Patchwork & Quilting - THE BASICS?

[WildAtlanticWay]

Ok, so I’ve played around with piecing bits together, made a few mug rugs and similar small useful items. However, I’m planning to make a toddler sized appliquéd quilt for my new granddaughter  using pattern pieces from the Shiny Happy World website. Wendy on there has produced some really helpful tutorials.

In the meantime, I’m going to practice by making a simple pieced and quilted throw to go over a sofa. I’ve cut and pieced together 5” cotton squares into blocks of 4 squares. Pressed in one direction rather than opening the seams and pressing. (It felt odd doing that to be honest.)

So far, so good, I think!

QUESTION: I’m planning to do the Quilt as you go method (QAYG) so attaching a large square of wadding to the 4 pieced squares, quilting it then attaching the quilted squares together. However, I keep reading on here about people using different brands of COTTON thread for quilting.

I tend to use Gütermann Polyester thread for most of my dressmaking projects even when sewing woven cotton, and cheaper Moon brand polyester threads for other stuff.

Why do you choose to use cotton thread on a quilt? If you’re machine quilting rather than hand quilting, would you still prefer to use cotton thread? I always believed that cotton thread breaks more easily?

I want to get it right for when I make my toddler quilt.

[Iminei]

There is another thread on here which has veered into Which Thread? and people say that we use cotton because if there was a problem the thread would break rather the the fabric (I think Ive got that right... feel free to jump in here)

More than that is the weight/thickness of the thread. size 100 is a piecing cotton when quilting we want to use a thicker cotton so the stitches stand out and 40 or 60 weight are the ones most quilters use.

Theres no reason not to use a sew all 100 weight but you wont see it that much as I understand it.

Theres a QAYG tut in the Tutorial Area of the Darkside ... linky HERE

There is also a Cot Quilt from Start to Finish tutorial HERE
(and follow along thread)

I know you're probably chomping at the bit to get on with it, but they may be worth a read.

[Diane]

@Iminei I like the QAYG tutorial, i've never done it this way but it looks a lot more manageable using this method  Also that quilting on the baby quilt is devine 

[Iminei]

Naturally it will get a lil cumbersome the larger it gets but if you are more Tortoise than Hare  you will be rewarded with something larger than you could normally make when you first start out.

[Lilian]

I will try QAYG for my next quilt. It will be for my  as I a at risk of losing this one to her. I was tying off and burying threads but she wanted to be as close to me as possible!

[Iminei]

Mmmmmnnnnn 

[Lilian]

Well she has got a broken toe 

[BrendaP]

QUESTION: I’m planning to do the Quilt as you go method (QAYG) so attaching a large square of wadding to the 4 pieced squares, quilting it then attaching the quilted squares together. However, I keep reading on here about people using different brands of COTTON thread for quilting.
@WildAtlanticWay
There are several methods of QAYG.  One way has very lumpy seams, the method Imi shows isn't lumpy but requires sashing, but neither of those have to be present.  I made a King size bed quilt by quilting a strip at a time.  I quilted to within an inch of the edge, added another strip of top, a strip of backing  and then a strip of wadding butted to the previous strip and quilted.  More suited to FMQ rather than lines of quilting going right across the quilt.

I tend to use Gütermann Polyester thread for most of my dressmaking projects even when sewing woven cotton, and cheaper Moon brand polyester threads for other stuff.

Gütermann  SewAll  (same as Mara 100) for most things including piecing.  Mara 120 for anything very fine.  Moon is OK for heavier fabrics.

Why do you choose to use cotton thread on a quilt? If you’re machine quilting rather than hand quilting, would you still prefer to use cotton thread? I always believed that cotton thread breaks more easily?

I think it's partly tradition, partly because the thicker threads which some people like to use for quilting are easier to find in cotton and maybe partly to avoid using 'plastic' thread - but then don't use polyester for the piecing or 80/20 wadding!

It's true that if the stitching is too tight (possibly after shrinkage of the fabric in the wash) cotton will snap easier than poly thread, but that is more relevant to seams than to quilting.

[WildAtlanticWay]

I will try QAYG for my next quilt. It will be for my  as I a at risk of losing this one to her. I was tying off and burying threads but she wanted to be as close to me as possible!

Ooo that’s such a gorgeous photo. 

[Lilian]

Ooo that’s such a gorgeous photo. 

She looks right sorry for herself, giving the puppy dog eyes at me    She has been on my lap for the last hour