Beginner's Guide to Quilting - UK (2020-02)

With hundreds – if not thousands – of fabrics to choose

from, you’re never short of options. Follow our guide to

help you start shopping with confidence!

Choosing

your Fabrics

Visit any fabric shop and you’ll quickly
realise just how many different materials
and patterns are available – how do you
choose when there’s so much gorgeous
fabric out there? Theoretically, you can
attempt a quilting project with pretty much
any fabric, but in reality, at least when
you’re starting out, there are a few
fail-safes you’ll probably want to stick with.
Specific quilting cottons are available, and
there are also similar fabrics that will be just
as good. Read on to find out what you
should be looking for on your next
fabric-shopping trip.

Cotton
Cotton is probably the most versatile and
commonly used quilting and patchwork
fabric. While any cotton weave will do, it’s
worth buying special quilting cotton as it
will be good quality (100% cotton rather
than a polyester cotton blend) with a
higher thread count. It’s
also strong and easy
to work with.
Although
cotton can
crease
easily it
will
happily
withstand

being pressed. The fact that cotton creases

well is very useful when it comes to ironing

seams for patchwork projects.

Cotton blends (usually polycottons – a

blend of polyester and cotton) are fine for

quilting and available in loads of great

prints. However, they are not as good

quality as 100% cotton fabrics so you

might prefer only to use them as

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