Quilting Material – The Needed Items
July 18, 2008 Quilting Material
The different materials and supplies needed for a quilting project are many and varied. Some are chosen because of personal preference. Others are chosen because it’s simply the best tool or item to use. Some of these needed supplies might include the batting, the needles, types and colors of thread and sometimes even brightly colored yarn. Finding out what other more seasoned quilters have to say about their preferences may help you to make the right choices.
In the end it is nearly always experience that continues to be the best teacher. If something doesn’t work well, it is discarded. If it works, it becomes the best material for you.
Quilting Material Choices
There are no hard and fast rules about what quilting materials you should use in your particular project. However there are a few tips that can make your quilt softer, more comfortable and easier to construct. While cotton is most often the material of choice for the quilt batting, some quilters will select synthetic fabrics or perhaps even wool. With synthetics the quilt will be warmer, but on warm nights they may become too hot to sleep under.
For quilting materials and supplies other than the fabric choice, there are a few suggestions to make your work less troublesome. Most quilters will agree that the shorter the needle the better. This is because you are pushing it through three layers of cloth at the same time. A needle size nine or ten is most often recommended, as they are short enough to go through all the layers, yet long enough for your fingers to be able to grip it. Note that the higher number means a longer needle when you are looking for quilting needles.
Be sure to use quilting thread which is 100% cotton. It will be thicker and stronger than your standard sewing thread. Again, since you will be pulling it through three layers of cloth and will pulling pretty hard, you will not want it to break when you are halfway down a row. In addition, it should be wax coated to make it pull through easier. Stocking up on any particular color of thread is, of course, up to the individual quilter. However, but most will wait until they are making a quilt before buying all of the quilting materials, to make certain they have the exact color needed.
Consider Quilt Style When Purchasing Quilting Materials
How will your quilt be used? Some quilters want a quilt for use of a cover on the bed to keep warm. Others are looking for a beautiful display item of art. When quilting the project together some quilters like to insert extra batting at certain sections of their design which will make them thicker than the other sections, which makes them stand out. Others prefer that the quilting materials be evenly distributed over the entire quilt.
While some may use a sewing machine to assemble the quilt together, others choose to simply tack the squares together using the machine and then finish it off by hand. For those who will be using a needle and thread, your supply of quilting materials should definitely include quality thimbles to protect your finger when pushing the needle through the cloth.
Yarn may also be added to the list of quilting materials as colorful yarn is often used to decorate the edges of quilts. After they are sewn together, the yarn can be threaded around the edge or in a pattern on the quilt to achieve a unique appearance.