more than regular cottons. It's more like flannel, so wash it twice.

quiltingshorttimer

yes---I'm working on a project right now that I started about 5 yrs ago and then set aside that is quilting cotton, polished cotton (which seems to be my most stretchy) and homespuns. Like others say, wash ahead of time (and with homespuns I suggest you baste around edges cause it sure does fray!).

dottie dodge

I also use spray starch on the homespun to give it more body before cutting.

Sheilz

I've mixed fabrics too when making Scottish themed quilts since the expectation is usually that I use a variety or specific clan tartan. It's pretty cool and I think creative to use different textures in a quilt - a visual and tactile feast!

luvstoquilt

I mix mine. Hey it is your quilt...do what you want and it will be beautiful!

ManiacQuilter2

I haven't had any problems with mixing homespun in with other plaids. I just wouldn't use the fabric as backing.

meyert

I am going to make a scrappy quilt from all of my scraps.. and I have a number of homespun scraps and I was wondering the same thing. On here someone suggested that I could put light interfacing on the homespun if I was worried about the extra fraying. I think that I what I am going to do when I mix the fabrics