Is There a “Correct” Quilting Fabric?
When I began making quilts again in the 1970s Bicentennial Era, a controversy was going on regarding the “correct” fabric to use in quilts…100% cotton of cotton/polyester blend.
The traditionalists insisted you should use only cotton as the early quiltmakers did. With cotton/polyester blends becoming popular for clothing and household items, some quilters began to use this fabric in quilts.
I did use a great deal of the blends because they were easy to care for and didn’t wrinkle easily. I figured the pioneer homemakers would have used them if they’d been available.
I did make one quilt with blocks of corduroy because the customer wanted a very warm bed covering. I filled it with polyester batting and backed it with flannel. It seemed to please the customer very much. But this wasn’t a common type of quilt at that time.
However, today, it seems that “anything goes” with quilts and hangings and other fabric art. Depending on how you want to use the piece, you will choose fabrics accordingly.
In hangings and art quilts, the more unusual the piece appears with a mix of fabrics, the more it often appeals.
Denim is a fun fabric, particularly when you cut up old jeans, skirts, and dresses of this fabric, for your project. My daughter has made a number of items, including quilts and tote bags, from old and new denim.
Do you have a favorite type of fabric for your work? Or does it depend on the project?
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