Ethnic Quilting Article
Wool Felt – The Choice Of Professional Quilters
When you take on the project of making a quilt, there are a whole lot of issues to be considered. Having chosen the color with the help of a color wheel, you think of the theme you’d like to incorporate. Then you turn your attention to the fabric. Choosing a fabric is of utmost importance. Very often, the failure or success of your project depends on the choice of fabric. It is imperative to pay a great deal of attention to the kind of fabric that stores have to offer and choose only the best, if you are to make a success of your project. You only have to ask any professional, and he will vouch for the excellence of wool felt above all other fabrics. You might wonder at this, having only seen play-school children use wool felt in their craft classes. Wool felt, seasoned quilters have it, is of the highest quality and growing in popularity by the day, especially in the quilting world.
Although wool felt has been used for generations, what is on the market today is an improved version and is in fact a mixture of rayon and wool. The reason people prefer it for quilting purposes is that it is easier to handle than any other material. Attaching the pieces together is child’s play. Besides, the material is ideally suited to work designs on. Even the most complicated of designs can be wrought with ease.
Quilters accept that when it comes to the preparation involved before quilting commences, one could face problems. However, all you need to do is to strictly follow the procedure and you won’t go wrong. For facility in handling, you need the fabric to be flexible and soft. Unless wool felt is soaked first before drying, you cannot achieve these properties. The drawback is that water cannot be used to soak wool felt in. It would destroy the fabric. Wool felt cannot withstand ironing either. So you have to dryclean it. This is a disadvantage when it comes to making large pieces. Wool felt is therefore ideal for making display items and smaller pieces to embellish your home.
However, the advantages of wool felt far outweigh its disadvantages. The fact that it is still popular with quilters speaks for itself. Wool felt lasts much longer than other fabrics. It doesn’t get threadbare as most materials do. Its pliability and softness lends itself to appliqué work, so easy is the fabric to handle. Intricate designs can be worked into it quite easily, bringing great enjoyment and a sense of achievement to both beginners and seasoned quilters alike. It is economically viable as it is easier on the pocket than many other fabrics. This is especially heartening for beginners who may not take up quilting for fear of spoiling expensive fabric. Wool felt has made a prominent mark in the market and professionals on the quilting scene will certify to the fact.
