Jim's Gem

Welcome Karen from Southern California

Barb M

ahhh, thanks for explaining bearis :) I know what you mean now, now that you say that. I buy a lot of used bedsheets for my quilting, and ive seen that on the fitted bottom sheets sometimes, that's why i only buy top sheets. I actually prefer bedsheets myself, only because one the price, two, they always wash up so nice and wrinkle free, and three, they last longer than most fabrics. I want my quilts to really last long, and be able to be washed lots, but i will have to think about what some have said about poly and fires. That's def something to think about.

johnette

Back about 30 years ago, before I knew any better, I made quilts with whatever fabric Wal Mart had that I liked. I have since figured out that some of it was cotton/poly blends, but as someone else said, the whole quilt was made out of the same kind of fabric and a bed sheet used on the back. I never had any problems. Go for what you like, it'll be okay.

butterflywing

you might be interested in knowing that fairfield is now offering a batting made of - yes - recycled plastic soda bottles! it is light green in color and has a scrim of unidentified stuff. i feel the way you do, but at least this keeps things out of the landfills a little bit longer. petroleum-based 'batting' is also being used to fill parkas and vests.

Cathe

It really depends on what I am making. If it's just a tablerunner, wall quilt, child's quilt or other item that I don't expect to last more than ten years, I will sometimes use different fabrics. If I am making an heirloom project, especially if it's hand-quilted, I only use good-quality cottons.

Yes, our pioneer ancestors did make quilts out of different things, but the ones that survived are the "special" quilts that were seldom actually used.

quiltsRfun

The first quilt I made (about 30 years ago) was from my fabrics scraps leftover from the clothes I sewed for my kids. So there were a variety of fabrics, but mostly blends. It was 9-patches alternated with cotton muslin squares. I decided to do a pieced border but didn't have fabric so I bought a variety choosing them mostly for color. Some were cotton, some were poly blends. The border cotton fabrics wore out at the edges but the poly blends are still intact. I know it's taboo to mix but I'm keeping this in mind for quilts that might get a lot of wear.

BTW, even though this first effort wouldn't win any prizes, I treasure it because of all the memories connected with the different fabric scraps.

So go ahead and use whatever fabric you choose. When it comes to the rules of quilting, I like to apply the line from Pirates of the Caribbean regarding the code of the pirates. . . "We like to think of them more as guidelines."

bearisgray

There are good, bad, and indifferent fabrics made from almost any fiber known.

I think the quality of the fabric is as much a factor in the finished result as what the fabric is made of.

I would much rather use a nice cotton/poly blend than a sleazy/flimsy/offgrain cotton any day.

Quilt4u

Hi and welcome from Mass. If you want to use it then do. No quilt partroll here.

sewsue

I use lots of polycottons and they are great for applique as the cotton fabrics are so thick. Also there is the question about if it will last well it seems that my polycottons last longer than the cottons. cottons fade much quicker than polycottons. Another thing to consider is the cost of the cottons. So I just buy what I like and what is available and make do.
You must decide for yourself. here we do not have as many choices locally and sometimes use blankets for inners. take care and enjoy your quilting

Janstar

Welcome from Washington Karen. You will love this site! Jan