Working with Your Quilting Fabrics
Topics to help you work with your quilting fabrics. Learn how to do a burn test to identify unknown fibers, how to work with fabric grain, how to perform a bleed test and much more.
Sally Fox: Inventor of Naturally Colored Cotton
An introduction to Sally Fox, inventor of FoxFiber, naturally-colored cotton.
An introduction to Sally Fox, inventor of FoxFiber, naturally-colored cotton.
Levi Strauss: History of Blue Jeans
A look back at the history of denim fabric.
A look back at the history of denim fabric.
Use Fabric Grain to Improve Your Quiltmaking Skills
Fabric grain is one of those quilting topics that you might not think is important, but the way you cut your fabric in relation to its grain can produce a quilt that's accurate and easy to assemble--or a quilt that just won't do what you want it to do. Put fabric grain to work for you and you're quilting skills will blossom.
Fabric grain is one of those quilting topics that you might not think is important, but the way you cut your fabric in relation to its grain can produce a quilt that's accurate and easy to assemble--or a quilt that just won't do what you want it to do. Put fabric grain to work for you and you're quilting skills will blossom.
How to Perform a Bleed Test on Quilting Fabrics
Some quilting cottons bleed, especially vivid colors like red and purple. Bleeding means the fabrics will lose dyes when they are washed and those dyes can stain the other fabrics in your quilt. Perform this easy bleed test on your cotton fabrics before you use them in a project.
Some quilting cottons bleed, especially vivid colors like red and purple. Bleeding means the fabrics will lose dyes when they are washed and those dyes can stain the other fabrics in your quilt. Perform this easy bleed test on your cotton fabrics before you use them in a project.
Prewashing Pros and Cons
Some quilters never pre-wash their fabrics. Others always prewash, because they don't want any surprises when they wash a quilt for the first time. Use these prewashing pros and cons as a guide to help you decide whether to wash your fabrics before using them or jump right in and start cutting.
Some quilters never pre-wash their fabrics. Others always prewash, because they don't want any surprises when they wash a quilt for the first time. Use these prewashing pros and cons as a guide to help you decide whether to wash your fabrics before using them or jump right in and start cutting.
Keep Your Quilting Fabrics from Fraying in the Wash
Say goodbye to all those strings--use this quick tip to help keep your quilting fabrics from fraying when you prewash them.
Say goodbye to all those strings--use this quick tip to help keep your quilting fabrics from fraying when you prewash them.
How to Do a Fabric Burn Test
This simple burn test will help you determine if a fabric is one hundred percent cotton, and if it isn't cotton fabric, give you a few clues to its content.
This simple burn test will help you determine if a fabric is one hundred percent cotton, and if it isn't cotton fabric, give you a few clues to its content.
Quilting Fabric Swaps
Our About Quilting forum members have a lot of fun swapping quilting fabrics. One of the most lively forum discussions is fabric noodles swap--long, narrow strips of fabric that can be used for an endless number of quilting blocks and projects.
Our About Quilting forum members have a lot of fun swapping quilting fabrics. One of the most lively forum discussions is fabric noodles swap--long, narrow strips of fabric that can be used for an endless number of quilting blocks and projects.
Learn How to Cut Fat Quarters of Quilting Fabric
We throw the term "fat quarters" around a lot and new quilters always wonder what it means. This explanation and illustration will help you see how a fat quarter differs from a standard quarter-yard cut.
We throw the term "fat quarters" around a lot and new quilters always wonder what it means. This explanation and illustration will help you see how a fat quarter differs from a standard quarter-yard cut.