How To Choose The Perfect Quilting Fabric For Your Projects

How To Choose The Perfect Quilting Fabric For Your Projects

There are so many types of fabric to choose from for your quilting projects! Having so much creative freedom can be intimidating, making it difficult to narrow down your choices of quilting fabric. Read on if you’re looking for guidance on what quilting fabric to use for your next quilting project. We’ll go over some of our top tips for selecting what you need.

Find Quality Fabrics for Your Quilting Projects

Quilting is an enjoyable experience. The quality of your quilt fabric contributes to the overall experience, as a quilted fabric that is loose or heavy will only sometimes last as long as higher quality materials. Deciding on what quilted fabric to use for your quilting projects begins with an explanation of what quilting fabric is.

What is Considered Quilting Fabric?

What is quilting fabric? Quilt fabric is the woven fabric used for fabric blocks and quilt tops. Many quilters use quilt fabric on the top and back of quilts as the material is 100% cotton. Quilting fabric is priced differently based on the quality of the material, such as the thread count, length of the cotton fibres, staple length, weave style, and finishing products used. These factors contribute to the price of quilting fabric. The quality of the fabric decides the sustainability of the quilt.

What Kind of Fabric is Best for Quilting?

There are many different kinds of quilt fabric to choose from based on your quilting project. What is quilting fabric made of? Here are some of the standard fabrics used for quilting:

• Quilting Weight Cotton
• Linen
• Flannel
• Denim
• Voile

Quilting-Weight Cotton

Quilting cotton is a high-quality material that is easy to use and light in weight. Egyptian and Pima fibres are often made of staple-length cotton as this quilt fabric is stronger and more durable, with the added benefit of producing less lint with a sewing machine. Many quilters pre-wash cotton quilt fabric before usage. Pre-washing the material before the quilting process begins helps prevent shrinkage in quilting-weight cotton. Quilting cotton is an optimal fabric choice in hotter climates due to its breathability. You can find quilting-weight cotton fabric in various colour schemes and designs.

Linen

Linen is more openly woven than other quilt fabrics and has the potential to fray more readily. Linen is an excellent choice for your quilting project if you are looking for a textured look that is soft to the touch. Linen’s texture is absorbent and cool as it’s woven from flax plants. Since linen is a looser weave of quilt fabric, take care to construct your quilt carefully to avoid your project unravelling when cleaned.

Cotton Flannel

Flannel is a soft and malleable quilting fabric to use for your quilting projects. Flannel is thicker and heavier than quilting-weight cotton so take care to apply lower pressure to distribute the textile more evenly through your sewing machine. Flannel is a popular quilt fabric for warm quilts to relax in. Create a flannel quilt to venture outdoors to curl up at night. You can find flannel in an array of prints and colours to personalise your quilting project.

Denim

Similar to flannel, denim is upland cotton. Due to its heavy material, denim is a great option for a weighted blanket to keep you warm at night. Denim is a strong quilt fabric and will help your project endure time.

Voile

Voile is a soft and silky cotton commonly used for clothing. Voile is a versatile cotton often used in quilting projects to make string quilts. Pair voile cotton with quilting-weight cotton to provide a softer finish to your quilting project. Its smooth and somewhat transparent appearance has made voile a popular choice in recent years for quilting fabric.

What is the Difference Between Cotton and Quilting Cotton?

Now that we’ve answered the question of what is quilting fabric; it's time to compare cotton materials. Cotton is most often used to produce clothing, so what is the difference between cotton used for apparel and quilted cotton? Cotton quilt fabric is a beginner-friendly fibre. Quilting fabric is durable, medium-weight cotton that can be machine-washed repeatedly. Be sure to iron your cotton quilt fabric often, as the material does wrinkle easily. Similarly, apparel cotton is easy to use, and lightweight material. Cotton-weight is a fabric that can easily stretch for quilting projects. Create beautiful drapes in your project with apparel cotton. Generally, people purchase cotton lawn fabric to make clothes, not quilts.

Do You Need Special Fabric for Quilting?

There is no specific fabric needed for quilting. You can craft with whatever material you deem worthy for your quilting project. Consider how you will use your quilting project after it’s complete when choosing quilting fabric. If you plan to use your quilt project daily, be sure to craft it with high-quality quilt fabric so it will last. Use soft and comfortable textiles for any project that you will wear. Ensure that you are using the right need for the weight of the quilt fabric.

Remember that you can use more than one type of quilting fabric for your project. Blend compatible quilt fabrics to create a more personalised quilt. Once you have decided how your quilting project will look, choose the quilt fabrics that best suit your needs and get started.

Are you looking for a new fabric to quilt with for your latest project? Not all quilting fabrics are created equal. The quilting fabric you choose to quilt with will determine the longevity of your project’s life. The more you quilt, the easier it will be to select between fabrics for each project you take on. Experiment with different materials to find which fabric you prefer!

JRs Fabrics provides diverse, high-quality quilting fabric at affordable prices for your latest quilting project. We are passionate about supplying cotton quilting fabrics of different patterns and colour schemes for you to customise your quilt. Browse our latest fabrics in stock to find your ideal quilt fabric. Contact us if you want advice or have any questions about our products.