Cotton Quilting Fabric

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Cotton Quilting Fabric: The Basic Fabric of a Quilt

When you say quilt,' you might as well say cotton' since these terms are almost synonymous. The quilting tradition started with scraps of cotton, giving birth to the custom of using cotton quilting fabric as the first preference for making quits. The most plausible reason would be that cotton was used intensively then, and there was scope to collect a lot of cotton cloth scraps, the basic raw material for making a quilt.

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Why Cotton Quilting Fabric was the Chosen One'

There was another good reason for using cotton quilting fabric for making quilt. That was because quilts were supposed to give warmth and be extremely cozy - qualities which at that time only cotton could offer. Cotton stayed a hot favorite, fighting in popularity almost neck to neck with Japanese silk for a long period of time.

The synthetic fabrics changed the odds a few decades ago because they were cheaper, maintained their colors lifelong, and they were innately stretchable, which was a quality that made the quilts look gorgeous. Many changed their loyalty to the new breed of fabric and made huge profits. However, the mainstream quilt masters stayed with the cotton quilting fabric, rejecting even the beautiful and resilient silk.

The cotton quilting fabric even today cannot be compared to any other fabric when it comes to comfort. The other great plus point is that is completely washable, which keeps the quilt clean. Also, it allows the body to breathe making it very hygienic too. The synthetic fabric, though exceptionally long-lasting, does not allow air to circulate, making it quite uncomfortable sometimes.

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There are some disadvantages attached to the cotton quilting fabric as well. The main factor would be that it shrinks. For this reason, one has to work with pre-soaked material, and/or allow for shrinkage which at times puts a lot of stress on the quilt maker. Pre-soaking, drying, and ironing (because cotton wrinkles terribly) scraps of cotton before making the quilt is unthinkable.

Hence, the quilt master mostly adopts the second option, i.e. stitches it, allowing for shrinkage. It requires great experience and skill to make this possible, without ruing the show of the quilt.

In spite of these major shortcomings, the traditional quilt-makers would prefer the cotton quilting fabric to any other fabric even today. At the same time he/she would also prefer to stitch it lovingly by hand instead of with the help of machine; and the result will always be a masterpiece without equal.

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