pre-printed wholecloth quilt top

[dixie_belle]

One of my daughters wants a white quilt, that isn't pieced, just quilted (and SHE'S not going to be the one quilting it). I guess I got volunteered for the job, although I was sure to not give a time frame because I think it's going to be very labor intensive.

I know I can order a pre-printed wholecloth quilt top, so all I would have to do would be buy some batting and a backing, sandwich it all together and start the quilting. It would save a bunch of time if I wouldn't have to mark the top. But, I am concerned about the quality of the fabric that you get when you order one of those tops. Has anyone ordered one? I don't want to get something that is of poor quality because I'm planning on doing all this quilting by hand and I want it to last. The on line catalog's don't say anything about threads per inch or anything so I have no idea what kind of quality we're talking about.

 

[lucky seven]

I'm sure that it will be beautiful even though I don't know the answer to your question. I saw one being done many years ago and I loved it.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Some very old quilts were solid color and the quilting was the design, not the piecing. Can you tell if the material has a lot of sizing? If so, it probably isn't good quality. If it is inexpensive, that might be another clue. I've thought about doing such a project, as I like to quilt but do not like to piece.

We have a large quilt show here over Memorial weekend. I just got the flyer about it. No wholecloth quilts are allowed, which I think is odd. It is a QUILT show; I would think all forms of quilting would be accepted and welcomed.

I have nothing to enter this year, but plan to go and check out the vendors.

 

[Charley]

I have some pre-printed quilt blocks that I purchased years ago…1989 is the copyright, thinking I bought it about 15 years ago. I am just getting ready to quilt them….maybe in another couple weeks. Anyway the weave on the fabric is looser than regular cotton but there are no imperfections in the cloth. It is by Wonder Art (a division of Caron Int.) and says quality stamped goods.It is poly/cotton blocks stamped with design. It has a cross stitch design for embroidering. I can't say how it will wear as I haven't finished it. It has the suggested quilt lines printed on the blocks as well.

 

[lucky seven]

Charley, if there were 6 blocks in the package, then I buy them sometimes from mail order craft catalogs. It takes me years to do them as I get bored and put them away. I have found that the blocks aren't cut correctly as some won't have enough material to sew together. Otherwise a nice change of pace.

 

[Charley]

Mine were nice in size, just as described. It sounds like the same type and maybe brand. They are nice for working on in the evenings while hubby is watching tv.

I did them years ago and packed them away and forgot about them. It was a project that I used to teach my daughter to embroider by hand. She lost interest fast in them and one of her squares is started but the rest are still untouched. I have pieced my six completed squares into a lap quilt top and will be quilting them soon. I will be happy to see it completed. And see if the blue lines wash out since this has set for years.

 

[Riverrose28]

Charley, a couple of decades ago I ordered one of those packages and before arthritis set in, I embrodered all the blocks by hand, they were horses and it was crib size. Actualy the fabric was like a weave, but it held up suprisingly well, as it went through couple of kids and then was donated. As to the problem of kids getting bored by hand embrodering all those blocks, my older kids loved this hand embrodered quilt, but didn't want anything to do with helping and I had four girls. I bought another one that was a table topper, think it was Mary Maxum, or something like that, then I went to the hobby story and bought fabric paint that came in a pen. The girls loved painting the blocks.

 

[7fluffyfriends]

Hi Dixie Belle,

I purchased a solid ivory color pre-printed top to quilt by hand in ivory thread - seemed a good idea at the time! The quality of the top is good and it has held up well to a lot of handling. I only have a large round embroidery hoop so it gets shifted all over the top - when I actually work on it.

My biggest mistake was in the batting - purchased a lovely all cotton batting that has been a nightmare to stitch through as it is really too thick.

If I live long enough to finish it though someone will have a nice warm ivory quilt!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Hi Dixie Belle,

I purchased a solid ivory color pre-printed top to quilt by hand in ivory thread - seemed a good idea at the time! The quality of the top is good and it has held up well to a lot of handling. I only have a large round embroidery hoop so it gets shifted all over the top - when I actually work on it.

My biggest mistake was in the batting - purchased a lovely all cotton batting that has been a nightmare to stitch through as it is really too thick.

If I live long enough to finish it though someone will have a nice warm ivory quilt!

I hear you with the cotton batting! I did that once also. It is wonderful for machine quilted pieces, but no fun for hand quilting.

 

[dixie_belle]

You know, I've heard that poly batting is the way to go, but I've always used cotton batting (warm and natural or warm and white). It may be "stiffer" but I love the feel once I'm done and I can still get 10 stitches to the inch. I tried a wool mix once and absolutely hated it. Gave the quilt away, I hated it THAT much. So I'm afraid to use a poly batting because I don't want to be displeased with the results after putting all that work into it.