Quilting Basics

Quilting alone isn't the only way to add texture to your quilt. Manipulating the fabric and stabilizing it before you add it to your quilt can add visual interest. Imagine, for example, a solid color quilt with sections of differently textured fabric.
Three easy ways to add texture to fabric include gathering, pleating and crinkling. All of these methods require cutting a bigger piece of fabric than the finished size because all methods result in some shrinkage. Generally count on cutting a piece twice as big as what you need. Cut off the extra later, if any. And all will need to be stabilized, either by sewing it to another piece of fabric cut to your finished size, or by using iron-on interfacing. Before doing any of these fabric manipulations, always wash the fabric in hot water and don't use fabric softener.

Gathering is simply running a straight stitch, by hand or machine, across the total length of the fabric and pulling up the stitches until you reach your final measurement. If you use a sewing machine, read your manual to find out how to do a basting or gathering stitch. Alternatively, you could zigzag stitch over a length of thread or lightweight yarn making sure you don't catch it within the stitching. Then pull the thread to gather. You can run gathering stitches only along the edges of your piece and this would give you a lot of fullness in the middle. A better result would be to run a series of gathering stitches in parallel lines across your fabric. Or stitch randomly all over your fabric.

Pleating is very like gathering, only in a more regular format. To get a feel for how much fabric it takes to make your finished square, make a sample. Start by cutting a six inch square and an eight inch square. You then need to pleat the edges of your eight inch square enough to lose two inches of length. Fold the fabric along the edge, pinning as you go, until it fits along the edge of the six inch square. Do another sample with a six inch square and a 12 inch square and see how much extra pleating you need on the bigger sample. Pleats can be regular, say, ¼ inch pleats folded in the same direction, or of random width.

Crinkling is done by wetting down your fabric and twisting it until almost dry. Bind with string or yarn if necessary to keep it twisted until completely dry. Open out gently onto an ironing board, right side of the fabric face down, and flatten it as much as possible without losing the crinkles. With a piece of iron-on interfacing cut to your final size, iron it onto the back of the fabric. Once it's cool your fabric won't lose the crinkled effect.

These are just three ideas to add texture to your quilt or wearable art and they can be used for either a subtle or dramatic effect. Make some samples and see for yourself how easy it is to texture fabric.

About the Author

Trish Doornbosch is and artist/graphic designer living in Northern Illinois. Her designs and portfolio are available through her web site at http://www.trishadstudio.com

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photo credit: Elisabeth Augusta