Today I am getting ready to prepare 2 antique quilt tops for machine quilting.
It is furnished by the customer. And that brings up a great question...
Do you use what is furnished by your customers, or is there something better you can recommend for the quilt top that fits with the overall style, look and feel of the completed quilt?
There are many reproduction fabrics that will fit the color scheme and patterns in the fabrics. Choose something that has the same warm or cool tones, light tints or dark shades and brightness of dullness of tones.
Plus look at the density of patterns. Open, tight, angular, soft and serpentine, floral, novelty...etc.
You can easily match these styles.
The one thing I do not recommend is printed wide muslin backing fabrics that have (usually you find white paint on natural muslin color) paint on low thread count muslin. The fabric tends to stretch but does not have the memory to bounce back to it's original size and shape. That means that you can develop tucks in your backing and it is nearly impossible to work out.
If you want a soft, supple flat look to the quilt that reflects antique quilts, then use batting that is:
- Low to medium loft
- Washable with some shrinkage for that old puffy look
- Has no scrim
Great post thx you for the information
ReplyDeletehappy to share, these grand ol' gals should be treated with a bit of extra care...thanks Sally
ReplyDeleteIs the Tuscany batting cotton or wool? I purchased a Tuscany wool batting but am afraid to use it because it can't be dried in the dryer by whoever I give the quilt to.
ReplyDeleteHi Oneta, the Tuscany I have is cotton, will check on the wool label for its instruction.
ReplyDeleteHere is the label:
100% Wool - 96" Wide - by the Yard
Tuscany Wool batting is warm yet light and perfect for projects and garments. It provides superb insulation allowing excess heat to dispense away from the body. It hand quilts like a dream, and is wonderful for machine quilters as well. Developed by Harriet Hargrave for the discriminating quilter. Washing instructions: hand wash in tepid water and line dry. Carded, resin bonded, and breathes naturally. 96" wide 100% wool batting, from The Tuscany Collection by Hobbs. Manufactured in the United States and sold by the yard.
I have gently agitate the finished quilt in the washer and removed it and laid it on a white sheet on the grass in the yard and dried it that way. I went out occasionally and made sure it was squared up.
If you feel you would be stretching it out you can put a sheet in the tub, fill it with water adding soap like Woolite and gently swish it around. When you are ready, grab the 4 corners of the sheet and pull the wet quilt out of the tub. This way there is no stress on the heavy water soaked quilt. And they take it to the yard to dry
Hope this helps, Sally
One more thing, have used Hobb's washable wool as well and have washed and dried a daily used quilt. Just read the instructions and decide what will work for your quilt. Sally
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