Soft SUPPLIES
You’ll need more than just fabric if you’re to make a beautiful
quilt. Check out our guide to wadding, interfacing and
other ‘soft supplies’ for your sewing stashMaterials & Tools
14 Beginner’s Guide to Quilting
A
side from the quilting stitches
themselves, the other thing
your quilting projects will
need is the wadding that lies
between a quilt top and its backing.
A quilt just wouldn’t be a quilt
without that lovely warm padding!
As with the fabric you choose for
your top layer, you need to give somethought to which wadding you
choose, as there are several sorts.
Besides wadding, you’ll also need to
invest in threads for patchworking,
quilting and perhaps embroidery. And
then there are extras such as fusible web
and interfacing that will prove invaluable
if you want to try appliqué or more
structured projects.Cotton thread is widely available and
is suitable for piecing and quilting.
Most cotton thread is ideal for
machine and hand quilting, but you
shouldn’t use thread that’s specifically
intended for hand quilting on a
sewing machine (it’s coated in a glaze
to protect it against the wear of being
passed through the fabric, and this
can cause a build-up of residue on a
sewing machine). Where possible, if
you’re using 100% cotton fabric you
should use 100% cotton thread.
Polyester thread is stronger than
cotton and doesn’t wear with washing
and use, but because of this you mightfind that it cuts into less robust fabrics.
Polyester threads are colourfast, so
you won’t need to worry them fading.
Nylon and rayon threads are good
for appliqué and decorative stitching:
nylon because it’s very fine so the
stitches don’t show around the edge
of an appliquéd shape, rayon
because it has a slight sheen.
Lightweight silk thread is also good for
appliqué as it blends into the shapes
being sewn on, but thicker silks will
make embroidery stitches look
beautiful. Stranded silks and cottons
(shown above) are the best choice for
embroidering your quilt top.Threads
Interfacing
Interfacing is a useful material that
can reinforce or stiffen your fabric. You
attach it to the wrong side of your
work, so it shouldn’t be visible once
your project is finished. Available in
iron-on (fusible) or sew-in (non-fusible)
forms, interfacing is also categorised
by being woven or non-woven.
Non-woven can be easier to work with
as there’s no fabric grain to match with
your top fabric.
Interfacing also comes in a variety
of weights – you’ll want to use one
that’s a little lighter than the fabric to
which it will be attached. For quilting,
lightweight interfacing is useful for
stabilising delicate fabric such as silk.
If you’re making something like a bag
and want to strengthen the handle
then medium-weight would be better.
Heavy and ultra-heavy interfacing is
used for garments such as coats or
cap peaks, or for things like fabric
baskets so they stand up. They’re both
probably too thick for everyday
quilting projects.
The final choice when choosing
interfacing is the colour. It’s available
in white or charcoal versions (light or
dark) so you’ll want to choose the
colour that won’t show through your
top fabric. In most cases this will be
white, but try a sample first.