Muslin?
04-08-2012, 06:23 AM
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 55
Muslin?
I'm an extremely new sewer and quilter (though not in age 
) and looking for something easy to begin with. A friend has given me some 180 ct muslin that I've hand dyed and I was wondering if this would be okay material for a beginner quilt - something like the disappearing 9 patch sized for a lap quilt. My sewing skills are basic at best and while I love much of the material I've seen, I'm afraid my sewing skills just aren't up to par. I would like to practice on something more affordable until I get better.
Thanks
Sharon
) and looking for something easy to begin with. A friend has given me some 180 ct muslin that I've hand dyed and I was wondering if this would be okay material for a beginner quilt - something like the disappearing 9 patch sized for a lap quilt. My sewing skills are basic at best and while I love much of the material I've seen, I'm afraid my sewing skills just aren't up to par. I would like to practice on something more affordable until I get better. Thanks
Sharon
04-08-2012, 08:29 AM
#3
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 9,312
I agree , muslin is a good fabric to start with.. and the starching &ironing prior to any cutting is one of the best tools a quilter can use to help with accuracy.
04-08-2012, 08:39 AM
#4
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,528
I think that's a great choice to practice on! My only thought is to be careful washing the finished product.
I'm not sure what your methods are regarding hand dying. I recently read a blog post by a woman who does a lot of hand dying and she lets the dyed fabrics sit in clean water for 12 hours before using. She did a massive experiment and found this is the best way to release the excess dye from both hand-dyed and commercially dyed fabric.
I'm not sure what your methods are regarding hand dying. I recently read a blog post by a woman who does a lot of hand dying and she lets the dyed fabrics sit in clean water for 12 hours before using. She did a massive experiment and found this is the best way to release the excess dye from both hand-dyed and commercially dyed fabric.
04-08-2012, 09:15 AM
#5
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Nevada
Posts: 1,103
I think the muslin is a great idea! Good for you for diving right in with dyeing fabric and choosing to make a quilt.
When I started, I hit the thrift shops for some fabric. Got a load of things like old sheets, big cotton shirts, jeans, flannel, tablecloths, and even some real fabric -- big load -- all for $25. I practiced on that. I did small projects, pot holders (which is where I came up with my now famous blue jeans potholders), lots of quilt blocks, some FMQ, figured out my thread tension, 1/4 inch seams, threading my machine and bobbin, worked up to a wall-sized quilt -- looked awful and wasn't square! -- practiced rotary cutting, precise cutting, got my rulers so they wouldn't slide, learned to use the same ruler for an entire project, read everything I could get my hands on, lived on this blog, and then I made my first quilt in over 25 years. No, not a newbie. Just real rusty. And the last machine I had was a "one stitch". These computerized models with a zillion options (all requiring a decision) took some getting used to. But at least I don't have to make my own button holes any more.
Best of luck to you!
When I started, I hit the thrift shops for some fabric. Got a load of things like old sheets, big cotton shirts, jeans, flannel, tablecloths, and even some real fabric -- big load -- all for $25. I practiced on that. I did small projects, pot holders (which is where I came up with my now famous blue jeans potholders), lots of quilt blocks, some FMQ, figured out my thread tension, 1/4 inch seams, threading my machine and bobbin, worked up to a wall-sized quilt -- looked awful and wasn't square! -- practiced rotary cutting, precise cutting, got my rulers so they wouldn't slide, learned to use the same ruler for an entire project, read everything I could get my hands on, lived on this blog, and then I made my first quilt in over 25 years. No, not a newbie. Just real rusty. And the last machine I had was a "one stitch". These computerized models with a zillion options (all requiring a decision) took some getting used to. But at least I don't have to make my own button holes any more.
Best of luck to you!
04-09-2012, 06:17 AM
#6
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 55
I think that's a great choice to practice on! My only thought is to be careful washing the finished product.
I'm not sure what your methods are regarding hand dying. I recently read a blog post by a woman who does a lot of hand dying and she lets the dyed fabrics sit in clean water for 12 hours before using. She did a massive experiment and found this is the best way to release the excess dye from both hand-dyed and commercially dyed fabric.
I'm not sure what your methods are regarding hand dying. I recently read a blog post by a woman who does a lot of hand dying and she lets the dyed fabrics sit in clean water for 12 hours before using. She did a massive experiment and found this is the best way to release the excess dye from both hand-dyed and commercially dyed fabric.
Thanks for all the support and comments! I can't wait to get started even though I really know nothing about either quilting or dyeing - but one has to always begin somewhere!
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