The Sewing Place

Asking for a newby quilter friend

Vezelay

Asking for a newby quilter friend
« on: April 14, 2020, 21:40:11 PM »
My friend is making her first quilt in lockdown, having recently done a beginners sewing course.

She made the quilt top with a jelly roll - it's about 5' x 4'6". She was searching in the house for fabric for a border and binding and wants to recycle a respectable old sheet and a dress that once belonged to her daughter. She will probably use another sheet for the backing. The colours will work but I'd guess all these are probably poly-cotton. I would know straight away (after decades of allergy to synthetics) but of course I'm not in a position to check the fabric.

I've made only one quilt and used all 100% cotton including batting, so do you experts see any pitfalls? I will suggest that she washes the jelly roll top to shrink it before adding the sheets and dress which have presumably been washed many times before. Anything else? Would you be happy with this?

Thanks Darksiders.

Sheilago

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2020, 21:49:57 PM »
One problem might be when she comes to iron the top. The jelly roll being cotton, will need a hot iron, but that might be too hot for the poly cotton, which could shrink with too much heat. I really like to only use 100% cotton, but given the lockdown and difficulty getting things , perhaps needs must.

Having said that I recently ordered 100% cotton bed linen online in a 70% off sale to use as backing. It arrived very quickly and worked out much cheaper than buying fabric.

BrendaP

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2020, 21:51:34 PM »
The quilt police are all in lockdown so no-one will know what she uses for the backing and binding!

Whilst poly-cotton does feel a bit different to 100% cotton it doesn't really make that much difference.  In my early forrays into the dark side I used a poly cotton sheet for sashing as well as backing and it was fine. 

Telling your friend at this stage in her quilting that she *must* use all cotton is likely to discourage her rather than encourage her to greater things.  <3
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

BrendaP

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2020, 21:53:26 PM »
One problem might be when she comes to iron the top. The jelly roll being cotton, will need a hot iron, but that might be too hot for the poly cotton, which could shrink with too much heat.

The top is already made, and presumably pressed/ironed.  Once it has been quilted it shouldn't ever need to go near an iron again!
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Efemera

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2020, 22:08:20 PM »
I would never ever wash a jelly roll...it will just be a tangled  shredded edge mess.

Vezelay

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2020, 22:32:18 PM »
I would never ever wash a jelly roll...it will just be a tangled  shredded edge mess.

Not when it's all sewn together though surely?

wrenkins

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2020, 22:34:36 PM »
 :ninja:

Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

Lowena

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2020, 22:36:36 PM »
I totally agree with Brenda ( wouldn't dare do otherwise  :devil: )  I have, on occasion mixed polycotton and quilting cotton and used preused fabric, for sashing and backing. Everything was fine.
We won't tell if she won't  ;)
P.S. Never! Wash precuts....they shred  :S
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Lilian

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2020, 22:39:45 PM »
@wrenkins you would never guess  :o ;)
Willing but not always able :)

Renegade Sewist

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2020, 22:43:29 PM »
Not when it's all sewn together though surely?

Still a tangled mess! If she has a gentle wash cycle and a big lingerie bag, on a very short cycle,  maybe. Plan be is a gentle soak in hot water. Done in a bathtub with a sheet placed under it. You gently fold the quilt top and just soak. Drain and press down on quilt top. No wringing! Dry flat if at all possible. Or spritz the top liberally and give it a good steam press. Explain to her the difference between pressing and ironing.

Or,  my preferred method: tell her to go for it but as she likely has different fabric contents that the finished quilt should be machine washed cold and air dried if possible.
Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.

Sheilago

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2020, 23:02:27 PM »
I agree @BrendaP if the top is finished, but @Vezelay mentioned using the polycotton for a border. If she makes sure the middle is well pressed , she can probably successfully add a polycotton border and iron using a cooler temperature.  Otherwise it should be ok : I have used poly cotton too in the past, especially for backing and it worked well.

Vezelay

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2020, 23:09:53 PM »


:o :o :o :o :o

Still a tangled mess!

P.S. Never! Wash precuts....they shred  :S

Arghhh! :o :o :o Point taken. Remind me never to use a jelly roll...
« Last Edit: April 15, 2020, 07:39:23 AM by Iminei »

BrendaP

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #12 on: April 14, 2020, 23:12:05 PM »
@Sheilago and @Vezelay  If the top is finished it presumably only needs backing, quilting and binding.  If it still needs borders then it isn't finished  :devil:

However, if the cotton middle has been pressed well then a slightly cooler iron for pressing the border will be in order; it won't harm the middle.  After that it doesn't need to get near an iron again.  Part of the 'charm' of a quilt is that it wrinkles a bit whne it's washed and ironing it would flatten the guts out of it.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Vezelay

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #13 on: April 14, 2020, 23:21:08 PM »
My thoughts too re ironing @BrendaP. Happy with that.

Ploshkin

Re: Asking for a newby quilter friend
« Reply #14 on: April 15, 2020, 07:24:50 AM »
Ditto on the don't wash a pieced jelly roll top.  I did it once with one that had been stored nd looked a bit grubby.  Tangled mess indeed.  It took me hours to cut off all the frayed bits and press all the seams back in the right directiions.
Life's too short for ironing.