The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Fun with Fabric => Topic started by: Marniesews on September 24, 2020, 17:18:08 PM
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I'd love the advice of you regular buyers of quilting cotton. I'm looking at buying more fqs and half metres in lovely prints for mask making so ideally wanting the better qualities with a good thread count but in sales wherever I can.
I've found some lovely designs in a sale:
-- Dashwood & Dashwood Studio (unsure of the differentiation)
-- Lewis & Irene
-- Makower
How do you rate these names quality-wise?
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I've never had a problem with any of those. :)
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Are they a pretty tight weave is my main point of interest I suppose as I'll certainly wash them before cutting out. Once or twice would you recommend? I'm only experienced with dressmaking. fabrics.
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I use Makower very often. It is always reliably good quality. The other 2 are also well known brand names. I’ve found that it’s best to buy brand names S they wash and wear better in quilts.
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I've found that the quality is good but the tightness of the weave can vary. If that's your main consideration for masks I'd go for quilting batiks - they're always much more tightly woven.
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I'd say they were all good quality brands, and tend to be tight weaves - but as @Kenora says, batiks are pretty much always tightly woven.
I've just bought a number of bargain pieces of quilting fabric (from reputable shops) and am quite startled by the poor quality, so you're wise to think about it.
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The weave count is higher in good quality cotton bedding - although you wouldn't get the nice patterns. But as a backing fabric for masks maybe? From a pillowcase or such like?
:vintage:
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I’ve made several masks from Art Gallery Fabric quilting cottons as they have a high thread count and a very smooth finish. I had some sheeting off cuts with a high thread count, but found masks from them were not that easy to breath through.
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Art Gallery <3, Tula Pink, Moda.
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All the ones you mention are good. Batiks are tighter
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Latest thinking on masks is that polyester or polycotton is better for the outer layer, better at repelling moisture apparently and something to do with static between the different fibres.
The big batch of masks I made yesterday were new polycotton pillowcase fabric with a very tight weave on the outside, a soft cotton/rayon single jersey next to the face and the usual non-woven layer in the middle.
BTW, I've found another source for the non-woven bit - the anti-bac/anti-viral wipes. So long as you have only wiped down otherwise 'clean' surfaces just put the used wipe into the washing machine. I'm doing most washes at 60 degrees now, but it should be already sterile from the alcohol before it goes into the machine.
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I second the batik and also moda suggestions.
I've used some tight cotton twill as lining on some contoured masks and that has worked well. I fuse non woven interfacing to my cotton for the middle layer and the design I use has a pocket for you to pop a filter in as well.
Doughtys have some sale batik at the moment so I may stock up on those to make some more masks!
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Thank you for all this input, it's really useful. :) I've just bought both Lewis & Irene and Dashwood Studios because I loved the prints AND they were in the sale! So glad I asked.
I normally underline the fabric with chiffon which has really good electrostatic qualities and I'm in two minds about the polycotton. Are there any recent tests for polycotton that you could link @BrendaP ?
So far I've used cotton, both dressmaking (lawns, poplins and chambray) and quilting qualities but like Acorn have found quilting cottons bought online can be very variable hence I've started looking more closely at brand names.
I love batik myself but I'm making many for others and seeing a couple of comments elsewhere on them sometimes running in the wash so I was a little uncertain.
I have used high thread count sheets and found that the sateen finish is much easier to sew than the firmer percale type. The problem with them through the summer is they are much warmer so then I used tight weave cotton lawns with double layer chiffon and a soft cotton lining which worked well. It's a lot more sewing with all the layers but I'm sewing for people I know and am happy to go the extra mile for.
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Was the sale in a local shop or online? Asking for a friend... :| ;)
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I normally underline the fabric with chiffon which has really good electrostatic qualities and I'm in two minds about the polycotton. Are there any recent tests for polycotton that you could link @BrendaP ?
@Marniesews
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks)
the first video .
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Was the sale in a local shop or online? Asking for a friend... :| ;)
It was Little Miss Sew'n'Sew Shop. So many lovely prints but not all in the sale of course.
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Thank you @BrendaP I did see an article on their recommendations when they first came out but it didn't mention a polycotton blend. Always go to the source, because otherwise that's when you miss the useful nugget!
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Ooh thank you - I've found their online shop. (https://www.littlemisssewnsew.co.uk/) :D