Theresa

This AM was given a huge amount of fabric. Most of it is a polyester-type fabric woven in plaid patterns. Am curious to know if this should be sewn/pieced differently. Any ideas? Thought I'd make strip quilts. Again, any thoughts?

pieces

Polyester usually has the tendency to stretch.
Which is one of the reasons its not usually used in quilts.
Seams don't usually press well like cotton fabric does.

bearisgray

depends on the polyester - is it a blend?

sweet

And polyester can melt with too hot of an iron. That being said, I've heard that a poly quilt will also wear like iron!

wolfkitty

I haven't sewn with it in a while, but as I recall, it tends to unravel a little bit more than cotton, so you may need little bit wider seams.

3flowers

I agree with wolfkilly. Some poly's will smack you down from the inside out. Those seams will ravel like crazy. I would wash the material thoroughly first and see what it will do. One of my quilts (with poly interspersed) needed overcasting here and there every time I washed it. Not all poly's will do that, but I would just make sure.

amma

I would make a little doll sized quilt first to see how it is to work with :D:D:D

ckcowl

polyester is strong stuff. it is next to impossible to hand stitch it, so machine projects are really necessary, and use a good new needle. the ones for knits...ball points, sharps actually snag on the threads sometimes, and cut them.
my mother just gave me a box with partially peiced polyester lone stars...they are fairly old, and the seams seem to be holding up very well, there does not seem to be alot of fraying. it does look as if they used about a 1/2" seam instead of 1/4" that is about the only difference i can see in construction technique used on these.
make a practice block mixing fabrics and working with them a bit and see how you like them and what you come up with. I would think poly would be good for bags and stuff because it holds up so well, but that is just me.

Theresa

Thanks every one for your thoughts and ideas. Will make a trial block first and see what happens. Fray-Check may become my new best friend! :-)