I strongly suspect what is being offered in the UK may be what is called Mara 100 here, and we have to order that from supply houses. The Gütermann that's readily available in B&M stores for home use is horrible.

Yes definitely - Gütermann Sew All is Gütermann Mara 100 - just a different put-up for the domestic market.

Sew All
Mara 100

Can you show us what the pattern on the fabric looks like?

@Sewot
Found it!  I knew I'd seen it in print somewhere.
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This comes from a Threads publication 'Beyond the Pattern'

ETA:
Reading the article with that diagram it says:
"The natural curve in a straight stitch caused by the upper thread emerging from one side of a knot and entering the next knot on the other side, always slants in the same direction, as shown in the photo..  This curve will be less noticeable  when you sew with a straight-stitch foot and throat plate, because the narrow holes in the foot and plate support the fabric all round the area where the needle enters the fabric, reducing any unwanted fabric movement."

So I didn't dream that up, I had actually learned about it ages ago!

I don't pre-wash stuff for quilting but I do pre-wash fabrics for making garments - I'd rather get any shrinkage out of the way first!

The Moon versus Gütermann debate rages on!

Moon is a bit thicker and it's fluffier than Gütermann SewAll
Some love Mooon, others don't.  IMO You get what you pay for, but try both to see the difference.

The way a lockstitch is formed the needle thread and bobbin thread twist around each other between each stitch.  If teh tension is correct the twist will be between the two layers of fabric.

Because that twist is always in the same direction the stitches will always be very slightly at an angle.  All lock stitch machines form the stitch in the same way.  The old vintage machines didn't do anything different.

It may well be more noticeable on a zig-zag machine than on a straight stitch only machine; possibly because the wide needle hole allows more play than the small needle hole of a straight stitcher? 

@Esme866  Possibly using a single needle in a coverstitch machine to make a chainstitch would give a straighter stitch.  A lot of RTW jeans have two parallel lines of chainstitch on the felled seams, presumably an industrial machine with 2 needles and 2 loopers.

Welcome @Sewot  to TSP.

I have a spare Singer 201 that I am probably going to let go, sews well but not especially smart looking  - but the postage to Oz might be ££££

Your colours all look good together  :thumbsup:
but be aware that you will loose the jungle theme as soon as the fabrics are cut into strips.

I'm a big fan of Rail Fence for a beginners quilt pattern - rectangles are as straightforward to sew as squares.  It can look good with just four fabrics - but you really should be thinking about starting a stash of